How to renew a permit for a hunting weapon 2021: documents, deadlines, state duty, renewal rules

A previously obtained hunting rifle license must be renewed once every five years. To do this, you need to collect the relevant documents and apply with them to the police permitting department at your place of residence.

The basic rules for renewal can be found on the government services website, where it is indicated what the procedure is and what data must be provided by the applicant. At the same time, most citizens prefer to apply in person - for them, the article describes the procedure for renewing a permit to use hunting weapons.

Preparing to submit an application to the LRO

Approximately two months before the expiration of the five-year license period, the owner of a hunting weapon must:

• contact the police department at your place of residence and explain that you intend to renew your license for a specific type of weapon - you will be asked to write a corresponding statement;
• After your visit to the police department, the local police officer is obliged to check the storage location of the hunting rifle and the presence of a safe. The district police officer draws up a report on the completed check of compliance with storage rules, which is included in the list of necessary documents for renewal;
• The hunting rifle must be presented to the police station - law enforcement agencies must ensure that it is in working order.

Once all this is prepared, you can begin collecting the documents that will be needed to renew your hunting weapons permit at the police licensing department.

Storage requirements

Even before purchasing a weapon, you need to purchase a safe; this is checked by a police officer. The safe has very serious requirements:

• It should be made of metal or wood covered with metal, this will ensure resistance to fire;
• Wall thickness not less than 2 mm;
• Ammo must be stored in a separate locked safe drawer;
• The safe must be attached to the floor and to the wall;
• The safe must not be installed near heating appliances;
• The distance to the window should be at least half a meter;
• It is necessary to have two locks;
• The distance to the front door must be at least 1.5 meters.

The safe should be installed in a room with less traffic, such as a bedroom. If you plan to use the weapon for a long time, then you should not save on a safe. A cheap model can be purchased for short-term storage of weapons. You don’t have to spend money on a storage element if the safe is built into a cabinet with a lock, or if you have a 24-hour alarm system in your house or apartment.

The lock on the safe can be key or electronic. Keys must be carried with you at all times to ensure that no family members or guests have access to the weapons storage area. This is a minor inconvenience, but such locks are considered more reliable than electronic ones. Considering prices, safes with electronic locks are much more expensive.

Documents for LRO

To apply to the LRO you will need:

• a copy of a valid permit for a hunting rifle;
• two matte black and white photographs (3x4);
• medical certificate form 046-1 - the same as for the initial issuance of a license; to obtain it you must pass a medical commission. Certificates from a narcological and psychoneurological dispensary, as well as a certificate confirming the absence of psychotropic or narcotic substances in the blood, will also be needed (see how to obtain a permit for a hunting weapon);
• passport and its copy;
• a report from the local police commissioner about the absence of violations in the possession of a gun;
• receipt of payment of the fee. In 2021, the state fee for renewing a permit for a hunting shotgun is 500 rubles ;
• hunting license or its certified copy;
• if it is necessary to renew a license for a rifle, you must provide proof of professional hunting activity (for example, an order from the head of a hunting enterprise). When renewing a shotgun license, this document does not need to be submitted.

Renewal of license for traumatic weapons

Let's look at the steps to renew a license for a traumatic weapon - surely you can just issue it for life? However, no - the owner of the “trauma” could get carried away with psychotropic or narcotic drugs, get some injuries, get registered in a psychoneurological dispensary - in general, become an antisocial element, and also armed.

That is why a license is issued for a certain period, and renewal is sometimes even a little more difficult compared to obtaining initial permits.

Conditions for license renewal in 2021

Renewing your injury permit this year will require:

• Application for license renewal (samples are provided in the line department for licensing and permitting work);
• Original and photocopy of passport;
• 2 photographs for documents, size 3*4 cm;
• Medical certificates 002 and 003 O/U, indicating the candidate’s admission to renew a weapons license (you will have to go through an ophthalmologist, psychiatrist, therapist and narcologist again);
• Previous license;
• Receipt for paid state duty;
• Report from the local inspector on compliance with the storage conditions of licensed weapons;
• Previous permits for traumatic self-defense means;
• Certificate of completion of a course in handling personal self-defense weapons - from January 1, 2021, it is required to be renewed.

From January 1, 2021, the process of renewing a license has been slightly simplified for owners of civilian weapons - for example, a medical certificate in form 003-O/U is not required, but it is advisable to obtain one, just in case.

What difficulties might there be when renewing a license?

