Apply for the Minor Firearms Licence

In most federal states, no. § 48 Abs. 1 WaffG provides that "the state governments or the bodies … designated by them" determine by statutory instrument which authorities are responsible for implementing the Weapons Act. In practice, this is predominantly the Kreisverwaltungsbehörde, the Landratsamt or the Ordnungsamt at your place of residence; in the city-states, the police may be responsible. Because there is no answer that is uniform nationwide, you should clarify jurisdiction before the appointment – search for "firearms authority" plus your district, or ask at the Bürgerservice.

This cannot seriously be given as a single nationwide figure. Because the federal states determine the competent authorities, the fees are likewise based on state and local fee law and vary accordingly. A figure that is correct for one district may differ considerably in the neighbouring district – and the Weapons Act itself states no amount. Ask the firearms authority responsible for you about the specific amount and which means of payment are accepted. You should also budget for possible additional costs, such as for the photograph.

You are permitted to carry blank-firing, irritant and signal weapons, i.e. to have them on your person outside your home and your enclosed property – provided the weapon bears the PTB mark, the test mark of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt within a circle. What you are not permitted to do: shoot with it in public; a separate licence would be required for that. And for mere possession at home, you do not need the licence at all – a point that explains many unnecessary applications.

No. § 42 Abs. 1 WaffG prohibits carrying weapons at "public amusements, funfairs, sporting events, trade fairs, exhibitions, markets or similar public events" and expressly also names visits to theatres, cinemas and discotheques. The prohibition applies regardless of whether admission is charged, and it also applies to holders of a Minor Firearms Licence – the licence simply does not grant permission there. The competent authority may allow exceptions in an individual case, but they must be applied for and granted.

A spatially limited prohibition based on § 42 Abs. 5 WaffG: the state governments may determine by statutory instrument that carrying weapons is prohibited on "certain public streets, paths or squares" – typically where criminal offences occur repeatedly or where many people gather. These zones apply regardless of your firearms licence, they differ greatly from place to place, and they change. They are often recognisable only from signs on site. Anyone who carries regularly should be familiar with their federal state's statutory instrument.

The Minor Firearms Licence concerns exclusively PTB-tested blank-firing, irritant and signal weapons and requires neither proof of need nor a test of specialised knowledge – only full legal age, reliability and personal suitability. The Major Firearms Licence permits carrying live firearms and additionally requires proof of need, the test of specialised knowledge and proof of liability insurance. The decisive factor is the need: a general wish to feel safer is not sufficient; what is required is a specific, demonstrated significant risk. This is why it is granted only in a few cases.

There is no statutory processing deadline, and the actual duration depends on the authority, the number of pieces of information to be obtained, and its workload. The reliability check is the part that determines the timing: the authority obtains information for this from the Bundeszentralregister and the public prosecution service's register of proceedings, and involves the Verfassungsschutzbehörde. When submitting the application, ask about the current processing time rather than relying on a generally stated number of weeks – and do not plan on a fixed date by which the licence must be in hand.

Yes. Reliability and personal suitability must exist continuously, not only at the time the licence is granted. If they cease to apply – for example through certain criminal convictions, indications of misuse, or findings that call suitability into question – the licence is revoked. The authorities carry out regular checks for this purpose. Infringements of the carrying prohibitions under § 42 WaffG can also factor into this assessment: anyone who draws attention by carrying the weapon at a funfair risks not only being penalised for that infringement, but the licence itself.