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Arms Act 1983

Preliminary provisions

1A: Purposes of this Act

You could also call this:

"This law aims to keep people safe by controlling guns and other weapons."

Illustration for Arms Act 1983

The Arms Act 1983 has two main purposes. You need to know that it aims to promote the safe possession and use of firearms and other weapons. It also imposes controls on the possession and use of firearms and other weapons. The Act is based on two principles. You are told that having arms is a privilege. People who are allowed to import, manufacture, supply, sell, possess, or use arms must act in the interests of personal and public safety. This Act was amended by the Arms Legislation Act 2020 to include these purposes and principles.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS364370.

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Topics:
Crime and justice > Police and safety
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1: Short Title and commencement, or

"This law is called the Arms Act 1983 and it started on 1 June 1984."

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2: Interpretation, or

"What words mean in the Arms Act 1983"

Part 1Preliminary provisions

1APurposes of this Act

  1. The purposes of this Act are to—

  2. promote the safe possession and use of firearms and other weapons; and
    1. impose controls on the possession and use of firearms and other weapons.

      1. The regulatory regime established by this Act to achieve those purposes reflects the following principles:

      2. that the possession and use of arms is a privilege; and
        1. that persons authorised to import, manufacture, supply, sell, possess, or use arms have a responsibility to act in the interests of personal and public safety.

          Notes
          • Section 1A: inserted, on , by section 5 of the Arms Legislation Act 2020 (2020 No 23).