You must have a current New Zealand firearms licence and any required endorsement and permit to legally possess most arms items or ammunition.
Arms items include firearms, magazines, parts, airguns, pistols, restricted weapons and pistol carbine conversion kits (PCCKs).
You do not need a firearms licence to possess an airgun if you are aged 18 or over, unless it is classified as a specially dangerous airgun.
The Arms Act 1983 explains the restrictions on possession of airguns.
If you have a firearm, other arms item or ammunition you cannot legally possess or do not wish to possess, you can surrender the item to:
You may surrender a firearm, other arms item or ammunition to a licensed firearms dealer under the Voluntary Surrender provisions of section 59A of the Arms Act 1983.
If you decide to transfer an arms item to a dealer, contact them first to schedule an appointment.
The dealer will guide you through the process and provide specific instructions. If it is a non-prohibited firearm, they may on-sell the item, use it for parts or destroy it, depending on its condition.
If the item is an arms item that you need an endorsement to possess, then the dealer must hand the item on to Police within 5 working days of receiving it. Police will then decide how the item is dealt with or otherwise disposed of.
Note: Firearms dealers have no obligation to receive arms items. If a dealer declines to take possession of an item, and you cannot find a firearms licence holder who is willing to take possession, you must surrender the item to Police.
You can deliver a firearm, other arms item or ammunition that you are not authorised to possess to a Police station under section 59B of the Arms Act 1983.
This applies, for example, if you find a firearm in a deceased person’s estate, or there is no licence holder to arrange transfer to. You may be asked to provide details about how you acquired the arms item. The decision to prosecute or not prosecute is at the discretion of Police.
You can choose to deliver the item anonymously or give your name and contact information. Before transporting any items to Police, you must let them know in advance and arrange a time for safe and proper transfer.
You can arrange a time to surrender the arms items by:
Note: Please do not turn up to a Police station with a firearm unannounced. It’s important you make sure firearms are not loaded and transport them safely using a gun case or similar bag. Remove any detachable magazine and, if possible, use a chamber safety flag to indicate that the firearm is not loaded.
Storage and transportation of firearms and ammunition
Police will not pay for or provide any compensation for firearms, other arms items or ammunition that are surrendered.
If you are gifted or inherit a firearm, other arms item or ammunition that you wish to keep, you can only do so once you have a firearms licence and any required endorsements and permit. Until then, the item must be held by a firearms licence holder or licensed firearms dealer with the required endorsements and permit.
If you have inherited or found something that appears to be a firearm and are unsure what it might be or what classification it is, please contact Te Tari Pūreke or Police in the first instance. They can help identify the arms item and what you might need to do with it.
Contact us:
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Phone 0800 844 431 (04 499 2870) 8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday |