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Arms Bill

Further offences and firearms prohibition orders - Offences relating to carrying, possessing, or presenting arms items

253: Unlawfully carrying or possessing standard firearm, airgun, ammunition, or explosive in public place

You could also call this:

"Carrying guns or explosives in public without a good reason is against the law"

If you carry a standard firearm, airgun, ammunition, or explosive in a public place without a good reason, you can get in trouble. You could go to prison for up to 3 years or get a fine of up to $15,000. This applies if you have one of these items with you in a public place. If someone accuses you of carrying one of these items in a public place without a good reason, you will have to prove that you had a good reason for having it. You will have to show that you were allowed to have the item with you. This means it is up to you to prove you were doing nothing wrong.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1533992.

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

Topics:

Crime and justice > Police and safety

252: Unlawfully carrying or possessing restricted firearm, pistol, or restricted weapon in public place, or

"Carrying a restricted firearm in public without a good reason is against the law"

254: Carrying pistol, restricted firearm, restricted magazine, or restricted weapon without authority, or

"Carrying a gun without permission is against the law"

Part 6Further offences and firearms prohibition orders
Offences relating to carrying, possessing, or presenting arms items

253Unlawfully carrying or possessing standard firearm, airgun, ammunition, or explosive in public place

A person commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years, or to a fine not exceeding $15,000, if the person, without lawful purpose,—
carries a standard firearm, an airgun, ammunition, or an explosive in a public place; or
possesses a standard firearm, an airgun, ammunition, or an explosive in a public place.

In any prosecution for an offence against subsection (1) in which it is proved that the defendant was carrying in any public place or had in their possession in any public place any standard firearm, airgun, ammunition, or explosive, the burden of proving the existence of a lawful purpose lies on the defendant.