Anybody wishing to acquire firearms and exercise actual control over them requires a permit in accordance with Section 10 (1) of the Weapons Act.
This is issued in the form of a weapons possession card:
Green weapons possession card
This is the most common form of gun ownership card and must usually be applied for before purchasing a gun. In principle, any type of firearm can be registered on it. The target group is: Hunting license holders, heirs of firearms, sport shooters, firearms license holders.
Yellow gun ownership card
Under certain conditions, it allows sports shooters to purchase single-shot long guns, repeating long guns with rifled barrels, single-shot single-shot short guns and multi-shot short guns with primer ignition (percussion weapons).
Red gun possession card
It enables gun and ammunition collectors who are scientifically or technically active or who want to build up a culturally and historically significant collection to acquire firearms, whereby the permit is usually limited to a specific area of firearms.
What all cards have in common is that they permit the possession but not the carrying of weapons.
The term "carrying" refers to the ready-to-hand carrying of the weapon outside the home, business premises or a pacified property. Anyone wishing to carry a weapon generally requires a firearms license.
The so-called "small firearms license" is generally required to carry (type-approved) alarm, irritant and signal weapons.
For the corresponding applications, you can download the documents, save them and fill them out on your computer. Then please print out the form and send it by post to:
Police Headquarters Gelsenkirchen
Central Tasks
Department ZA 13
Rathausplatz 4
45894 Gelsenkirchen
It often makes sense to meet in person before submitting the actual application. You can also hand in the completed forms in person to your clerk at these appointments.