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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

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

You could also call this:

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

If your business licence expires, or you surrender or give it up, you can sell or get rid of any arms items or ammunition you have within 3 months. You can take longer if the chief executive says it is okay. You must sell or dispose of these items to someone the chief executive approves. If you are a senior manager of a company and your business licence expires, or you surrender or give it up, your company can sell or get rid of any arms items or ammunition it has within 3 months. You can take longer if the chief executive says it is okay. The company must sell or dispose of these items to someone the chief executive approves. When you sell or get rid of arms items or ammunition, you must do it to a person the chief executive says is allowed to have them.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1533789.

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

Topics:

Business > Industry rulesCrime and justice > Police and safety

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

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

164: Disposal of arms items and ammunition after visitor licence expires or is surrendered or revoked, or

"What to do with guns and ammo when your visitor 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

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

If the business licence of an individual expires, or is surrendered or revoked, the individual 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 at the date of the expiry, surrender, or revocation of their licence.
If the business licence of a senior manager of a body corporate expires, or is surrendered or revoked, the body corporate 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 its possession or under its control at the date of the expiry, surrender, or revocation of the licence.
The sale or disposal of any arms item or ammunition must be to a person approved for the purpose by the chief executive.