The Firearms Regulatory System

0800 COURTS closes at 3:00pm 24 December 2025, for urgent matters (relating to family matter or bail conditions), please call 0800 253 425. 0800 4 FINES closes at 7:00pm, 24 December 2025. Our Contact Centres will reopen at 8:00am on Monday 5 January 2026. National Office (Aitken Street, Wellington) reception will be closed from 3:00pm on Friday 19 December, reopening at 8:00am on Monday 5 January 2026. For more information, see Court and Tribunal hours

For information about the rewrite of the Arms Act, visit the Firearms reform page.

Key statutes

Arms Act 1983
Search and Surveillance Act 2012
Crimes Act 1961
Family Violence Act 2018
Intelligence and Security Act 2017

Key secondary legislation

Arms Regulations 1992
Arms (Restricted Weapons and Specially Dangerous Airguns) Order 1984
Arms (Military Style Semi-automatic Firearms—Pistol Grips) Order 2013
Arms (Prohibited Magazine) Order 2019
Arms (Prohibited Ammunition) Order 2019
Privacy (Information Sharing Agreement between New Zealand Gang Intelligence Centre Activities) Order 2018

Forward work

The Government is reforming firearms law and regulation to provide for greater protection of public safety and to simplify regulatory requirements to improve compliance. For more information, visit the Firearms reform page.