Public consultation on the Arms Act rewrite

Closes 28 Feb 2025

This service needs cookies enabled.

Theme 1: Purpose of regulating firearms access, possession, and use

This section of the document seeks your views on the purpose section of the Act and the general principles of the Act. The overall purpose of the Act will establish how public safety is supported while providing for the legitimate use of firearms. A purpose section in an Act is important because it helps people understand and apply the legislation. It also guides how the legislation is interpreted and how regulators exercise their powers.

What the Act seeks to do

The Act provides rules that seek to keep New Zealanders safe from firearm harm. The Act does this by regulating:

  • the availability of products, e.g. firearms, parts, and ammunition
  • who can access the products, i.e. through licensing, endorsements and permits to possess
  • the activities and where firearms may be used, e.g. pistols can only be used on pistol ranges.

The Act also provides ways of supporting firearms licence holders to meet their responsibilities and sets out what kinds of behaviours are not safe or are illegal to ensure public safety.

Purpose section of the Act

The Act’s purpose outlines the following principles:

  • that the possession and use of firearms is a privilege
  • that persons authorised to import, manufacture, supply, sell, possess, or use firearms have a responsibility to act in the interests of personal and public safety.

Prior to 2020, the Act sought to promote both the safe use and the control of firearms and other weapons, but this was not set out in a specific purpose section.

The 2020 amendments, following the Christchurch masjidain attacks on 15 March 2019, introduced a new section to the purpose of the Act, to:

  • promote the safe possession and use of firearms and other weapons
  • impose controls on the possession and use of firearms and other weapons.