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Arms Bill

Licences and approvals - Expiry, surrender, suspension, and revocation of licences - Disposal of arms items and ammunition after licence expires or is surrendered or revoked

162: Disposal of arms items and ammunition after firearms licence expires or is surrendered or revoked

You could also call this:

"What happens to your guns and ammo when your licence ends"

If your firearms licence expires, or you surrender or return it, you can sell or get rid of your arms items and ammunition within 3 months. You can sell or dispose of them to someone the chief executive approves. The chief executive can give you more time if needed. If you give your arms items or ammunition to an officer of the Arms Regulator, they can keep them for as long as they want. The Minister can decide that the items become the property of the Crown, which means they belong to the government. This means you or anyone else will no longer have any right to them. If your arms items or ammunition become the property of the Crown, the Minister of Finance will pay you compensation from a Crown Bank Account.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1533788.

This page was last updated on 8 December 2025 — View changes

Topics:

Crime and justice > Police and safetyHousing and property > Home safety and repairs

161: Effect of revocation of visitor licence, or

"What happens if your visitor licence to have guns is cancelled"

163: Disposal of arms items and ammunition after business licence expires or is surrendered or revoked, or

"What happens to guns and ammo when a business licence ends"

Part 3Licences and approvals
Expiry, surrender, suspension, and revocation of licences: Disposal of arms items and ammunition after licence expires or is surrendered or revoked

162Disposal of arms items and ammunition after firearms licence expires or is surrendered or revoked

The holder of a firearms licence whose licence expires, or is surrendered or revoked, may, within 3 months or any longer period that the chief executive may allow, sell or otherwise dispose of any arms item or ammunition in their possession or under their control to a person approved for the purpose by the chief executive.
Any arms item or ammunition delivered to an officer of the Arms Regulator under subsection (1) may be detained for any period that the chief executive thinks fit, or may, in the discretion of the responsible Minister, become the property of the Crown, free and discharged from any right, title, or interest possessed by any other person.
The Minister of Finance must pay out of a Crown Bank Account compensation in respect of any arms item or ammunition that is delivered to an officer of the Arms Regulator or a member of the Police under this section and that has become the property of the Crown.