If the owner of a traumatic pistol approaches the documents with all his responsibility, then difficulties cannot arise. The only difficulty that may arise is non-compliance with the criteria set out in Federal Law No. 150 of December 13, 1996 “On Weapons” - physical disabilities, mental illness, as well as suspicion of abuse of alcoholic beverages or psychotropic/narcotic drugs.

We recommend reading → Do you need a permit for an air gun: the law on air guns

Responsibility for untimely renewal of a permit

Storage and carrying of traumatic weapons without state registration, as well as with an expired permit, is punishable under Article 20.8 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation and entails a fine of three to five thousand rubles. In some cases, the “trauma” is usually confiscated by law enforcement officers before obtaining a license.

If you can get away with wearing a fine, then for using traumatic means of self-defense without proper legalization you can already receive criminal punishment - these actions will be cited under Article 119 part 1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Threat of murder or threat of causing grievous bodily harm”). The only way to avoid criminal punishment, or at least mitigate it, is to turn yourself in to the nearest police station immediately after the shooting.

Of course, in this case, the owner of the “injury” will not simply be released - but a fine is better than imprisonment.

Extension through the public services portal

It is very simple to apply for a license renewal through government services: in the search bar you need to type “weapon license” and select the appropriate government service, the application for which is accepted online. After the service is completed, using the SMS notification service, the applicant is notified of the time and place where he can receive a decision on his application.

Both in person and through government services, an application for renewal must be submitted to the LRO one month before its expiration (clause 67 of the Instruction of the Ministry of Internal Affairs on the control of weapons circulation dated April 12, 1999).

Medical certificate

One of our least favorite procedures is undergoing a medical examination. But hunters are lucky in this regard. The list of doctors who need to be seen is not that long, so queues in the corridors of the clinic can be avoided.

But, as they say, there is a fly in the ointment for every barrel of honey. Minor problems will arise when trying to get certificates from a psychiatrist and narcologist. Typically, such specialists do not exist in private clinics, so to obtain certificate 002-O/u you will have to visit a drug dispensary or even a mental health dispensary.

An innovation in passing a weapons inspection is that the medical certificate must be accompanied by the results of a CTI analysis, which must confirm the absence of drugs in the body. When choosing a medical facility where you will be examined, make sure that this institution is competent to provide such services and has the appropriate accreditation for this.

If the deadline for applying for an extension is missed

If for some reason you have not taken measures to renew your license to carry and store hunting weapons, this entails administrative liability under Art. 20.11 Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.

• The violator may be fined in the amount of 1,000 to 3,000 rubles .
• In practice, the amount of the fine depends on the period for which the owner of the hunting rifle was “late”: if we are talking about several weeks, it may be limited to 1000-1500 rubles,
• If the delay is longer, the maximum fine will be imposed.

In addition, before you pay the fine, the police officer has the right to confiscate your hunting rifle and return it back only after renewing your license.

License validity period

By and large, the document popularly called a “weapon license” is actually a permit to store and carry weapons .
A license, as such, is issued only for its purchase (in a specialized store or from a private individual). It is valid for six months - during this period the license holder must have time to select, purchase and register a pistol or rifle according to all the rules.

In case of delay, the acquisition license is not extended . If a citizen has not purchased a weapon within six months, the license is automatically revoked. To acquire a pistol, you will have to re-obtain a purchase license.

With permission to store weapons, the situation is somewhat different. This document is issued for a period of 5 years . Yes, it is possible to cancel it early - but, as a rule, this applies to persons who have twice violated the administrative code in terms of disturbing public order. In most cases, after the five-year period, the citizen simply needs to renew the permit for another period of the same period .

The validity of a weapons storage permit can be renewed every five years an unlimited number of times.

In 2021, a deputy from the Liberal Democratic Party submitted a proposal for consideration that would increase the validity period of permits for certain types of firearms from five to ten years. But at the moment this idea remains an unrealized bill.

When is it time to start the renewal procedure?

Experienced gun owners are advised not to wait until there are a couple of weeks left before the gun license expires. To renew, you will need to collect a whole package of documents, in the process of hasty execution of which the deadline for the weapons permit may expire.

It is ideal to start preparing for a license renewal one or two (or even three) months before the expiration date of the document , since the licensing and permitting department will issue the renewed document only 30 days after submitting the application and the full package of documents.

Otherwise, there is a risk of not being able to renew the document by the appointed date - the procedure for renewing a weapons license involves events spread over several weeks.

Late license renewal

Delay in a permit is a violation of Article 20.11 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (in case of long delay - 20.8 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). And this entails a fine - at least one thousand rubles . However, the article allows for a fine of up to 3 thousand rubles.

