2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY-FIVE - Internal Security (§§ 1 — 3356) › Subtitle 1 - Generally (§§ 1 — 1973) › PART V - Regulation of Firearms, Explosives, and Other Dangerous Devices (§§ 411-454 — 593) › Chapter 51A - Puerto Rico Arms Act of 2000 (§§ 455 — 460k) › Subchapter II - Licenses and Regulations (§§ 456 — 456o) › § 456d - Permits

(a) The competent Part of the Court of First Instance shall grant authorization to the Superintendent to include in the petitioner’s identification card a permit to bear, transport and carry, without identifying any particular weapon, any legally owned pistol or revolver, unless there is just cause to deny said permit, with prior notification to the Department of Justice and upon a hearing before the same if so required by the latter, to any person who holds a weapons license and demonstrates that he/she fears for his/her safety. The petitioner shall include, along with his/her application for a permit to carry firearms, a two hundred and fifty dollar ($250) internal revenue voucher drawn to the order of the Superintendent, which voucher shall have been previously submitted to the Superintendent together with a certification issued by an authorized official of a gun club in Puerto Rico, stating that the petitioner has passed a course in the correct and safe use and handling of firearms.
The requirements for issuing a weapons license provided in § 456a of this title shall be considered by the court when evaluating the granting of the permit to carry a weapon.
The permit to carry a weapon issued by the court may be renewed, concurrently with the weapons license renewal by presenting before the Superintendent, a one hundred dollar ($100) voucher drawn to the order of the Superintendent, and a sworn petition indicating that the circumstances that gave rise to the original granting of the license still prevail at the time the application is presented. In the event there is any change, said change shall be justified before the renewal is granted. The Superintendent shall notify the court of the renewal of the permit to carry a weapon within thirty (30) days.
A sworn statement must be included stating that all requirements established in § 456a of this title are met and that the entire contents of the application are true and correct.
(b) The permit to carry weapons granted herein shall have a term subject to the effectiveness of the weapons license and may be renewed for consecutive terms of five (5) years together with the weapons license. In the event the permit is denied, the amounts paid in vouchers shall not be reimbursable.
(c) As part of the application for the renewal of a weapons license and the permit to carry weapons, a person shall submit to the Superintendent a new certificate on the use, handling and safety measures of firearms, certified by a gun club. For such a purpose, the Superintendent shall authorize the purchase of a maximum of up to two hundred and fifty (250) rounds of ammunition in addition to those allowed by this Act, which must be completely used up in the gun club attended by the licensee during his/her training for certification.
Every law enforcement officer who because of his/her duties is assigned a weapon shall receive an annual training on the use and handling of said weapon offered by officials of or personnel contracted by the agencies that employ them and who are qualified to certify the use, handling and safety measures of a firearm. It shall be the duty of the agency that employs said official to submit a certification to the Superintendent indicating that the training herein established has taken place.
Those licensees who fail to comply with the requirement of the aforementioned certification may not carry a weapon until they are certified, under penalty of an administrative fine of five hundred dollars (500); in the event of a second violation of the provisions of this paragraph, the Superintendent shall also revoke the permit to carry weapons without the need of a court authorization. In the case of law enforcement officers, after a grace period of 60 days has concluded, the agencies may not be able to use uncertified personnel pursuant to this section in functions that require using and/or carrying weapons.
(d) The permit to carry weapons shall be incorporated by the Superintendent to the weapons license of the licensee, stating the category to carry weapons as established in subsection (f) of § 456a of this title within ten (10) calendar days following the presentation of the authorization of the court by the licensee.
History —Sept. 11, 2000, No. 404, § 2.05; Jan. 10, 2002, No. 27, § 6; June 3, 2004, No. 137, § 6.