Interior Ministry suspends new gun licenses for one year

The Ministry of Interior has imposed a one-year suspension on the issuance of new firearms licenses nationwide, granting exceptions only for national security, sports, inheritance transfers, and previously purchased guns.

Published in the Royal Gazette on November 9 and effective immediately, the order bars local registrars from issuing new P2, P3, P4, and P5 licenses for importing, purchasing, possessing, or commercially trading firearms, ammunition, and imitation firearms. Existing commercial license renewals are unaffected.

The ministry cited rising gun-related violent crime, threats to public order, and damage to the country's image as the reasons for the temporary ban.

Under the order, new licenses may only be issued with direct approval from the interior minister in four specific cases: national defense and public security duties; sports training and competitions; legal transfers following a license holder's death or disqualification; and cases where buyers have already purchased a gun under a P3 permit.

Individuals who obtained a P3 purchase permit and bought a firearm before the order took effect must surrender the weapon to authorities and apply for a P4 possession-and-use license by December 9. If the interior minister rejects the application, the local registrar will proceed under the law and sell the firearm at auction.