Certificate of expertise in arms trade

As part of the licensing process for the commercial arms trade, you must prove the appropriate expertise. To do this, you take a specialist examination at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK).

Usually, the examination is carried out by order of the authority to which you have applied for the weapons permit and cannot be applied for separately.

Depending on the scope of the trade permit you are applying for, the examination includes certain categories of weapons.

In the theoretical part of the exam, you must prove knowledge of the regulations on the trade in firearms and ammunition, the acquisition and carrying of firearms as well as the main features of the other weapons regulations.

In the practical part of the test, you must prove safe handling of the tested weapon categories. This includes, among other things, disassembly and assembly, the naming of essential parts and the description of how they work.

In order to successfully pass the specialist examination for the trade in weapons and ammunition, you need not only theoretical but also practical knowledge. Therefore, extensive preparation is recommended.

If you have applied for a permit to trade ammunition, the treatment of the common ammunition and its use in the associated firearm will be examined.

As a gunsmith registered in the register of craftsmen, you already have the expertise and do not have to prove it again by an examination at the IHK.

The contact person for the application for permission and the registration for the examination is the locally competent regulatory authority of the districts and independent cities. From there, the application for examination of the expertise is forwarded to the responsible IHK.

• Where applicable, notification from the competent authority responsible for the trading licence that the inspection is to be carried out
• Official photo ID for identification during the examination

• Forms: As a rule, you will receive all the necessary forms from the authority issuing the weapons trade permit, in some cases directly from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
• Online procedure possible: no
• Written form requirement: no
• Personal appearance required: yes

As a rule, the authority to which you applied for the arms trading permit must register or pre-register you for the examination.

• Detailed information on how to file an objection can be found in the notification of failure of the examination.
• Administrative court action

Normally, you apply for the permit to trade arms and are then reported for examination via the competent licensing authority. You can or must register yourself with some chambers of commerce and industry.

• As a rule, you will receive notification from the authority responsible for the trading permit that the examination is to be carried out.
• Your registration will be confirmed by the IHK and you will receive an invitation to the exam date.
• You take the examination on site at the IHK.
• You will receive the certificate of successfully passed the specialist examination by the IHK.

With proof of expertise, you can continue the licensing procedure for the arms trade.

The certificate of expertise is unlimited and valid nationwide.

• Specialist examinations take place irregularly, so the duration between notification of the authority and examination may vary.
• The certificate is normally available immediately or a few days after passing the oral part of the examination.
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You can obtain the fees from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK), where you take the examination. They result from the scale of fees of the competent Land authority.