Proactive release of papers regarding the Arms Amendment Regulations 2023: Firearms Registry
In 2020, a number of changes were made to the Arms Act 1983 through the Arms Legislation Act 2020 to strengthen the control and regulation of firearms in New Zealand. On 24 June 2023, changes to the Arms Act will came into force that outline the obligation for the Commissioner of Police to operate a registry and the content of the Registry.
To support the changes to the Arms Act, Police worked with the firearms community to develop proposed regulations. From August to October 2022, Police released a discussion document relating to these proposed regulations. The Arms Amendment Regulations 2023 were published on 11 May 2023 and came into force on 24 June 2023 and have been incorporated into the Arms Regulations 1992.
Public discussion document on regulations for a Firearms Registry and related documents
Key to sections of the Official Information Act 1982 under which information has been withheld.
Certain information in the document has been withheld under one or more of the following sections of the Official Information Act 1982:
- Information is withheld under section 9(2)(a) to protect the privacy of natural persons.
- Information is withheld under section 9(2)(i) where making information available may disadvantage the Crown in negotiations with vendors while the registry is being developed.
- Cabinet Paper - Arms Act 1983: Release of public discussion document on regulations for a firearms registry (PDF, 192KB)
- IPR/22/65CH - Updated Cabinet paper - Arms Act 1983: Release of discussion document for public consultation on regulations (PDF, 77KB)
- Regulatory Impact Statement: Discussion Paper on proposed regulations for a firearms registry (PDF, 278KB)
- Regulatory Impact Statement: Annex - Proposed regulations without options (PDF, 212KB)
- SWC-22-MIN-0155 Minute of Decision (PDF 143KB)
- Firearms registry discussion document (PDF 1.1MB)
Summary of submissions
Arms Amendment Regulations 2023
- Regulatory Impact Statement: Arms Act 1983 - Regulations for Firearms Registry, 12 December 2022 (PDF 1.2MB)
- Cabinet Business Committee minute - Arms Act 1983: Regulations for the Firearms Registry, CBC-23-MIN-004, 31 January 2023 (PDF 781KB)
- Cabinet Business Committee paper - Arms Act 1983: Regulations for the Firearms Registry, 31 January 2023
- Cabinet Legislation Committee paper - Arms Amendment Regulations 2023 - Firearms Registry, 4 May 2023 (PDF 740KB)
- Cabinet Legislation Committee minute - Arms Amendment Regulations 2023 - Firearms Registry, LEG-23-MIN-0048, 4 May 2023 (PDF 695KB)
Arms Amendment Regulations (No. 2) 2023
There was an omission in the Arms Amendment Regulations 2023 (Registry Regulations), which meant certain types of low-risk firearms (such as flare guns, underwater spear guns or tranquiliser guns) that can be owned by anyone without a firearms licence had been inadvertently captured by the regulations. These regulations came into force on 28 July 2023.