Changes for Businesses

The business licence duration has been extended to five years for compliant licence holders. 

This change will significantly reduce the administrative costs and effort for established businesses that were previously required to renew their licences annually.

Now:

• A first-time business licence is valid for one year from date of issue.
• First-time renewal, or second business licence is also valid for one year from the date of issue.
• If a business licence has been held for two years without any compliance issues, the third and any subsequent business licence is valid for five years from the date of issue.

Before you apply for a Business licence

Duration of business licence | Arms Act 2026, Section 96 | New Zealand Legislation website

Under the new Arms Act 2026, employees of a firearms business do not need endorsements or permits to possess to handle restricted firearms and other arms items in the course of their duties. 

Employees of a firearms business still require a firearms licence to work at a firearms licensed business. 

Existing dealer employee endorsement holders do not need to do anything. Endorsements will be removed from licence cards at the next firearms licence renewal or if a new licence card is requested.

Applications for endorsements: general | Arms Act 2026, Section 186 | New Zealand Legislation website

The legislation provides greater clarity around what it means to be “in business”. The Arms Act 1983 allowed firearms licence holders to carry out certain activities, such as selling firearms, but required a dealer's licence if a person was "in the business" of carrying out those activities. However, the Act did not define what it meant to be "in business", leaving the term open to interpretation.

With the change in the Arms Act 2026, a person is considered to be in business if they present themselves as carrying out the activity as a business (for example, by using a business name or business structure) and do so for gain or reward.

Before you apply for a Business licence

Meaning of business activity | Arms Act 2026, Section 6 | New Zealand Legislation website

Under the Arms Act 2026, Business licence holders need to ensure information about arms items in their possession is recorded in the Arms Registry. 

Some Business licence holders (formerly Dealer licence holders) who have not previously provided information to the Arms Registry, may be required to provide this information by 24 June 2029 to help keep the Registry complete and up to date.

The extension of this timeframe by one year (previously scheduled for 2028) will allow the new digital Arms System to be developed, which is expected to simplify how businesses register their arms items.

Using the Business Transactions form

Business licence requirements

Buy, sell & register

What the Firearms Registry means for business

Obligation to provide information to arms registry | Arms Act 2026, Section 361 | New Zealand Legislation website

Obligations relating to registry | Arms Act 2026, Section 30 | New Zealand Legislation website

The Arms Act 2026 updates the requirements relating to the possession of certain arms items for business activities. 

Large-capacity pistol magazines have been added to the list of arms items that a licensed business may possess for the purpose of carrying on a business activity, subject to the appropriate endorsement requirements.

This change brings large-capacity pistol magazines into line with the possession requirements that already apply to restricted firearms, restricted magazines, pistols, pistol carbine conversion kits, and restricted weapons used for business activities.

Before you apply for a Business licence

Requirements relating to possession of certain arms items for business activities | Arms Act 2026, Section 59 | New Zealand Legislation website

Under the Arms Act 2026, you must have a firearms licence before importing or purchasing a blank-firing gun that can be converted into a functioning firearm.

A business licence is require to sell or supply blank firing guns and they can only be sold or supplied to firearms licence holders.

Importing firearms and other items

Requirement for possession of blank-firing gun | Arms Act 2026, section 17 | New Zealand Legislation website
Licence to possess blank-firing gun | Arms Act 2026, Subpart 1—Licensing, section 5 | New Zealand Legislation website
Requirement for importing firearms | Arms Act 2026, section 56 | New Zealand Legislation website

Under the Arms Act 2026, if a licensed firearms owner manufactures a firearm or firearm part for personal use, it can only be sold through a business licence holder.

This change helps improve public safety by preventing unsafe items from entering circulation. It closes a loophole that allowed items originally manufactured for personal use to be sold later without regulatory oversight or quality assurance.

Export, import or manufacture arms items

Requirements for selling or supplying arms items and ammunitions | Arms Act 2026, Subpart 4 | New Zealand Legislation website

A licensed business that receives any surrendered arms items or ammunition, must notify Firearms Safety and Education New Zealand within 5 working days of receiving it. 

The arms item or ammunition must then be delivered to the nearest Police station if required by Firearms Safety and Education NZ.

This change improves public safety by extending notification requirements to all surrendered arms items and ammunition, ensuring they can be checked for any unlawful involvement or activity.

Business licence requirements

Responsibilities of licensed business in respect of relinquished arms item, etc | Arms Act 2026, Part 8, Section 343 | New Zealand Legislation website

From 23 July 2027, individual firearms licence holders and businesses seeking to sell or supply ammunition commercially, must obtain approval from the regulator to become an approved ammunition seller. 

This change strengthens public safety by allowing the regulator to assest applicants and decline approval where there are safety concerns. Previously, commercial ammunition sellers were only required to notify the regulator of their intention to sell ammunition commercially with no mechanism for the regulator to assess or refuse applications.

Approval as an ammunition seller will start on the date specified in the approval and will remain valid for the same period as the holder's firearms licence.

Ammunition sellers

Application to be approved ammunition seller | Arms Act 2026, Section 175 | New Zealand Legislation website

From 23 February 2028, the timeframe for temporary transactions for repairs and modifications has been extended.

A temporary transaction for repair or modification occurs when the owner of a pistol, restricted weapon, or restricted firearm leaves the item with a licensed business for repair or modification. When this happens, the licensed business must provide information to the Arms Registry about the temporary transaction and any repairs or modifications carried out on the firearm.

The new Arms Act extends the timeframe for these temporary transactions from 7 days to 21 days. This means a licensed business can keep a pistol, restricted weapon, or restricted firearm for up to 21 days for repair or modification without needing a permit to possess.

This change balances the practical time needed for repairs with public safety considerations. The previous 7-day timeframe was often not long enough for repairs to be completed, particularly when replacement parts were required.  After 21 days, the licensed business must obtain a permit to possess the item if it remains in their possession.

Business licence requirements

Obligation to provide information to arms registry | Arms Act 2026, Section 361 | New Zealand Legislation website

From 23 February 2028, permits to import issued to business licence holders will be valid for 12 months between the arrival of the first and last consignments.

A permit may be used for items imported into New Zealand in a single consignment or across multiple consignments. Once the first consignment arrives, all remaining items and consignments must arrive within 12 months, or the permit to import will expire.

Currently, delays in shipping and delivery can result in permits expiring before all items arrive. While permits are valid for 12 months, once the first consignment arrives, importers have only 30 days for all remaining consignments to enter New Zealand before the permit expires. If the permit expires, importers must apply for a new one.

This change will reduce administrative pressure for importers, particularly those affected by supply chain delays. It will also reduce the number of permit applications that need to be submitted and processed, as the current 30-day validity period is often too short for imports arriving in multiple consignments. 

How permits work

Permit to import issued for items to be brought into or sent to New Zealand in single consignment or multiple consignments | Arms Act 2026, Section 200 | New Zealand Legislation website