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

Shooting clubs and shooting ranges - Compliance

242: Inspections of shooting clubs and shooting ranges

You could also call this:

"Government checks on shooting clubs and ranges to ensure they follow the rules"

You might wonder how the government checks if shooting clubs and ranges are following the rules. An officer from the Arms Regulator can enter and inspect a shooting range or club to make sure they are doing things correctly. They can look at the range, and any place where the club stores guns or ammunition. They can also inspect documents, print or copy them, and even take hard copies of documents away with them. You should know that the officer must give the club or range at least 7 days' notice before they inspect. Some rules from the Search and Surveillance Act 2012 also apply to these inspections, but not all of them. The government can inspect a pistol shooting range when they are considering an application for certification or renewal, and a non-pistol range when they are considering an application for enrolment, or every 5 years. They can also inspect a range at any other time if the operator agrees.

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 It might be out of date or be missing some parts.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=LMS1533928.

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

Topics:

Crime and justice > Police and safetyGovernment and voting > Government departments

241: Cancellation of enrolment, or

"When a shooting range breaks the rules, the chief executive can cancel its enrolment."

243: Improvement notices, or

"Fixing Mistakes with Gun Rules: What to Do if You're Not Following the Law"

Part 5Shooting clubs and shooting ranges
Compliance

242Inspections of shooting clubs and shooting ranges

For the purpose of ensuring that a shooting club or shooting range is operated in accordance with this Act, an officer of the Arms Regulator may—
enter and inspect—
1. any shooting range (including any shooting club that is part of the range); and
2. any place where the shooting club stores standard firearms, pistols, or ammunition:
inspect, print, or copy documents that the person believes on reasonable grounds to be those of the shooting club or shooting range:
remove any hard copy documents that the person believes on reasonable grounds to be those of the shooting club or shooting range.

Unless there is a change of circumstances that may affect its safety, an inspection of a shooting range under subsection (1) may only be undertaken,—
in respect of a pistol shooting range, when the chief executive is considering an application for—
1. certification; or
2. renewal of its certification:
in respect of a non-pistol shooting range, when the chief executive is considering an application for enrolment, and then at intervals of not less than 5 years:
in respect of a pistol shooting range or a non-pistol shooting range at any other time with the agreement of the operator of the range.

An officer of the Arms Regulator must give at least 7 days’ notice of their intention to enter and inspect a venue of a shooting club or shooting range.
The provisions of Part 4 of the Search and Surveillance Act 2012 (apart from subpart 3) apply.