Ammunition and weapons acquisition in Germany

To purchase ammunition and weapons you need the following documents:

Hunter:

• hunting license
• wbk
• Identity card (front and back)
• P ID
• OATH

sport shooter:

• wbk
• Identity card (front and back)
• P ID
• OATH
• (For handgun ammunition, an entry and stamp must be stored in the WBK)

The statements presented relate to the main changes/adjustments to the new Weapons Act and do not claim to be complete. The law comes into force on April 01st, 2008.

According to the current state of knowledge, the following applies to the purchase of weapons and ammunition:

Important: After completing your purchase, you will receive an email asking you to send us the necessary documents. Please simply reply to this email and attach the required documents. We will contact you in writing with regard to the documents that must be submitted as originals or certified copies and will explicitly ask you to do so.

 Attention: From September 01.09.2020st, XNUMX, we will need your NWR IDs (personal ID & NWR ID) when purchasing a weapon due to the obligation to report to the National Weapons Register. Please request this from your responsible weapons authority.

1. Acquisition requirements:

"Old Yellow WBK"

Gun ownership card for marksmen, issued according to the old gun law by March 31.03.2003, 58 at the latest. Applies according to § 1 paragraph 3 sentence XNUMX WaffG to the same extent as under the old WaffG.

Permission for the purchase and possession of single-shot long guns (with rifled and smoothbore barrels) that is unlimited in terms of time and quantity.

WBK for sport shooters

The "new yellow WBK" according to Section 14, Paragraph 4 of the Weapons Act applies to all four types of weapons mentioned on the right, taking into account the purchase ban (maximum of 2 weapons in 6 months). Restrictions on content would not be permitted.
Time-restricted, unlimited-quantity license to acquire and possess:

• single-shot long guns with smooth and rifled barrels,
• bolt-action long guns with rifled barrels,
• single-barreled single-shot handguns for cartridge ammunition,
• Multi-shot short and long guns with primer ignition (percussion weapons: i.e. revolvers and side-by-side shotguns).

"Green WBK"

Acquisition permit according to § 14 paragraph 2 WaffG. For all weapons not mentioned under 2., a green WBK with a corresponding previous entry must be presented (also applies to the hunter's first two hunting handguns). Authorized to purchase the weapon noted in the previous entry in the WBK.
The previous entry is valid for one year as an acquisition permit – unless otherwise noted.

Valid annual hunting license

The hunting license in the sense of § 15 BJagdG is the license to purchase the weapons shown on the left. This means that a youth hunting license does not entitle the holder to permanently acquire firearms (cf. Section 13, Paragraph 7 of the Weapons Act).
Entitles to purchase all long guns that are not expressly prohibited under the Federal Hunting Act or the Weapons Act.

Collector WBK

Authorized to purchase and own weapons that fall under the specific authorized (and possibly later supplemented or expanded) collection area.

Ammunition

a) Munitions Purchase License (MES)
Authorized to acquire and possess the types of ammunition specified in the MES. Usually limited to six years as an acquisition permit, valid indefinitely as an owner's permit. For collectors and experts unlimited and usually for all types of ammunition that is not subject to the KWKG.

b) Entry in the WBK
Permission to purchase and own firearms for the firearms registered in the WBK is usually granted by an entry in the WBK.

IMPORTANT: "For the firearms registered therein" (§ 10 Para. 3 Clause 1 WaffG) means that the ammunition suitable for the respective weapon can be purchased, such as .357 Magnum and .38 Spec.

Documents to be submitted

Long guns requiring a license:
Original hunting license, original WBK with previous entry by registered mail or officially certified copy of the hunting license or officially certified copy of the hunting license by letter (certification date must not be more than 14 days old).

