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Commercial manufacture of weapons - apply for a licence
In most cases, a licence is required to handle weapons or ammunition.
Do you want to manufacture, process or repair firearms or ammunition commercially or independently as part of a commercial enterprise?
Then you need a weapons manufacturing licence.
Responsible authority
the district police authority
The district police authority is, depending on the location of the business premises
- the district administration,
- the municipal administration (in urban districts and large district towns) or
- the administrative community
Details
Prerequisite
To obtain a firearms manufacturing licence, you must
- be at least 18 years old.
- be reliable.
- be suitable.
The required personal suitability is not possessed, for example, by persons who are reasonably suspected of being legally incompetent, addicted to alcohol or mentally ill.
- prove the need for the issue of a firearms manufacturing licence.
The need (a reasonable cause) may arise from a particularly recognisable personal or economic interest, for example as a weapons manufacturer. - Expertise
- carry out the manufacture of weapons commercially or independently as part of a commercial enterprise.
Procedure
You must apply to the competent authority for a firearms manufacturing licence. Depending on the location of your business premises, the district office, the municipal administration (in urban districts and large district towns) or the administrative community is responsible. The application form is available there. Some authorities offer the application form for download.
Note: The competent authority will check whether you have the necessary reliability. In particular, it will obtain the following information:
- Information from the Federal Central Criminal Register
- Information from the central public prosecutor's register of proceedings
- Statement from the State Office of Criminal Investigation
- Statement from the Federal Police Headquarters
- Statement from the Customs Criminal Police Office
- Statement from the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution
The weapons authority responsible at will also check your personal suitability. For this purpose,it will obtain the following information:
- Statement from the State Office of Criminal Investigation
- Statement from the Federal Police Headquarters
- Statement from the Customs Criminal Police Office
If the competent authority has concerns as to whether you are personally suitable, it can obtain a
- an official or specialist medical certificate or
- a specialised psychological certificate.
You must provide proof of your expertise, need and professional status yourself.
Deadlines
The licence expires if the licence holder has not commenced the activity within one year of the licence being granted or has not exercised it for one year. The time limits may be extended for special reasons.
Required documents
- Identity card or passport (for foreign nationals: national passport)
- possibly an official or specialist medical certificate or a specialist psychological certificate
- Any other documents that you must submit depend on the reason for your need (commercial or self-employed as part of a business venture).
- Proof of expertise
Costs
The amount of the fees depends on the municipal fee regulations. Please enquire with the responsible authority.
Miscellaneous
The holder of a firearms manufacturing licence or firearms trading licence pursuant to Section 21 (1) sentence 1 shall immediately notify the competent authority electronically of the following handling of completed firearms whose acquisition or possession requires the licence:
- 1. the manufacture, but only after completion,
- 2. the transfer,
- 3. the acquisition,
- 4. processing through
-
- a) modification or
- b) replacement of a significant part.
The obligation to notify also applies if a blocking system is installed or unlocked.
Proxy licence
Do you wish to appoint a proxy or a person to manage a branch or dependent branch office for your firearms trade requiring a licence? Then you will need a deputy licence. This licence will only be issued if the deputy also has the necessary reliability, personal suitability and specialist knowledge.
Notification obligations
As the holder of a firearms manufacturing licence, you must notify the competent authority of the following changes within two weeks:
- the commencement and cessation of operations and
- the opening and closing of a branch or dependent branch office.
As part of the notification of commencement or opening, you must also specify the persons authorised to manage the business or branch. You must also report the appointment or departure of a person responsible for managing the business or branch. In the case of legal entities, the change of a person authorised to represent the company by law, articles of association or partnership agreement must be notified.
Legal basis
Waffengesetz (WaffG):
- § 5 Zuverlässigkeit
- § 6 Persönliche Eignung
- § 7 Sachkunde
- § 21 Gewerbsmäßige Waffenherstellung, Waffenhandel
- § 21a Stellvertretungserlaubnis
- § 37 Anzeigepflichten der gewerblichen Waffenhersteller und Waffenhändler
Allgemeine Waffengesetz-Verordnung (AWaffV):
- § 1 Umfang der Sachkunde
Waffenregistergsetz (WaffRG):
- § 9 Datenübermittlung der gewerblichen Waffenhersteller und Waffenhändler an die Waffenbehörden
Release note
machine generated, based on the German release by: Innenministerium Baden-Württemberg, 21.10.2025
