Gun passport (Austria)

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Sample of a gun passport in credit card format (front)
Sample of a gun passport in credit card format (back)
Sample of an old gun passport - outside
Sample of an old gun passport - inside

The gun passport (WP) is a license certificate under gun law, which is issued by the authority responsible for gun matters and enables the holder to acquire, own, import and additionally (in contrast to the gun ownership card) to carry a certain number of guns requiring a license (Cat. B ), sometimes also by generally forbidden (Cat. A), reportable persons (Cat. C). The WP is widely known for authorizing a person to wield handguns . Due to the various functions of the document, this does not have to apply in every case.

A WP is generally issued very restrictively and only when there is a comprehensible need for it. As a rule, the exhibition is only issued to people who are exposed to a corresponding threat and who can make this credible. If the issue is only based on a threat that only occurs during a certain activity (such as the activity of an employee of a security service), the authorization to use is restricted by a note. However, this restriction must not limit the time or place of leadership.

Every EEA citizen can, under certain conditions, apply for a WP for usually one or two firearms requiring a license. The competent authority is the applicant's safety authority . This is usually the district administration or, in statutory cities, the magistrate . In communities in which the respective state police department acts as the 1st instance security authority, it is responsible.

The gun pass is not included

  • the European firearms pass , which is only the basis of a transport permit for foreign countries, but in no way regulates carrying, or
  • the gun ownership card , which only entitles the holder to possess, but not generally use, a gun,

to be confused.

Extract from the law

Section 8 of the Austrian Weapons Act reads: 
(1)  Ein Mensch ist verlässlich, wenn er voraussichtlich mit Waffen sachgemäß umgehen wird und
     keine Tatsachen die Annahme rechtfertigen, dass er
     1. Waffen missbräuchlich oder leichtfertig verwenden wird;
     2. mit Waffen unvorsichtig umgehen oder diese nicht sorgfältig verwahren wird;
     3. Waffen Menschen überlassen wird, die zum Besitz solcher Waffen nicht berechtigt sind.

(2)  Ein Mensch ist keinesfalls verlässlich, wenn er
     1. alkohol- oder suchtkrank ist oder
     2. psychisch krank oder geistesschwach ist oder
     3. durch ein körperliches Gebrechen nicht in der Lage ist, mit Waffen sachgemäß umzugehen.

(3)  Als nicht verlässlich gilt ein Mensch im Falle einer Verurteilung
     1. wegen einer unter Anwendung oder Androhung von Gewalt begangenen oder mit
     Gemeingefahr verbundenen vorsätzlichen strafbaren Handlung, wegen eines
     Angriffes gegen den Staat oder den öffentlichen Frieden oder wegen Zuhälterei,
     Menschenhandels, Schlepperei oder Tierquälerei zu einer Freiheitsstrafe von mehr
     als zwei Monaten oder einer Geldstrafe von mehr als 120 Tagessätzen oder
     2. wegen gewerbsmäßigen, bandenmäßigen oder bewaffneten Schmuggels oder
     3. wegen einer durch fahrlässigen Gebrauch von Waffen erfolgten Verletzung
     oder Gefährdung von Menschen oder
     4. wegen einer in Z 1 genannten strafbaren Handlung, sofern er bereits zweimal
     wegen einer solchen verurteilt worden ist.

(4)  Eine gemäß Abs. 3 maßgebliche Verurteilung liegt nicht vor, wenn sie bereits getilgt
     ist. Trotz einer nicht getilgten Verurteilung im Sinne des Abs. 3 kann ein Mensch
     verlässlich sein, wenn das Gericht vom Ausspruch der Strafe abgesehen hat (§12 des
     Jugendgerichtsgesetzes 1988 JGG, BGBl. Nr. 599); gleiches gilt, wenn das Gericht sich
     den Ausspruch der Strafe vorbehalten hat (§ 13 JGG) oder die Strafe – außer bei
     Freiheitsstrafen von mehr als sechs Monaten – ganz oder teilweise bedingt nachgesehen
     hat, sofern kein nachträglicher Strafausspruch oder kein Widerruf der bedingten
     Strafnachsicht erfolgte.