Handguns requiring a license:
Original WBK with previous entry by registered mail
When purchasing a sport shooter WBK (§ Abs. 4 Waffg)1 or “old yellow” WBK2
1 Single-shot rifled and rifled long guns, rifled-barreled bolt-action guns, single-shot handguns with cartridge ammunition, and multi-shot percussion weapons
2 single-shot long guns with rifled and smoothbore barrels
3 The applicant may only acquire two weapons per six-month period

Attention: From September 01.09.2020st, XNUMX, we will need your NWR IDs (personal ID & NWR ID) when purchasing a weapon due to the obligation to report to the National Weapons Register. Please request this from your responsible weapons authority.

Authorized ammunition

For long guns
Original of the hunting license, officially certified copy of the hunting license or officially certified copy of the hunting license by letter. Original ammunition purchase certificate, original WBK, or officially certified copy, not older than 14 days, of all pages.

For handguns
Original WBK or original ammunition purchase certificate, or officially certified copy, not older than 14 days, of all pages.

Original WBK or hunting license by registered mail to:

Venari Hunting technique
Owner Jens Dewenter
Old Lehmdermoorweg 61
26180 Rastede

§ 42a WaffG – Prohibition on carrying imitation weapons and certain portable objects

1) It is forbidden
1. Apparent weapons,
2. Cutting and thrusting weapons in accordance with Annex 1, Section 1, Subsection 2, No. 1.1 or
3. To carry knives with a blade that can be locked with one hand (one-hand knife) or fixed knives with a blade length of more than 12 cm.
(2) Paragraph 1 does not apply
1. for use in photo, film or television recordings or theatrical performances,
2. for transport in a closed container,
3. for carrying the objects according to paragraph 1 no. 2 and 3, provided that there is a legitimate interest. Further regulations remain unaffected.
(3) A legitimate interest according to Paragraph 2 No. 3 exists in particular if the items are carried in connection with the exercise of a profession, the maintenance of customs, sport or a generally recognized purpose.

Information on the purchase of firearms requiring a permit

II. Firearms Required to Be Permitted
When selling or otherwise handing over firearms that require a permit, there are a few more regulations to be observed.

acquisition permit
In order for someone to become the permanent owner of a firearm that requires a license, they need a license to purchase it. The most common permits are detailed below:

hunting license
The valid hunting license is a license to purchase all long guns, i.e. for all long guns that are not prohibited for hunting under Section 19 BJagdG. So: pay attention to the expiry date of the hunting license! To acquire handguns, hunters also need their own official acquisition permit, i.e. a preliminary entry in a green WBK.

Green WBK with previous entry
The WBK alone is not sufficient as an acquisition permit, it is important that the weapon in question is named in a previous entry that was still valid at the time of acquisition and that its acquisition is therefore permitted. The previous entry is usually valid for one year from the date of issuance. It is important to pay attention to the expiry date here.

Yellow WBK / sport shooting WBK
The Sportschützen-WBK is a purchase and ownership license for all types of weapons mentioned in it. There is no need for an additional previous entry for the purchase of a weapon, the WBK itself is sufficient. According to Section 14, Paragraph 4, the Sportschützen-WBK is a license to purchase and own single-shot single-shot long guns with smooth and rifled barrels, bolt-action long guns with rifled barrels, single-barreled single-shot short guns for cartridge ammunition and multi-shot short and long guns with primer ignition (percussion weapons).

Some authorities in some federal states only issue the Sportschützen-WBK to a limited extent, e.g. only for one of the above-mentioned types of weapons or only for a certain number of weapons.
If the seller is aware of this restriction because it is noted in the WBK as an official entry, he must observe it.

Old Yellow WBK
The sport shooter WBK issued up to March 31.03.2003, XNUMX is – insofar as it has not been extended by an official entry – still the purchase and ownership license for single-shot long guns with smooth and rifled barrels.

Collector WBK
The Rote WBK for weapons collectors entitles them to purchase weapons that are covered by the collection area specified in the WBK. As with any other transfer of firearms that require a permit, the transferor is also obliged to check the entitlement of the purchaser according to Section 34 (1) sentence 1 WaffG.