Weapon law (Germany) / Special administrative law

» Economics » Special administrative law » Topics begins with W » Weapon law (Germany)

Page modified: Friday, June 23, 2006 20:31:46

Base data
Title:	Weapon law
Abbreviation:	WaffG
Kind:	Federal law
Area of application:	Federal Republic of Germany
Right subject:	Special administrative law
FNA:	7133-4
Earlier version of:	8. March 1976 (BGBl. I P. 432)
Last revised version of:	11 October 2002 (BGBl. I P. 3970, more ber. 4592 and 2003, 1957)
The entry into force that revised version to:	1. April 2003
Last change through:	Kind 3 law from 10 September 2004 (BGBl. I P. 2318)
The entry into force that-last change: 1)	1. March 2005 (kind 4 law BGBl. I P. 2318)
1) Please you consider the reference to the valid law version!

The weapon law (WaffG) regulates handling weapons (inclusive blade weapons), firearms and ammunition in Germany as well as the acquisition, the storage, the trade and the repair of weapons. Also it defines the forbidden articles (e.g. choking woods, snatching measurer, impact rings) and forbids their possession, Inverkehrbringen etc.

In the right of the transnational goods traffic the weapon law belongs to the national laws, which contain prohibitions and restrictions for the import of goods. The regulations of the WaffG are out-arranged closer in the general administrative regulation to the weapon law (WaffVwV). This regulates in particular exceptions, regulations for handling weapons, the arrangement of shooting places and the like. In their also the demarcation between toy weapon and firearm is defined by the maximum firing energy of 7,5 joules. After the WaffG also a toy weapon, which fires small plastic balls, can be a firearm.

The last change of the weapon law from 11 October 2002 was substantially affected by the Amoklauf in Erfurt from 26 April 2002. With restrictive regulations the policy tries to limit the spreading and the abuse of weapons. Against these changes a shooting federation submitted constitutional complaint at the Federal Constitutional Court. On 1 April 2003 the court decided not to accept the constitutional complaint for decision (Az. 1 BvR 539/03). In particular by the opponents of the novella criticized that the abuse of weapons was not committed by legal owners of weapon, therefore an aggravation of the weapon right only debited to sport and tradition contactors affect themselves.