(5)  Weiters gilt ein Mensch als nicht verlässlich, der öfter als zweimal wegen einer im
     Zustand der Trunkenheit begangenen schwerwiegenden Verwaltungsübertretung bestraft
     worden ist, sofern keine dieser Bestrafungen getilgt ist.

(6)  Schließlich gilt ein Mensch als nicht verlässlich, wenn aus Gründen, die in seiner
     Person liegen, die Feststellung des für die Verlässlichkeit maßgeblichen Sachverhaltes
     nicht möglich war.
     Als solcher Grund gilt jedenfalls, wenn der Betroffene sich anlässlich der Überprüfung
     seiner Verlässlichkeit weigert, der Behörde
     1. Waffen, die er nur auf Grund der nach diesem Bundesgesetz ausgestellten Urkunde
     besitzen darf, samt den zugehörigen Urkunden vorzuweisen;
     2. die sichere Verwahrung der in Z 1 genannten Waffen nachzuweisen, obwohl auf Grund
     bestimmter Tatsachen Zweifel daran bestehen, dass er die Waffen sicher
     verwahrt.

(7)  Bei erstmaliger Prüfung der Verlässlichkeit hat sich die Behörde davon zu überzeugen,
     ob Tatsachen die Annahme mangelnder waffenrechtlicher Verlässlichkeit des Betroffenen
     aus einem der in Abs. 2 genannten Gründe rechtfertigen. Antragsteller, die nicht
     Inhaber einer Jagdkarte sind, haben ein Gutachten darüber beizubringen, ob sie dazu
     neigen – insbesondere unter psychischer Belastung – mit Waffen unvorsichtig umzugehen
     oder sie leichtfertig zu verwenden. Der Bundesminister für Inneres hat durch
     Verordnung geeignete Personen oder Einrichtungen zu bezeichnen, die in der Lage sind,
     solche Gutachten dem jeweiligen Stand der Wissenschaft entsprechend zu erstellen.

Requirements for a WP (weapon pass)

In principle, anyone in Austria who fulfills the following points can apply for a WP to carry (firearms) weapons from their competent authority:

  • reliable
  • Proof of qualification for proper handling (e.g. by means of a “ weapons license ”) - not older than 6 months
  • EEA citizens (Section 9 EEA citizens in the Weapons Act 1996)
  • 21 years of age
  • positive psychological report (not required if the applicant holds a valid hunting license) - not older than 6 months
  • Justification / proof of the need to carry a weapon
  • no upright gun ban

One should be innocent . (See § 8 Abs 3 - 5 WaffG)

reliability

The reliability (Section 8 Reliability in the Weapons Act 1996) is determined, among other things, by a psychologist selected by the authority . In the expert opinion prepared by him (price: € 283.20) on the applicant, it then states B. The following: Mr / Ms X does not tend to be careless with (firearms) when under psychological pressure. The reliability is not only determined on the basis of the expert opinion, but also through possible convictions and criminal offenses in the past as well as the current lifestyle and circumstances. Thus, someone who has once committed a theft can be reliable. However, a multiple perpetrator who again commits theft can be excluded from the reliability due to the general declaration of Section 8 (1) WaffG, as the authorities can assume that he does not have a sufficient sense of justice to be reliable.