And that's not it.
Keeping weapons at home (with the exception of civilian smooth-bore long-barreled weapons and weapons of limited destruction) without having a valid document permitting such is strictly prohibited by law and is criminally punishable .
Since an expired permit is invalid and has no effect in the eyes of the law, the owner of a home arsenal automatically becomes a habitual offender. And this is already a criminal offense .

Article 222 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation provides for a very severe punishment for such a crime of law - up to 4 years in prison with a fine of up to 80 thousand rubles.

This measure does not threaten all owners, but you should not forget that the document needs to be renewed. The delay will seriously complicate the lives of gun lovers.

To begin with, the owner’s favorite gun or pistol will be confiscated - storing military units at home without documents is unacceptable, the LRO will accept them for storage (for a period of no more than 1 year).

Everything will be returned only after the license is renewed, and this is not so easy for those who have overdue the document - if the period of delay is long, in addition to the maximum fine, the weapon can not only be seized, but confiscated . It all depends on the specific situation.

Why may they refuse to renew a permit?

During the five years that the originally issued permit is valid, a lot can change. For example, a citizen who has a weapon may be under supervision in a psychoneurological or drug treatment clinic and be registered with these institutions. There may also be administrative or criminal liability. Thus, the reasons for refusal to renew a permit may be:

• if, according to medical criteria, contraindications to gun ownership are identified (for example, vision has decreased significantly, traces of psychotropic or narcotic substances are found in the blood, etc.);
• if the owner of a hunting rifle has committed a serious or especially serious crime using a weapon (not necessarily the type for which the license renewal is being applied for), and whether the criminal record has been expunged does not matter;
• if the applicant is serving a sentence (any) or has already served it, but the criminal record has not yet been expunged;
• if in the last year before the renewal, the owner of the gun was again brought to administrative responsibility for committing a public offense or an offense related to drug trafficking, while the period of validity of the administrative punishment has not yet expired;
• if the applicant does not have a specific place of residence;
• if the weapon is faulty.

Reasons for refusal

Renewal of a weapons permit may be refused. There are several reasons for this:

• The documents were submitted not 3 months before the expiration of the previous license, but later;
• Prosecuted for violating public order more than twice in the past year;
• Having a current criminal record;
• Lack of a gun safe;
• The weapon is in a faulty condition;
• Weapon registration has expired;
• Making changes to the factory design;
• Lack of registration;
• Unpaid state duty;
• Deterioration of health (especially regarding vision);
• Registration with a psychiatrist or narcologist within the past 5 years.

A specific time will be set for troubleshooting. A gun permit will be revoked if the owner is involved in a crime and goes to prison. If the deadline for submitting an application is violated, the license will be canceled and it will not be possible to restore it earlier than in a year.

To do this, you must go through the same procedure as before initially obtaining permission. The reasons for refusal must be indicated in the letter. If they are not, you need to find out this issue yourself so as not to repeat your mistakes in the future. A license may also not be issued due to failure to appear at the permitting department within 14 days after receiving the mail notification.

Checking the safe

The procedure for providing the service for replacing a license assumes that after submitting an application to the OLRR, a request will be sent to the local inspector to check the storage conditions of the weapon. The result of such a check will be a report.

But in order not to waste precious time, it is better to contact the local police officer yourself. On the appointed day, he will come, inspect the safe and fill out an inspection report form; this form is easy to obtain, including on the Internet.

Re-registration via the Internet

If for some reason you cannot appear in person at the LRO or do not want to waste time standing in queues, then you can re-register online. The government services website will help you with this. If you have never used it before, you first need to go through a fairly quick registration process. Next, following all the instructions step by step, fill out an application. Then you just have to wait for LRO employees to contact you and invite you to a meeting. No matter how you fill out the paperwork - in person or via the Internet, in any case, you cannot do without visiting the permitting department. The application you submitted on the government services website only provides grounds for consideration of your case, but you must appear in person later at the appointed time and provide the originals of absolutely all necessary documents. Only in this case will you be given a positive answer.

When filling out an application on the website, you need to collect the same list of documents that we indicated earlier. In fact, the procedure is not much different.

Only for rifled weapons...

The next point may be skipped by those hunters who prefer to use a smoothbore, since we are talking about rifles, that is, weapons with a rifled barrel. Due to the fact that certain characteristics of rifled weapons increase many times over, the law tightens the requirements for those who obtain or renew a license for such weapons.

1. Firstly, this concerns the age category. The citizen must be 21 years old at the time of filing the application.
2. Secondly, experience in owning smooth-bore weapons is required, which is 5 years.

