Arms items that require a permit to possess

You must have a permit before you possess the item

Apply for a permit to possess before you buy or receive the item you want to possess.

It is an offence to possess the item before the permit is granted.

Overview

A permit to possess is granted for a specific pistol, pistol carbine conversion kit (PCCK), restricted weapon, prohibited firearm or prohibited magazine.

The permit allows you to buy or receive a specific item within a 1-month period. If you do not buy or receive the item within the month, you must apply for a new permit.

You need a permit if you take possession of the following items in New Zealand:

pistol – including the action or receiver
pistol carbine conversion kit (PCCK)
restricted weapon – including the action or receiver
prohibited firearm – including the action or receiver
prohibited magazine.

Pistols

Before you apply for a permit to possess a pistol, you must have an endorsement on your licence for pistols in one of the following capacities.

As a member of a pistol target shooting club.
As a bona fide collector of firearms.
As a person for whom the item has special significance as a memento or heirloom.
As an employee or approved member (including theatrical armourers) of:
- a broadcaster or theatre company or society
- a cinematic or television film production company
- a video recording production company.
As a director or curator of a bona fide museum.
As a licensed dealer.

You need to explain why you’re applying to add the item to your endorsement.

Pistol carbine conversion kits (PCCKs)

Before you apply for a permit to possess a pistol carbine conversion kit (PCCK), you must have an endorsement on your licence for pistols or restricted weapons in one of the following capacities.

As a member of a pistol target shooting club.
As a bona fide collector of firearms.
As a person for whom the item has special significance as a memento or heirloom.
As an employee or approved member (including theatrical armourers) of:
- a broadcaster or theatre company or society
- a cinematic or television film production company
- a video recording production company.
As a director or curator of a bona fide museum.
As a licensed dealer.

You need to explain why you’re applying to add the item to your endorsement.

You must have a permit to possess the pistol that will be used with the PCCK, before you apply for a permit to possess the PCCK.

If you have a pistol target shooting endorsement

You must show that the PCCK enables firing from the shoulder of a particular pistol that:

has an overall length of no more than 400 millimeters
can fire specified ammunition at a muzzle velocity of 1,600 feet a second or less. Specified ammunition is ammunition used on pistol shooting ranges the Commissioner has approved.

We must be satisfied:

you have the right pistol for the PCCK
the PCCK does not modify the pistol in any other way.

Restricted weapons

Before you apply for a permit to possess a restricted weapon, you must have an endorsement on your licence for restricted weapons, in one of the following capacities.

As a bona fide collector of firearms.
As a person for whom the item has special significance as a memento or heirloom.
As an employee or approved member (including theatrical armourers) of:
- a broadcaster or theatre company or society
- a cinematic or television film production company
- a video recording production company.
As a director or curator of a bona fide museum.
As a licensed dealer.

You need to explain why you’re applying to add the item to your endorsement.

Prohibited firearms and prohibited magazines

Before you apply for a permit to possess prohibited firearms or prohibited magazines, you must have an endorsement on your firearms licence for prohibited firearms and/or prohibited magazines in one of the following capacities.

As a pest controller who:
- is employed or engaged by the Department of Conservation and involved in operations for the purpose of controlling wild animals or animal pests in accordance with a specified Act (subject to prescribed limits, if any)
- is the holder of a concession granted by the Minister of Conservation to undertake wild animal recovery operations in accordance with a specified Act (subject to prescribed limits, if any)
- is employed or engaged by a management agency as defined in section 100 of the Biosecurity Act 1993 and involved in operations for the purpose of controlling wild animals or animal pests in accordance with that Act (subject to prescribed limits, if any)
- is a person whose sole business, or a substantial part of whose business, is providing services to control any prescribed wild animals or animal pests, or a person employed or engaged by that person for that purpose (subject to prescribed limits, if any)
- is a person who is the owner or manager, or is an employee, of an agricultural, a horticultural, or a silvicultural business, if there is a real possibility that the commercial viability of the business would be detrimentally affected to a significant extent by the presence of prescribed wild animals or animal pests on any land used for that business (subject to prescribed limits, if any).
As a bona fide collector of firearms.
As a person for whom the item has special significance as a memento or heirloom.
As a director or curator of a bona fide museum.
As an employee or approved member (including theatrical armourers) of:
- a broadcaster or theatre company or society
- a cinematic or television film production company
- a video recording production company.
As a licensed dealer.