You must tell us whether you have any firearms, restricted weapons, major firearm parts, prohibited magazines or pistol carbine conversion kits in your possession.
What arms items must be registered
From 24 June 2023, all firearms licence holders are required to register arms items in their possession.
The arms items you must register are:
- non-prohibited firearms, including Specially Dangerous Airguns (PCPs)
- prohibited firearms and magazines
- pistols
- restricted weapons
- major parts
- pistol carbine conversion kits.
Definition of a 'Specially Dangerous Airgun'
As per Section 3 of the Arms (Restricted Weapons and Specially Dangerous Airguns) Order 1984, specially dangerous airguns are:
- the airguns known as the Larc International Model 19A and the Larc International Model M19-AMP
- specified pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) air rifles.
Section 3, Arms (Restricted Weapons and Specially Dangerous Airguns) Order 1984
When a firearm is considered an antique
As per Section 2 of the Arms Act 1983, an antique firearm is any firearm that:
- you hold solely as an antique (but not as a copy or replica of an antique), and
- is not designed for firing, and is not capable of firing, rimfire or centrefire cartridge ammunition, or
- has been declared by regulations made under this Act to be an antique firearm for the purposes of this Act, but
- does not include any firearm manufactured after 1899.
Details you must provide for the Registry
Firearms
You must register the following firearms:
- non-prohibited firearms, including Specially Dangerous Airguns (PCPs)
- prohibited firearms
- pistols
- restricted weapons.
To register online, you must find a match in our list of common firearms. To do this, you’ll provide some or all of the following details, then select your item from a list of suggestions:
- Type (for example rifle, shotgun etc)
- Make
- Model
- Action
- Calibre/gauge
- If it has a non-detachable magazine and, if so, its capacity
If you cannot find a match when registering online, you must register your firearm over the phone instead.
You will also need to provide:
- Identification marking (such as a serial number)
- A photograph of the firearm (if requested)
Major firearms parts
You must register the following if they are not currently incorporated into a firearm:
- the action (frame, receiver, or upper receiver and/or lower receiver) of a firearm
- frame of a pistol
- calibre conversion components or kits of a pistol.
You must provide the following information:
- Type (for example receiver, action etc)
- Make
- Model
- Identification marking (such as a serial number)
- A photograph of the part (if requested)
Prohibited magazines
In general terms, a prohibited magazine is one that:
- can be used with a shotgun and holds more than 5 rounds
- can be used with a rimfire or centrefire firearm and holds more than 10 rounds.
The full meaning of prohibited magazine is described in section 2B of the Arms Act 1983.
You must provide the following information:
- Type
- Make
- Model
- Calibre/gauge
- Rounds
- Identification marking (such as a serial number)
- A photograph of the magazine (if requested)
Pistol carbine conversion kits
In general terms, a pistol carbine conversion kit is a frame or kit that can be used to convert a pistol into a firearm that can be fired from the shoulder.
The full meaning of pistol carbine conversion kit is described in section 2 of the Arms Act 1983.
You must provide the following information:
- Make
- Model
- Identification marking (such as a serial number)
- A photograph of the pistol carbine conversion kit (if requested)
You must register arms items for which you have a permit
If you have an endorsement on your firearms licence, any firearms you have under permit will be recorded in the Police National Intelligence Application (NIA). The details of these items will not be transferred into the Firearms Registry, however. This is because we need slightly different information about each firearm to meet the requirements of the Regulations.
You must therefore register all items in your possession, including those you have a permit for.
Permits are still required to possess pistols, prohibited firearms, prohibited magazines and restricted weapons.
You do not have to register ammunition
Individual firearms licence holders will not be required to register ammunition in their possession. You also will not need to record sales or purchases of ammunition to or from other firearms licence holders.
If your arms item is custom-made
Custom-made firearms can only be registered over the phone.
You can register custom-made major firearm parts, prohibited magazines and pistol carbine conversion kits online or over the phone. You’ll be asked to provide a description of the item.
Identification markings
The arms items you’re required to register must all have identification markings, under the Arms Regulations 1992.
Most firearms and major firearms parts in New Zealand already have a factory manufacturer’s identification marking, such as a serial number.
A small number of firearms and parts will have no marking or have one that is in a foreign language.
If you have an arms item that needs an identification marking, contact us for advice.
If you have an arms item but do not have a firearms licence
You cannot register an arms item without a firearms licence.
If you have a firearm or other arms item and you do not have a firearms licence, you can pass it on to a firearms licence holder, firearms dealer, or you could surrender it to Police. Contact your local Arms Office to arrange a suitable time to hand the item in.
How we're protecting your privacy and security
We recognise that how we manage and protect personal information is important for maintaining your trust and confidence in us.
Our technology and processes
We have been purposeful in making decisions on how licence holders are able to register their firearms and other arms items. We know it’s significantly more complex to keep paper forms and documents private and secure, so you will not be able to register using a paper form.
Any personal information you provide for the Registry will be held and managed in accordance with the Privacy Act.
The Arms Information System, which supports MyFirearms and the Firearms Registry, has been classified at RESTRICTED under the Protective Security Requirements (PSR). The PSR outlines the Government's expectations for managing staff, physical and information security.
This classification recognises the potential national security impacts of an unauthorised release of the information held in the Registry. It therefore requires strong protections to safeguard the information from unauthorised access.
This means we have implemented a range of security controls to help protect the confidentiality and integrity of the information held in the Registry and ensure we can maintain its availability. These are similar controls to what you would see at your bank. This includes things like:
- strong data encryption of all information stored in the Registry
- robust authentication, including two-factor verification
- limits on what data can be accessed by staff in different roles, and what can be accessed via MyFirearms
- maintaining records of what actions are taken in the system, both by Police staff and users of MyFirearms, and processes to review these records for suspicious or unusual activity.
The platform has been through multiple security assessments by Government approved independent security consultants – the same security professionals regularly conduct these assessments across New Zealand businesses, including banks, telecommunication providers, government departments and insurance companies.
Our people
The only people who will have access to the Registry are staff who need it to do their jobs. This will include Police and Te Tari Pūreke staff and authorised suppliers.
All our staff with access to the Arms Information System undertake privacy and security training and are bound by employment conditions and/or contractual agreements related to confidentiality. This access is audited and subject to the same professional conduct standards that apply to other Police systems. Audits included both planned activity and randomised checks.
Strict protocols are in place regarding access to the Police network and Police IT systems, and the Registry is no different. All Police staff with access to the Arms Information System must pass Police vetting processes and can only access it using a Police device while on the Police network.
Related links
Privacy
When to register your arms items
2023 firearm law changes
What the Firearms Registry means for dealers
Arms Amendment Regulations 2023 – New Zealand Legislation