Innocence

You don't have to be in good standing to get a gun license or a gun passport. Section 8 (3) 1 to 4 and 5 of the WaffG list criminal offenses which declare a person to be unreliable from the outset. For example, a conviction for fraud or a break-in does not preclude the person concerned from purchasing a firearm. The conviction can, however, be drawn upon from the point of view of Section 8 (1) WaffG in order to check the general reliability based on character and character traits. However, this is at the discretion of the authority and depends on the individual case. The reliability (also § 8 Reliability in the Weapons Act 1996) of the applicant is checked by the Federal Police and normally requested directly from the WBK exhibitor authority and transmitted to them.

requirement

In the case of need (Section 21, Paragraph 2, Section 22, Paragraph 2 of the Weapons Act 1996), the intended use of the weapon must be specified in the application form, which also appears plausible and is legally permitted. Self-defense without a particular demonstrable risk in general does not constitute a reason.

A need is to be assumed in any case if the applicant is one of the following persons:

  • Organ of the public security service ( § 5 Abs. 2 SPG )
  • Member of the judiciary
  • Member of the military police

Otherwise, the applicant must make credible that he is exposed to particular dangers outside of his residential or business premises or his fenced-in property, which can most effectively be countered effectively with armed force.

Cases in which a gun pass could be granted earlier:

  • Profession ( security service with confirmation of need from the employer, taxi driver or other persons who are exposed to a greater threat and who can also prove this)
  • Hunting (only in connection with the hunting license and certain hunting obligations (Jagdaufseher or the like.), Or by wild given hazards in wild grounds, which are confirmed by the Landesjagdverband)

exhibition

Issuing a gun passport can take from a few weeks to a few months, depending on the authority. The authority has to deal with the application within six months.

authorization

A weapon pass can entitle the holder to use different types / categories of weapons. The type of authorization is listed on the inside of the gun pass.

A weapons pass is commonly used to allow the holder to carry weapons that require a license (category B: handguns, semi-automatic long weapons). (A possession authorization for category B weapons does not automatically go hand in hand with the issuance of a WP.) With a weapons pass, the holder can also be authorized to only report weapons (category C: rifles with rifled barrel) or other firearms (category D : Shotguns: rifles with smooth barrel). Generally forbidden firearms (category A, e.g. war material such as a fully automatic submachine gun) could theoretically be included in a WP with the appropriate exemption.

In individual cases, e.g. B. If the WP is granted for hunting reasons, the approval for category B can also be limited to semi-automatic long guns, e.g. if the applicant substantiates a need to carry semi-automatic long guns, but no need for this due to a lack of wild boar in the area Carrying handguns is present.

It should be noted that the authorization granted by the WP does not exceed various prohibitions (prohibition of weapons in the Assembly Act, e.g. for certain events, or state hunting laws, e.g. prohibition of carrying long weapons in foreign hunting areas) and carrying may remain illegal can.

Since 2019, organs of the public security service as well as members of the judiciary and military police no longer have to demonstrate the need to carry firearms when they apply for a gun passport. The law now regards the need as given.

Authority's discretion

In fact, it is at the discretion of the authority (§ 10 discretion in the Weapons Act 1996) whether a weapons pass is issued based on sufficient credibility. However, the law defines that a WP must be issued if required. The exhibition is very restrictive and does not take place to people without demonstrable above-average risk.

validity

The gun passport is issued for EEA citizens for an unlimited period. An exhibition linked to local (e.g. business address, hunting ground) or temporal (e.g. employment time) conditions is not legally permissible. However, it is very possible to be bound by general personal requirements, such as “professional activity as a member of a security company” or “activity as a hunter” (in the sense of generally maintaining the right to hunt). In this case, the WP is valid as long as the basic requirements mentioned are generally met, but the validity is not restricted to specific activity, location or time. If the prerequisites no longer apply (e.g. no valid hunting license, change of occupation), the WP receives the effect of a simple gun ownership card. If the WP is unlawfully restricted (e.g. “The permit to carry category B weapons is restricted to hunting in one's own hunting ground”), it must be noted that this restriction is still valid A complaint is not made in due time after the issuing of the WP.

