Arms Register (Liechtenstein)

The national arms register (NWR or WR) in Liechtenstein is used for national arms control and arms control (e.g. the UN arms register ).

Schengen area

The basis for the arms register in Liechtenstein as a member state of the Schengen Agreement is Article 4 Paragraph 4 of EU Directive 2008/51 / EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of May 21, 2008 amending Directive 91/477 / EEC. The directive stipulates that the Union member states (and Liechtenstein in connection with the Schengen Agreement) must introduce a computer-aided, centrally or decentrally set up weapons register by 31 December 2014 at the latest and keep it up to date.

RL 2008/51 / EC and the amendment to RL 91/477 / EEC became necessary according to Decision 2001/748 / EC because the European Community (now European Union) adopted the protocol on combating the unauthorized manufacture of and illicit trade with firearms, parts of firearms and ammunition signed the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime on January 16, 2002 and this also has an impact on the Schengen area and the European Economic Area .

The accession of the EU made it necessary to amend some provisions of Directive 91/477 / EEC. This was done by the RL 2008/51 / EG.

Operation and registration

The central weapons authority in Liechtenstein is the national police . This also keeps an electronic register (weapons register) for business and file management in the context of its legal duties and for documenting the origin of weapons. The weapons register was established in Liechtenstein with the Ordinance of June 16, 2009 on Weapons (Weapons Ordinance - WaffV). In principle, all firearms that are subject to registration must be recorded in the weapons register.

The Data Protection Act applies to the data recorded in the weapons register (Art 52 WaffV).

Possession, acquisition and registration ban for certain citizens

According to Art. 12 Para. 1 of the Weapons Ordinance, the nationals of certain states are exempt from acquiring, possessing, offering, brokering and transferring weapons, essential or specially designed weapon components, weapon accessories, ammunition and ammunition components, and they are prohibited from carrying weapons and shooting with firearms is prohibited.

Persons with citizenship of the states: a) Serbia ; b) Croatia ; c) Bosnia and Herzegovina ; d) Kosovo ; e) Montenegro ; f) Macedonia ; g) Turkey ; h) Sri Lanka ; i) Algeria ; k) Albania , therefore, cannot register any weapons (exception: Art. 12, Paragraph 2 WaffV: the national police can exceptionally issue a license for the acquisition, possession and carrying of weapons as well as for shooting with firearms, in particular for People who take part in hunting or sporting events or who perform personal or property protection tasks ).

Possession, acquisition and registration facilities for Swiss citizens

For citizens of Switzerland, certain registration obligations and also for the European Firearms Pass according to the Weapons Ordinance or the Weapons Act do not apply.

Development of issued weapons acquisition licenses

The development of the arms acquisition certificates issued in Liechtenstein from 1979 to 2015 can be graphically shown as follows

117	112	146	140	140	188	149	134	218	241	252	236	267	262	249	178	200	206	158	176	137	108	187	101	120	99	92	103	144	147	216	127	163	126	76	105	131
79	80	81	82	83	84	85	86	87	88	89	90	91	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14th	15th

The overview shows that with a resident population of around 37,500 people (2/3 of them Liechtenstein citizens), 5951 weapons acquisition licenses were issued between 1979 and 2015. As of December 31, 2015, a total of exactly 9111 weapons are registered in Liechtenstein , of which 5119 pistols or revolvers , 3342 hunting and sporting rifles , 265 semi-automatic long guns, nine serial firearms and others. Numerous weapons are not registered in Liechtenstein, as continuous registration has only taken place since joining the Schengen Agreement. Post-registration of unregistered weapons (as in Austria ) was waived in Liechtenstein, which is why a high number of illegal weapons in circulation is expected.

Data volume

An essential part and central component of the Liechtenstein arms register is an automated database. The relevant data is recorded in this database (Art 49 para. 2 WaffV):

1. Register number, surname, first name, first name, maiden name, date of birth, place of birth, place of origin, nationality, occupation, employer, address, telephone number, e-mail address of the acquirer and the person transferring a weapon, the holder of a weapons trading, operating or weapon-carrying license or the managing director of a legal person;
2. Application date, application number, reason for acquisition, status of the application and comments, in particular about the circumstances that led to the refusal of the permit;
3. Type of permit, permit number, date of issue, period of validity, requirements and conditions as well as comments, in particular about circumstances that led to the withdrawal of the permit;
4. Type of weapon or type of ammunition, manufacturer, designation, caliber, propellant, weapon number, registration number and comments;
5. Date of a weapon transfer.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ According to the first recital of Directive 2008/51 / EC, Directive 91/477 / EEC was an accompanying measure to create the internal market. On the one hand, it guarantees the free movement of certain firearms in the Community, but on the other hand, this free movement is also restricted by certain safety precautions specifically for these goods. EU Directive 2008/51 / EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of May 21, 2008 amending Council Directive 91/477 / EEC on control of the acquisition and possession of weapons - consulted on March 2, 2013
2. ↑ See exchange of notes between the Principality of Liechtenstein and the European Union regarding the adoption of certain legal acts of the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament as part of the further development of the Schengen acquis , LGBl 164/2011, which came into force on May 5, 2011.
3. ^ Decision of the Council of October 16, 2001.
4. ↑ Art. 49 Paragraph 1 Ordinance of June 16, 2009 on Weapons, Weapon Accessories and Ammunition (Weapons Ordinance; WaffV).
5. ↑ According to Art. 49 para. 1 WaffV, these are: prohibited weapons, weapons subject to a license to acquire weapons and in conjunction with Art. 16 para. 1 lit. a to c WaffG (acquisition without a weapons acquisition license): single-shot and multi-barreled hunting rifles and replicas of single-shot muzzle-loaders; Government-designated repeater rifles that are commonly used in sport shooting and for hunting purposes in Germany, as well as single-shot rabbit killers.
6. ↑ LGBl 55/2002.
7. ↑ Amended by ordinance of 25 February 2014 amending the Weapons Ordinance, LGBl 52/2014. From March 15, 2014, Croatian citizens will no longer be subject to this regulation.
8. ↑ Amended by ordinance of 25 February 2014 amending the Weapons Ordinance, LGBl 52/2014. As of March 15, 2014, people with Montenegrin citizenship will no longer be subject to this regulation.
9. ↑ In Rs. 2011/103 and 2013/9, the Liechtenstein State Court of Justice ruled with regard to possible discrimination against Turkish nationals that there was no blanket discrimination and that the existing regulation was compatible with the principle of equal treatment according to Art. 31 Para. 1 LV . It is at the discretion of the government to issue exceptions or to impose restrictions.
10. ↑ Act of September 17, 2008 on weapons, weapon accessories and ammunition (Weapons Act; WaffG), LGBl 275/2008.
11. ↑ Treaty between the Principality of Liechtenstein and the Swiss Confederation on the handling of cross-border traffic in firearms; Completed in Vienna / Bern on 6./8. December 2011, provisionally applied since December 19, 2011, LGBl 571/2011.
12. ↑ Source: Publication by the state police in the 2015 annual report for March 2016.
13. ^ Liechtensteiner Volksblatt , title page and page 3, edition of March 31, 2016.

Please note the information on legal issues!