Yellow gun possession card for individual marksmen; application

The yellow firearms possession card entitles you to own up to ten

• single-shot long guns with smooth and rifled barrels,
• repeating long guns with rifled barrels,
• single-shot single-barrel short-barrelled weapons for cartridge ammunition,
• multi-shot short and long weapons with primer ignition (percussion weapons)

can be purchased. Other types of weapons can only be purchased with the "green" gun ownership card (see "Related topics").

It is recommended that you inform yourself in detail about the regulations of firearms law before submitting your application.

In order to obtain a yellow gun ownership card, you must

• be of the appropriate age and
• be a member of a shooting club for at least one year and
• provide proof of regular shooting,
• be reliable under firearms law and
• personal suitability,
• have expertise in handling weapons and ammunition and
• provide evidence of the safe storage of weapons and ammunition.

• You must be at least 18 years old (21 for large-caliber weapons).
  
  A minimum age of 18 years applies to the purchase of
  • Firearms up to a caliber of 5.6 mm lfB (.22 l.r.) for rimfire ammunition, if the muzzle energy of the projectiles is 200 joules or less, and
  • Single-shot long guns with smooth barrels with caliber 12 or smaller, provided that sport shooting with such weapons is permitted by the approved sporting regulations of a shooting sports association (§ 14 para. 1 sentence 2 WaffG).

The minimum age for other firearms is 21 years.

If you are under 25 years of age and wish to purchase firearms other than the (small-caliber) firearms specified in § 14 Para. 1 Sentence 2 WaffG, you will be requested by the competent weapons authority to submit a specialist medical or specialist psychological report/certificate on your mental aptitude. You must pay for the certificate yourself and send the original by post to the relevant firearms authority.

• You must prove that you have been a member of a recognized shooting club for at least twelve months and that you have practised shooting regularly in the past twelve months (at least once a month or at least 18 times within a year).
  
• You must be reliable under firearms law.
  
  You may be deemed unreliable under firearms law if, among other things
  • you have been sentenced to a prison term of at least one year within the last 10 years or have been a member of or supported a prohibited organization in the last 10 years.
  • it can be assumed that you misuse weapons or ammunition or handle them improperly, do not store these items carefully or hand them over to persons who are not authorized to do so.
  • you have been in preventive police custody more than once in the last 5 years with judicial authorization due to violence.
  • you have repeatedly or grossly violated the Weapons Act.
    
• You must be personally suitable.
  
  You may be assessed as personally unsuitable if, among other things
  • You are legally incompetent.
  • you are dependent on alcohol or other intoxicating substances, mentally ill or mentally retarded.
  • you suffer from serious illnesses, such as brain injuries, or physical impairments, such as amputations or severe visual impairment.
  • it can be assumed that you do not handle weapons or ammunition carefully or properly or cannot store these items carefully or that there is a concrete danger that you will endanger others or yourself.
    
• You must prove that you have sufficient knowledge of weapons and ammunition and how to handle them (expertise).
  
  In order to be able to prove your expertise in handling weapons and ammunition, you must have taken part in a corresponding course. The course comprises a theoretical and practical part. At the end of the course, you will take an examination before an authorized examination board. If you pass the examination, you will receive a certificate stating the weapons and ammunition for which you have acquired the certificate of competence. You can also obtain the certificate of competence only for the weapons and ammunition that you wish to acquire and possess.
  
  

• You must prove that you can store weapons and ammunition safely.
  
  This generally means that only you as the authorized person have access to weapons and ammunition, for example by carrying the key with you at all times. If you do not store your weapons and ammunition securely, you are committing an administrative offense for which a fine of up to EUR 10,000 can be imposed. In addition, your reliability under firearms law may be called into question and your firearms possession card may be withdrawn.
  
  When submitting your application, you must provide information on the storage location and the container in which you wish to store weapons and ammunition. The storage requirements are based on § 13 of the General Weapons Act Ordinance (AWaffV). In cases of doubt, please contact the authority responsible for you. In principle, you can use the following guidelines as a guide:
  • You must store ammunition requiring a permit in a sheet steel cabinet/container with a swing bolt lock or an equivalent locking device.
  • You need a gun cabinet to store long guns and handguns that require a permit. The type of gun cabinet you need depends on the number and type of weapons and/or ammunition you wish to purchase and own.
    • You can store an unlimited number of long guns, up to 5 handguns and ammunition in a gun cabinet with resistance grade 0 in accordance with the DIN/EN 1143-1 standard weighing up to 200 kilograms.
    • You may store an unlimited number of long weapons, up to 10 short weapons and ammunition in a gun cabinet with resistance grade 0 in accordance with the DIN/EN 1143-1 standard weighing over 200 kilograms.
    • In a gun cabinet with resistance grade I in accordance with the DIN/EN 1143-1 standard, you may store an unlimited number of long weapons and handguns as well as ammunition.
  • The following regulations apply to the location where you may set up the gun cabinet:
    • If you live in a shared household with another person who is also authorized to own weapons, you may store the weapons in a shared weapons cabinet.

You must apply for the yellow gun ownership card at the relevant firearms authority. Submit the application together with the required documents.

The firearms authority will issue you with the yellow firearms possession card if you meet the necessary requirements.

• Required documents:
  
  • Identity card or passport (copy)
  • Certificate from the shooting sports association
  • Proof of expertise
  • Proof of storage, e.g. purchase contract for a gun cabinet and/or photos of the gun cabinet and installation site
  • If applicable, a specialist medical or psychological certificate confirming your mental aptitude (if under 25 years of age)

The fees for issuing a gun ownership card are between 30.00 and 180.00 EUR. The district administrative authority responsible for you will be happy to provide you with more details.