Arms Act 1983

Firearms licences, endorsements, and permits to possess - Endorsements

31: Possession of firearm, pistol, prohibited item, or restricted weapon for stage, film, or television purposes

You could also call this:

"Using guns or weapons for film, TV, or theatre productions"

You can have a firearm, pistol, or restricted weapon for a stage, film, or television production. You must be with someone who is allowed to have the firearm or pistol. You can only have it when you are making the production. You cannot have ammunition, except for blank ammunition. This rule is part of the Arms Act 1983. You can find more information about the Arms Act 1983 on the New Zealand legislation website. The rules about firearms and pistols have been changed by the Arms Amendment Act 1992, the Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazines, and Parts) Amendment Act 2019, and the Arms Legislation Act 2020. These changes are available on the New Zealand legislation website. You can read about the changes on the website.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM72944.

This page was last updated on 27 January 2026 — View changes

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Crime and justice > Police and safetyArts and culture > Arts funding

30B: Power to make endorsement in respect of prohibited firearm or prohibited magazine, or

"Getting a special permit to own a banned gun or magazine"

31A: Conditions of endorsements, or

"Rules for Showing Police Your Gun Licence"

Part 5Firearms licences, endorsements, and permits to possess
Endorsements

31Possession of firearm, pistol, prohibited item, or restricted weapon for stage, film, or television purposes

Notwithstanding anything in this Act, a person who is not entitled under this Act to have possession of a firearm or pistol or prohibited item or restricted weapon may have possession of that firearm or pistol or prohibited item or restricted weapon for the purpose of making a broadcast or a theatrical, cinematic, television film, or video recording production if—
that person is under the immediate supervision of a person who is entitled under this Act to have possession of that firearm or pistol or prohibited item or restricted weapon; and
that person has possession of that firearm or pistol or prohibited item or restricted weapon only during the broadcast or the production or staging of the play or the filming of the cinematic production or television film; and
that person is not in possession of any ammunition (other than blank ammunition) for the firearm or pistol, or prohibited item or restricted weapon.

Notes

Section 31: substituted, on 1 November 1992, by section 14 of the Arms Amendment Act 1992 (1992 No 95).
Section 31 heading: amended, on 12 April 2019, by section 31(1) of the Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazines, and Parts) Amendment Act 2019 (2019 No 12).
Section 31: amended, on 25 June 2020, by section 53 of the Arms Legislation Act 2020 (2020 No 23).
Section 31: amended, on 12 April 2019, by section 31(2) of the Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazines, and Parts) Amendment Act 2019 (2019 No 12).
Section 31(a): amended, on 12 April 2019, by section 31(2) of the Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazines, and Parts) Amendment Act 2019 (2019 No 12).
Section 31(b): amended, on 12 April 2019, by section 31(2) of the Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazines, and Parts) Amendment Act 2019 (2019 No 12).
Section 31(c): amended, on 12 April 2019, by section 31(2) of the Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazines, and Parts) Amendment Act 2019 (2019 No 12).