Firearms licence ( New Zealand ) - wikipedia Firearms licence ( New Zealand ) In New Zealand, a firearms licence is required by : anyone wishing to possess or use a firearm, or an air gun that is designated as `` specially dangerous '' arms dealers, and their employees, and anyone under 18 years of age who wants to use or possess an air gun. Self - defence is not a valid reason to possess firearms in New Zealand. There are exemptions from the need for a licence for police, military and related occupations, and for the use of firearms when closely supervised by licence - holders. In addition certain types of firearms - such as humane killers, tranquiliser guns, flare pistols, antiques - may be used and possessed without a licence. The statutory basis for licensing of firearms use in New Zealand is laid out in the Arms Act and Arms Regulations. The act is administered by the New Zealand Police, according to policies documented in their Arms Manual 2002. Contents 1 Granting of licences 2 The `` fit and proper person '' test 3 General Licence 4 Endorsements 5 Visitors 6 See also 7 References Granting of licences Licences are issued at the discretion of the police. The possession of firearms is considered a privilege, rather than a right. To be granted a licence, the applicant must : Be 16 or older ; Be a `` fit and proper person '' to possess and use firearms ; Attend a safety lecture given by a volunteer from the New Zealand Mountain Safety Council ; Pass a written test based on the material in the Arms Code, a booklet compiled jointly by the New Zealand Mountain Safety Council and the Police ; Have a police officer inspect the security at the applicant 's home ( a gun rack, safe, strongroom or `` receptacle of stout construction '' is required ) ; Undergo an interview with a police officer ; Provide two referees, one a relative and one not, to vouch for the applicant ; Pay NZ $126.50 at a local PostShop. Licences are issued for a period of 10 years. The `` fit and proper person '' test As part of the application for a licence, the police will assess whether the applicant is a fit and proper person to possess firearms. An applicant could be considered not fit and proper if he / she : has been the subject of a protection order ; has shown no regard for the Arms Act or Arms Regulations ; has been involved in substance abuse ; has committed any serious offence, or any crimes involving violence or drugs ; has committed a series of minor offences ( or a serious offence ) against the Arms Act ; has been affiliated with a gang involved in violence ; has been involved in acts or threats of matrimonial violence ; has exhibited signs of mental ill health ; has attempted to commit suicide or other self injurious behaviour General licence The `` general '' ( or `` type A '' ) licence gives permission to own and use `` sporting configuration '' firearms. A sporting configuration firearm is a rifle or shotgun that does not meet the legal definition of any of a Military - Style Semi-Automatic ( MSSA ), `` Restricted Weapon '' or `` pistol ''. Sporting configuration firearms are not individually registered, and licence - holders may own as many as they wish and buy or sell them freely from / to other licence - holders or dealers. Endorsements Under certain circumstances, a licence may carry endorsements to allow the possession and use of other types of weapons, as follows : Endorsement Use Allows the holder to possess and use pistols. Granted only to bona fide members of pistol clubs. Weapons held under a `` B '' endorsement may only be fired at an approved pistol range, and are subject to strict controls on carriage away from the owner 's home. Allows the holder to possess and use pistols and restricted weapons. Granted only to bona fide collectors, to people for whom a particular weapon has a special significance ( e.g. as an heirloom ), to museum curators, and to theatre, film and TV production armourers. Weapons held under a `` C '' endorsement may not be fired with live ammunition, though blanks may be fired for film, TV and theatre purposes. Allows the holder to possess and use MSSAs. Granted only to applicants showing a genuine reason for needing to use an MSSA - such as professional hunting, or participation in service - rifle or IPSC 3 - gun competitions. D, F Special endorsements for firearms dealers. Endorsements are granted only after further police vetting, and a higher standard of firearm storage security is required. Each application for an endorsement costs NZ $200. Weapons other than sporting - configuration rifles and shotguns must be individually registered, and transfer of possession is subject to prior approval by the police. Visitors Visitors to New Zealand may be granted a temporary visitor 's licence. `` B '' or `` E '' endorsements may be included on the licence when appropriate ( e.g. an overseas competitor in a pistol shooting competition ). See also Gun laws in New Zealand References Jump up ^ `` Arms Code Section 4 : Firearms Licensing '', NZ Police Jump up ^ Arms Regulations 1992 ( SR 1992 / 346 ) ^ Jump up to : `` Arms Manual 2002 ''. New Zealand Police. 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2017. Jump up ^ Police v Corby ( District Court Lower Hutt ( MA 194 / 81 ) 5 June 1981 ) Jump up ^ Giles v O'Fee ( District Court Wellington ( MA 309 / 88 ) 29 August 1989 ) Jump up ^ Arms Code Archived 2007 - 06 - 24 at the Wayback Machine. ^ Jump up to : New Zealand Firearm Safety and Licences Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Firearms_licence_(New_Zealand)&oldid=813322586 '' Categories : Gun politics in New Zealand Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 3 December 2017, at 02 : 17. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: how old do you have to be to get a gun licence in nz
Answer: 16 or older; 16 or older; 16 or older