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Arms Act 1983

Offences - Offences

51: Unlawful carriage or possession in public place of firearm, airgun, pistol, ammunition, explosive, or restricted weapon

You could also call this:

"Carrying weapons in public without a good reason is against the law"

Illustration for Arms Act 1983

You commit an offence if you carry or possess a firearm, airgun, pistol, ammunition, explosive, or restricted weapon in a public place without a lawful purpose. You can be imprisoned for up to 3 years, or fined up to $4,000, or both, if you are convicted. If you are charged with this offence, you must prove you had a lawful purpose for carrying or possessing these items in a public place.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM72999.

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Topics:
Crime and justice > Police and safety
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50D: Unlawfully carrying or possessing prohibited firearm in public place, or

"Carrying a banned gun in public without a good reason is against the law"

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51A: Presenting prohibited firearm at other person, or

"Pointing a banned gun at someone is a serious crime"

Part 8Offences
Offences

51Unlawful carriage or possession in public place of firearm, airgun, pistol, ammunition, explosive, or restricted weapon

  1. Every person commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years, or a fine not exceeding $4,000, or both, who, without lawful purpose,—

  2. carries a firearm (other than a prohibited firearm), an airgun, a pistol, a restricted weapon, ammunition, or an explosive in a public place; or
    1. possesses a firearm (other than a prohibited firearm), an airgun, a pistol, a restricted weapon, ammunition, or an explosive in a public place.

      1. In any prosecution for an offence against subsection (1), in which it is proved that the defendant was carrying in any public place or had in his possession in any public place any firearm, airgun, pistol, ammunition, explosive, or restricted weapon, the burden of proving the existence of some lawful purpose shall lie on the defendant.

      Notes
      • Section 51(1): replaced, on , by section 53 of the Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazines, and Parts) Amendment Act 2019 (2019 No 12).