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Arms Bill

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

258: Presenting pistol, restricted weapon, standard firearm, or airgun at another person

You could also call this:

"Pointing a gun at someone without a good reason is against the law"

If you point a pistol or restricted weapon at someone without a good reason, you could go to prison for up to 7 years. You do not need to load the pistol or restricted weapon for this to be an offence. It is still an offence even if the pistol or restricted weapon cannot fire. If you point something at someone that looks like a standard firearm or airgun, you could go to prison for up to 3 years. You could also go to prison for up to 3 years if you point something at someone that looks like any kind of gun, including a pistol, restricted weapon, standard firearm, or airgun. You need a good reason to point these things at people.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1533998.

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

Topics:

Crime and justice > Police and safetyCrime and justice > Criminal law

257: Presenting restricted firearm at another person, or

"Pointing a restricted firearm at someone without a good reason is against the law"

259: Discharging standard firearm, restricted firearm, pistol, restricted weapon, or airgun in or near dwellinghouse or public place, or

"Shooting guns near homes or in public can get you in trouble"

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

258Presenting pistol, restricted weapon, standard firearm, or airgun at another person

A person commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years if the person, without reasonable excuse, presents a pistol or restricted weapon (whether or not the pistol or restricted weapon is loaded or capable at the time of the offence of discharging any shot, bullet, missile, or other projectile) at any other person.
A person commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years if the person, without reasonable excuse, presents at any person anything that, in the circumstances, is likely to lead that person to believe that it is a standard firearm or airgun.
A person commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years if the person, without reasonable excuse, presents at any person anything that, in the circumstances, is likely to lead that person to believe that it is a pistol, restricted weapon, standard firearm, or airgun.