Parliament has recently passed the Arms Act 2026, repealing and replacing the Arms Act 1983. This updates and modernises New Zealand’s firearms laws following extensive feedback from the firearms community.
Key changes include:
- Requiring any person or organisation operating under the firearms regulatory regime to act in the interests of personal, community and public safety.
- Ensuring gang membership disqualifies a person from holding a firearms licence.
- Giving the firearms regulator the power to issue infringements for low-level non-compliance by a licensed firearm owner.
- Codifying how the firearms regulator, Police, and other agencies share information that raises concerns about a licence holders’ “fit and proper” status and to share information about risks and incidents involving arms items.
- Increasing penalties to reflect the seriousness of offences.
- Giving greater flexibility for licence holders to store firearms in the most appropriate location to prevent theft and unlawful access.
- Renaming Dealer’s Licences "Business Licences" and extending their duration to five years for compliant holders.
- Creating of museum-specific licences for people who work with firearms in the course of maintaining museum collections.
- Ensuring licence fees are reviewed every five years.
The new Arms Act establishes Firearms Safety and Education New Zealand as the new autonomous regulator of the firearms system, replacing Te Tari Pūreke - the Firearms Safety Authority.
Firearms Safety and Education New Zealand is headed by an independent chief executive appointed by the Governor-General who reports to the responsible Minister.
The new agency will receive corporate services and support from the Police – including Finance, IT and HR support. The Ministry of Justice is responsible for monitoring.
There is more information at:
Better firearm laws locked and loaded (Ministerial release)
Firearms reform | New Zealand Ministry of Justice
