This page is about a bill. That means that it's not the law yet, but some people want it to be the law. It could change quickly, and some of the information is just a draft.

Arms Bill

Licences and approvals - Expiry, surrender, suspension, and revocation of licences - Offences relating to expiry, surrender, and revocation of licences

165: Offence to fail to surrender licence when licence revoked

You could also call this:

"What happens if you don't return your firearms licence when it's revoked"

If your firearms licence is revoked, you must give it back. You will commit an offence if you do not surrender your licence as required by section 157(1), unless you have a good reason. You could go to prison for up to 2 years or get a fine of up to $20,000. If your business licence is revoked, you must also give it back. You will commit an offence if you do not surrender your licence as required by section 158(1)(a), unless you have a good reason. You could go to prison for up to 1 year or get a fine of up to $15,000. The same rules apply to licensed curators and museum workers, with different penalties. A licensed curator who does not surrender their licence as required by section 159(1)(a) could go to prison for up to 1 year or get a fine of up to $15,000. A museum worker who does not surrender their licence as required by section 160(1) could go to prison for up to 6 months or get a fine of up to $10,000.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1533791.

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

Topics:

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

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"

166: Offence to fail to surrender records when business or curator licence revoked, or

"Breaking the law by not giving records when your licence is taken away"

Part 3Licences and approvals
Expiry, surrender, suspension, and revocation of licences: Offences relating to expiry, surrender, and revocation of licences

165Offence to fail to surrender licence when licence revoked

A person whose firearms licence is revoked commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 2 years, or to a fine not exceeding $20,000, if the person, without reasonable excuse, fails to surrender their licence in accordance with section 157(1).
An individual or a senior manager of a body corporate whose business licence is revoked commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 1 year, or to a fine not exceeding $15,000, if the individual or the body corporate, without reasonable excuse, fails to surrender their licence in accordance with section 158(1)(a).
A licensed curator whose licence is revoked commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 1 year, or to a fine not exceeding $15,000, if the curator, without reasonable excuse, fails to surrender their licence in accordance with section 159(1)(a).
A museum worker whose licence is revoked commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months, or to a fine not exceeding $10,000, if the museum worker, without reasonable excuse, fails to surrender their licence in accordance with section 160(1).