Overview of gun laws by nation

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.^[1] 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.^[2] 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" redirects here. For a description of the concept, see Gun control. For other uses, see Gun Law (disambiguation).

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.

shall-issue: granting of a required license or permit 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.

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#0__titleDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#0__subtitleDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

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:

Gun laws might be classified by countries according to some specific common characteristics:

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#3__titleDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#3__descriptionDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#6__descriptionDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#2__titleDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#2__descriptionDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

Americas[edit]

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#4__titleDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#4__descriptionDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

Argentina[edit]

Firearms in Argentina are restricted, being regulated by ANMaC (Agencia Nacional de Materiales Controlados) since October 2015. Said agency replaced RENAR (Registro Nacional de Armas de la Republica Argentina), both being a branch of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights. To own a firearm in Argentina, one must be a legitimate user. Applicants must: be 21 years of age or older, provide a medical certificate that certifies they are physically and mentally fit, complete a safety course, provide a legitimate means of income, and undergo and pass a background check. A successful applicant is fingerprinted and issued a license which has to be renewed every five years. One may not legally discharge a firearm in Argentina if they are not a legitimate user, even if that gun belongs to someone else. Once a legitimate user wants to purchase a firearm, they must provide a secure location to store the firearm(s), and give an acceptable reason for wanting a firearm – such as collecting, target shooting, hunting, business, or self-defense in the home.^[183]

Firearms must be purchased through a licensed registry registered with the ANMaC. If a firearm is inherited, a re-registering form must be filed. There is no limit on the number of firearms owned so long as they are properly stored. Ammunition sales are recorded but unlimited.^[15] Carry permits for licensed handgun owners are extremely difficult to obtain, and require appearing before the ANMaC board to make their case. Carry permits are renewed yearly to re-examine their "clear and present" danger, and the permit is usually revoked immediately if this danger is removed. Those dealing in money or valuables or in private security may be issued a business carry permit.^[184]

Handguns above .32 calibre are conditional-use; fully automatic handguns are prohibited to civilians. Bolt-action rifles above .22, long rifles and semi-automatic rifles above .22, and long rifles with a non-detachable magazine are conditional-use; fully automatic rifles and semi-automatic rifles above .22, and long rifles with detachable magazines are prohibited. Semi-automatic shotguns and shotguns with barrels between 380 and 600 mm (15 and 24 in) long are conditional-use; fully automatic shotguns and shotguns with barrels under 380 mm (15 in) are prohibited.^[185]

Belize[edit]

Permanent residents or citizens of Belize are allowed to own a gun after a background check. The maximum caliber is 9mm, and one may have only 100 rounds at any given time. Licenses are available to farmers to have shotguns to protect livestock, as well as for hunting and personal protection. Firearms may be imported but must be declared before arrival. Imported guns will be impounded by the police and registered before a license is granted.^[186]

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#5__descriptionDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#5__heading--0DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#5__description--0DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#5__heading--1DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#5__description--1DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#5__titleDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

Category A – Prohibited firearms: including for instance explosive military missiles and launchers, automatic firearms, firearms disguised as other objects, or ammunition with penetrating, explosive or incendiary projectiles, and the projectiles for such ammunition, or semi-automatic firearms;

Category B – Firearms subject to authorisation, including for instance various kind of repeating and semi-automatic long firearms, but excluding those which belongs to category A

Category C – Firearms and weapons subject to declaration, including various kind of long firearms with, but excluding those which belongs to category A or B

[352]

Category D existing previously (Other firearms) is deleted

Arms Trade Treaty

Concealed carry

Defensive gun use

Estimated number of civilian guns per capita by country

Global gun cultures

Glossary of firearms terms

Gun control

Gun ownership

Gun violence

Index of gun politics articles

Laws on crossbows

List of countries by firearm-related death rate

Percent of households with guns by country

Right to arms

– University of Sydney hosted database on armed violence, firearm law and gun control Archived December 10, 2023, at the Wayback Machine

GunPolicy.org

with 2007 survey of 178 countries

Small Arms Survey

Archived 29 June 2022 at the Wayback Machine The Aware News. Retrieved 24 June 2022

New York handgun law

Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, Inter-Parliamentary Union, 2007

Missing Pieces: A Guide for Reducing Gun Violence through parliamentary action

Questionnaire for the Seventh United Nations Survey of Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice Systems, covering the period 1998––2000

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#7__titleDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#7__subtextDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#7__quote--0DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#7__name--0DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#7__company_or_position--0DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#7__quote--1DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#7__name--1DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#7__company_or_position--1DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#7__quote--2DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#7__name--2DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#7__company_or_position--2DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#8__titleDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#8__subtextDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#8__quote--0DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#8__name--0DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#8__company_or_position--0DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#8__quote--1DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#8__name--1DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#8__company_or_position--1DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#8__quote--2DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#8__name--2DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#8__company_or_position--2DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#8__quote--3DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#8__name--3DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#8__company_or_position--3DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#1__titleDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#1__subtextDEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#1__answer--0DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#1__answer--1DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#1__answer--2DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#1__answer--3DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#1__answer--4DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#1__answer--5DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#1__answer--6DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#1__answer--7DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#1__answer--8DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#1__answer--9DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#1__answer--10DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#1__answer--11DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#1__answer--12DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#1__answer--13DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#1__answer--14DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$

$_$_$DEEZ_NUTS#1__answer--15DEEZ_NUTS$_$_$