Often, citizens use rifled weapons in their work activities (hunting farm workers, rangers). Here you can make a slight deviation from the rules. The farm or other employer is required to issue a certificate stating that the use of rifled weapons is associated with the direct performance of functional duties. This certificate must also be presented to the OLRR.

Permit system in Russia

Every potential gun owner must be aware of the full degree of responsibility that falls on him. Considering the huge amount of weapons that are not only in the hands of military personnel, but also in civilian hands, we note that it is not so easy to conduct control activities.

Control issues are dealt with by the Russian National Guard, which oversees the entire licensing system. The structural unit here is the licensing department, which is created in any municipality. Before you start filling out the documents, you need to clarify the location, address and work hours of your department.

OLRR is responsible for issuing permits for the purchase of weapons, registering weapons, issuing licenses for storing weapons, preparing accompanying documentation for the repair, transportation or sale of weapons, as well as monitoring the activities of private security companies and detective agencies.

It is important to understand that, having received a weapons permit, you are obliged to strictly comply with the documentation regulations. The permit is valid for six months. During this time, you must select a barrel from a gun store. But after purchase you are given only 14 days to submit this barrel to the OLRR. After registration, all that remains is to issue a storage license. You are now considered a full and law-abiding gun owner.

Responsibility for violation of deadlines

In case of delay in permits and weapons licenses, administrative measures may be taken against a citizen (depending on the timing of the delay, the position of the inspector and possibly the court, if it comes to this):

• a fine of 500 to 5,000 rubles depending on the time of delay and aggravating circumstances;
• confiscation of weapons (temporary or, in case of persistent violations, permanent with refusal to renew permits);
• prohibition on possession for a period of 6 months to 1 year;
• arrest for a period of 5 to 15 days.

In case of delay in permission, the owner, as a rule, is not prosecuted criminally, although it all depends on the position of the inspector. Article 222 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (on illegal trafficking in weapons) provides for punishment of up to 4 years in prison with a fine of up to 8 thousand rubles.

The state requires great responsibility from owners of firearms, traumatic, sports and some other types of weapons. Every few years, the documents must be renewed in a timely manner, otherwise significant penalties will be taken against the owner.

Application for the purchase of hunting long-barreled smoothbore weapons

This form allows you to apply for a permit to purchase a weapon. You can use the form if you are going to buy a smoothbore gun for hunting, playing sports, as well as when purchasing pneumatics, the shot energy of which is higher than 7.5 J.

The application template consists of several sections. The first section, often called the “header,” is filled out in the upper right part of the form. It indicates to whom the application is addressed. Usually it is written to the head of the OLRR. The last name, first name and patronymic of the applicant in the genitive case are indicated below.

The second section indicates the purpose of the application. In our case, this is an application for permission to purchase the listed type of weapon.

The third section contains the direct request and also contains some personal information about the applicant. Contact information will be used for further communication. Passport data allows you to identify a citizen.

The fourth section serves to provide information about previously issued weapons. Its model, brand, and number of units are indicated. At the end, the application form contains information about the attached documents. The list that will have to be presented when submitting an application can be rewritten if all the documents from it are collected and prepared.

• Copy of the passport.
• Medical certificate.
• Certificate of completion of training.
• A copy of the hunting license.

These documents, in essence, are an appendix to the application. Be sure to sign and date the application at the bottom.

Payment of state duty

Payment of the state duty can be done in several ways. If you take all the necessary details from the licensing department employee, then any bank will be able to make a payment using them. The receipt for the fee should be kept, as it will have to be submitted along with the package of documents.

If the provision of an electronic service is implied, then it is more convenient to pay the fee directly on the portal. To do this, you will have to provide some bank card information. In this case, no receipt is needed. All information that the applicant has paid for the service will be transferred to the department.

Hunting ticket

A pleasant innovation in the legislation is the fact that now hunting tickets are issued in a single sample, and they do not require re-issuance. The law, the regulations of which determined a new form of issuing tickets, was published several years ago, so if you are a law-abiding citizen, then most likely you have just such a hunting ticket in your hands. Otherwise, you will have to replace the document by submitting a corresponding application to the MFC.

other methods

Renewing a permit using the State Services portal is not always possible for one reason or another; there are often cases when the consideration of an application is delayed for an “unacceptable” period due to the incompetence of local workers. In such cases, the application can be submitted in person at the LRO department of the Russian Guard or through the MFC. To renew the permit, you will need to bring the same package of documents to the MFC or LRO and write an application according to the issued sample.

