Weapons; reporting a weapon that has been rendered unusable or destroyed

If you have had your weapons rendered unusable or destroyed, you must report this within two weeks.

Weapons or their essential parts are rendered permanently inoperable if the firing capability or function cannot be restored with commonly used tools and the technical specifications of the EU deactivation implementing regulation (Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/2403 of 15.12.2015 laying down common guidelines on deactivation standards and techniques to ensure that firearms are rendered irreversibly inoperable upon deactivation (OJ L 333, 19.12.2015, p. 62), as last amended by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/337 (OJ L 65, 8.3.2018, p. 1)).

If deactivation has not been carried out in accordance with the EU Deactivation Implementing Regulation, the same provisions continue to apply to these weapons as to weapons requiring a license that are in working order.

The deactivation is usually carried out by a gunsmith/gun manufacturer. The competent certification office issues a deactivation certificate as proof that the weapon has been deactivated in accordance with the provisions of the EU Deactivation Implementation Regulation. You must keep the deactivation certificate together with the deactivated firearms or take it with you when transporting such firearms. If you lose the deactivation certificate, you must report this immediately to the competent weapons authority.

A weapon has been destroyed if its technical functionality has been permanently removed and its physical existence no longer exists (e.g. by shredding or melting down the weapon).

If you have reported the deactivation or destruction and submitted the necessary evidence, the competent weapons authority will remove this weapon from your permit documents (e.g. weapons ownership card, weapons license, European firearms pass).

• The following documents are required:
  • Identity card or passport (copy)
  • Permit documents (e.g. weapons ownership card, European firearms pass) in which the weapons are registered (if available)
  • Certificate of deactivation (officially certified copy) or proof of destruction of the weapon (e.g. presentation of the destroyed weapon or detailed pictorial documentation of the destruction process)
  • Power of attorney/proof of activity/other proof if the person reporting is not the permit holder, e.g. insolvency/foreclosure administrator, officially appointed guardian, owner (in case of death of the permit holder)

You must have a deactivation certificate or proof that the weapon has been destroyed.

You must report the deactivation or destruction of the weapon requiring a permit together with the necessary documents to the competent weapons authority.

The deactivation or destruction of weapons must be reported within two weeks.

There are no costs for the notification itself. However, the reported weapons must be removed from the permit documents, for which costs of EUR 7.50 to 10.00 per weapon are incurred.

You can use the NWR identification numbers (NWR ID) to complete the form more quickly:

• Your personal NWR ID (P or F NWR ID) for your personal details
• the permit NWR ID for the firearms permit (E-NWR ID)
• the weapon or weapon part NWR ID (W or T NWR ID).

You can obtain the NWR IDs on application to the relevant weapons authority.