Number of weapons

The maximum number of firearms subject to approval that one owns and - this is the special thing - is also allowed to carry is entered in a weapons pass and is recorded centrally in the official weapons file. The authorization to carry weapons is not related to certain officially registered weapons, but only regulates the number of weapons permitted in principle (one or two weapons). It is therefore possible to carry any legal weapon of the relevant category, regardless of who it is actually registered for. In addition, the WP is accompanied by the permission to own the specified number of weapons, as is the case with a weapons possession card; spaces for registering weapons are created in the weapons file to the same extent as the number specified in the WP. The possession of firearms is therefore officially registered in the same way as the weapons possession card.

Expansion to more than two weapons

An extension of the gun passport to more than two guns is not planned and is prohibited according to a regulation. An owner who wants to own more than two firearms must therefore apply for a weapon possession card. The number of places on the gun ownership card is to be added to the number of places in the gun pass and thus results in the total number of guns that one may own.

Authorization to lead

The gun pass entitles the holder to use a firearm without any particular restrictions. The manner of leading is not regulated. There is no obligation to clearly open or covert guidance. Open leadership without appearing comprehensible to outsiders (e.g. uniform, hunting clothing in the area) can, however, meet the offense of disrupting public order ( Section 81 (1) SPG) or state administrative penal provisions, which have consequences of a provisional gun ban can lead to the issue of a general gun ban, as the authority can question the reliability under gun law.

Prohibitions on carrying weapons

Holders of a gun passport must also observe the statutory provisions that regulate the use of guns.

In Austria, for example, the Assembly Act largely forbids having or carrying a weapon at assemblies - with a few exceptions. When carrying out armed personal protection, the problem arises that violations in this regard often cannot be avoided.

State laws (e.g. hunting law) can also prohibit driving, e.g. B. carrying hunting weapons in foreign hunting grounds.

Furthermore, there is a general ban on weapons in court in accordance with the Court Organization Act (GOG). However, according to the GOG, courts must offer the possibility of storing weapons, so entering the courthouse with a weapon is permitted up to the security lock, where an organ has to receive the weapon, which, however, is not a standard procedure in every court and is sometimes due to the ignorance of most of them private security guards.

In principle, private conditions such as house rules or conditions of carriage have no relevance to criminal or administrative law, but depending on the situation and interpretation of the authority, they can indirectly lead to problems under gun law in the area of ​​gun law reliability. Many public transport operators, for example, refuse to transport people with a weapon (e.g. Wiener Linien , ÖBB ).

Carrying firearms without a gun passport

On properties

Carrying weapons is only permitted with a weapons pass. If you have weapons with you within living or operating rooms or fenced-in properties with the consent of the person authorized to use them, this is not considered to be carrying and is therefore permitted without a weapons pass (Section 7. WaffG).

The consent of the owner / tenant / lessee is required for this (e.g. owner of a company who allows its manager to carry a weapon on company premises; private person who carries a weapon on his own, fenced-in property).

With hunting card

With the issue of the hunting card , a hunter receives the right to carry category C firearms similar to the authorization through a normal WP, but without being issued a WP. Hunters who have a valid hunting license and at the same time a weapon possession card are allowed to carry category B weapons during the lawful and actual pursuit of the hunt without a weapons pass, which is permitted according to national regulations.

The validity of the hunting card including the weapons law authorizations is only given with paid annual fee.

Withdrawal of the gun license

Gun ban

The authority can prohibit the possession of weapons and ammunition (Section 12 of the Weapons Ban in the Weapons Act 1996) if certain facts indicate that the Weapons Act has been violated.

Provisional gun ban

In the event of an acute threat of a violation of the Weapons Act, the organs of public supervision , i.e. the police , can secure firearms. A provisional weapons ban (Section 13 Provisional Weapons Prohibition in the Weapons Act 1996) then applies to affected persons for 4 weeks from the date of discussion or seizure.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ VwGH prohibits self-defense | IWÖ - Interest group for liberal gun law in Austria. Accessed November 30, 2019 (German).
  2. ↑ § 22 Weapons Act 1996.