1. In the case of the MFC, it is recommended to call the department you are interested in in advance, since not all departments accept applications for renewal of a weapons permit.
2. Consideration of the application with verification of documents is carried out within 30 days (according to the law).
3. You will be notified of the results of the consideration of the application, after which you must appear at the LRO office.
4. All actions are carried out only in person: third parties, including those with a notarized power of attorney, cannot take part in the procedure.

How to obtain a license for edged weapons, read the article at the link.

Photos

Even if you still have photographs from the time you first received your license, they will not be suitable for re-issuing the document. The fact is that the photo is considered relevant for a year.

While we are waiting for the local police officer to pay us a visit, we can, for example, go to a photo salon. Modern photo printing tools allow you to get ready-made photographs in 10-15 minutes. A professional photographer knows the basic requirements for permission photography, but you should be aware of these requirements too.

• Photo size – 3 cm by 4 cm.
• Number of photos – 2 pieces.
• Matte photo paper.
• The angle is full face.
• There is no headdress.
• No sunglasses.
• The background is light and monochromatic.

Completion of training

Let us note right away that you will not need to undergo repeated training in the courses. A previously issued certificate does not have an expiration date. But there is something to talk about about exams.

Unfortunately, legal actions do not always occur according to the logic of things. Renewal of a weapons license due to a change in registration occurs before the expiration date of this license. It would be logical to assume that department employees will not force you to take an exam or undergo a medical examination. But since this procedure is considered identical to the renewal of a permit, and when prolonging a permit, a medical certificate is required and you need to pass an exam, this requirement automatically transfers to re-registration due to a change in place of residence. It all depends on how the procedure for processing documents will be interpreted by OLRR employees. But just in case, such documents should be prepared.

A citizen must appear at the training center and pay for only one exam. On the appointed day, he answers the ticket questions and also demonstrates practical shooting skills. As a result, he receives a certificate, which he will subsequently apply to the department with.

Replacement of a license due to a change of residence

A change of residence can mean a change in the place of actual residence. There are temporary stays lasting less than 90 days, as well as more than 90 days, accompanied by temporary registration at a new place of residence. But we will consider cases when a citizen permanently changes his place of residence and will subsequently register at a new address.

Do I need to change my weapons permit when I change my registration? Definitely yes. Even if your current license has not yet expired, a replacement weapons permit is still available.

The time frame for this procedure is quite strict, but while you are solving problems with the move, you don’t have to worry about the status of your license. The restrictions come into force from the date the registration stamp is placed in the passport. From now on, you have only two weeks to change your permit.

Given that the Licensing Department is only open to the public for two days, please take every possible step to make the best use of the time available. For example, you can contact the district police officer in advance, stating a request to check the conditions that you have created for storing weapons, and, having eloquence, it is advisable to ensure that the district police officer draws up an inspection report immediately, and does not wait for the OLRR request.

You should contact the department only through the public services portal; the electronic queue will reduce the time. In addition, you yourself see the time of your appointment at the department, so you can plan the registration procedure. Otherwise, the algorithm for replacing a license is the same as in the case of its renewal, so we will consider it a little later.

What can you buy without a permit to store and carry weapons?

For the purposes of self-defense and recreational shooting in the Russian Federation, without obtaining specialized documents for storing and carrying weapons, you can purchase the following items:

• Pneumatic weapons with muzzle energy up to 3 J;
• Gas cartridges;
• Knives and other items that are not edged weapons;
• Pyrotechnic products, such as hunter's signal;

How to find out about the results of your application review

The legislator allocates 30 calendar days to renew a license for smooth-bore weapons (as well as other types) through the State Services (Part 3 of Article 9 of Federal Law No. 150), although the result can be obtained earlier. Exceeding this period is a violation of the applicant’s rights, but in practice it happens extremely rarely - in most cases the application is considered within the allotted time.

Based on the results of studying the documents submitted by the applicant, one of the following decisions may be made:

• on the extension of a previously issued permit;
• on refusal to extend it (must be justified and contain references to the legislative provisions that became the basis for rejecting the request).

Information about the status and results of consideration of the application is sent to the applicant’s email address. In addition, information is updated in real time in your personal account on State Services.

Important! You will have to obtain permission in person - from the same authority where the application was submitted. Before issuing a document, an employee of the licensing authority will request the originals of all documents that were transmitted electronically. Agreement with this requirement is a prerequisite for obtaining the right to submit an application through State Services (before sending documents, you must check the box next to the phrase “I undertake to submit the originals of the specified documents”).