Gun laws and policies, collectively referred to as firearms regulation or gun control, regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, and use of small arms by civilians. Laws of some countries may afford civilians a right to keep and bear arms, and have more liberal gun laws than neighboring jurisdictions. Gun control typically restricts access to certain categories of firearms and limits the categories of persons who may be granted permission to access firearms. There may be separate licenses for hunting, sport shooting, self-defense, collecting, and concealed carry, each with different sets of requirements, privileges, and responsibilities.
Gun laws are usually justified by a legislature's intent to curb the usage of small arms in crime, and to this end they frequently target types of arms identified in crimes and shootings, such as handguns and other types of concealable firearms. Semi-automatic rifle designs which are derived from service rifles, sometimes colloquially referred to as assault rifles, often face additional scrutiny from lawmakers. Persons restricted from legal access to firearms may include those below a certain age or those with a criminal record. Firearms licenses to purchase or possess may be denied to those defined as most at risk of harming or murdering themselves or others, persons with a history of domestic violence, alcohol use disorder or substance use disorder, mental illness, depression, or those who have attempted suicide. Those applying for a firearm license may need to demonstrate competence by completing a gun safety course and/or show provisions for a secure location to store weapons.
The legislation which restricts small arms may also restrict other weapons, such as explosives, crossbows, swords, electroshock weapons, air guns, and pepper spray. It may also restrict firearm accessories, notably high-capacity magazines, sound suppressors, and devices such as auto sears, which enable fully automatic fire. There may be restrictions on the quantity or types of ammunition purchased, with certain types prohibited. Due to the global scope of this article, detailed coverage cannot be provided on all these matters; the article will instead attempt to briefly summarize each country's weapon laws in regard to small arms use and ownership by civilians.
Vocabulary and terminology Firearms are not defined the same way in each country.
Some terms are used in several countries in the context of gun laws. These include the following:
shall-issue: granting of a required permit or license is subject only to the applicant's meeting determinate criteria laid out in the law; the granting authority has no discretion in the awarding of licenses. may-issue: granting of a required permit or license is partially at the discretion of local authorities. Some jurisdictions may provide administrative and legal avenues for an applicant to appeal a permit denial, while others may not. no-issue: granting of a required permit or license is forbidden, or, at most, allowed only in certain very limited circumstances.
Gun laws might be classified by countries according to some specific common characteristics: Yemen does not require any permit or any license for the acquisition or selling of any types of firearms, including fully automatic firearms. Most U.S. states do not require any permit or any license for the acquisition or selling of most types of firearms, meaning they're sold over the counter and no license is required for buying a great number of firearms. Citizens (excluding prohibited persons in the latter case) may freely buy them from licensed and state authorized dealers or suppliers. Some countries including Austria, Liechtenstein, Philippines, and Switzerland are partially licensed, meaning that any non-prohibited citizen may buy repeating rifles and break-action shotguns from licensed dealers and a permit is required only for handguns and semi-automatic firearms. Some countries allow firearm ownership without good reason or with a simple declaration of reason. For example, in Austria, while the law requires an applicant to have good reason to acquire a license for a handgun, self-defense at home is accepted as a good reason. Canada and New Zealand do not require good reason for applicants' acquisition of most types of long guns, although they require it for restricted weapons like handguns. Some countries require an applicant to show good reason to secure a firearm license. In some, like Poland and Malta, the list of good reasons and conditions that must be met is explicitly stated in the law. In others, like Kenya and the United Kingdom, the law does not specify what constitutes a good reason and leaves it at the discretion of authorities, but good or legitimate reasons for obtaining a firearm are hunting, sport shooting, collecting, and self defense. In some countries, like China, Japan, Venezuela and Myanmar, only people that are abled and trained and are meeting narrow conditions are allowed to own firearms, and few licenses are issued. In some countries, including Cambodia, Eritrea, and the Solomon Islands, private ownership of firearms by civilians is completely prohibited. There may be exceptions for private security companies, militias and paramilitary groups.
Firearms license
A firearms license (also known as a gun license; or licence in British English) is a license or permit issued by a government authority (typically by the police) of a jurisdiction, that allows the licensee to buy, own, possess, or carry a firearm, often subject to a number of conditions or restrictions, especially with regard to storage requirements or the completion of a firearms safety course, as well as background checks, etc. Firearms licenses are not required in all jurisdictions. Additionally, some countries or states may require by law a "permit-to-purchase" in order to buy handguns or firearms. A licence may also be required to buy ammunition.
The permit or license scope varies according to what firearm(s) or activity(s) it allows the holder to legally do with the firearm. Some jurisdictions may require a firearm license to own a firearm, to engage in hunting, target shooting or collecting, or to carry a concealed firearm, or operate a business (such as being a gun dealer or a gunsmith). Some jurisdictions may require separate licenses for rifles, shotguns or handguns.
The requirement to have a firearm license is usually in addition to a requirement for firearm registration. For example, gun laws in Australia require firearms to be registered by serial number to the owner, who holds a firearm licence.
Comparison
This section uses the expressions shall issue and may issue which are partly specific to and defined by the US system of firearm regulations.
Maps
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