Acquisition eligibility by firearm type

When selling privately from private to private, you as the seller must check whether the buyer is authorized to acquire. Which authorization entitles the purchase of which firearm can be found here sorted by firearm type. The firearms trade license is not listed here – this is exclusively about private sales.

Important: An acquisition authorization only entitles you to acquire, not to carry the firearm – for that, a firearms license or a small firearms license is required.

Free firearms

This includes SRS firearms (blank, irritant gas, and signal firearms) and air guns with a muzzle energy of no more than 7.5 joules. Also free are pneumatic and spring-powered weapons that were manufactured and placed on the market before January 1, 1970 (or before April 2, 1991, in the accession area) – although these are rare cases.

Marking:

• SRS firearm: “PTB” in a circle
• Air guns up to 7.5 joules: “F” in a pentagon

Acquisition authorization: none required. However, the buyer must prove that they are of legal age.

Single-shot long guns with smooth and rifled barrels

This includes single- and multi-barrel shotguns, single-barrel rifles (e.g. break-action or hinged-barrel rifles), multi-barrel rifles (double and combination rifles), mountain rifles, and drillings.

Acquisition authorization (various combinations possible):

• yellow firearms license
• green firearms license with prior entry
• hunting license without firearms license for the first firearm
• hunting license + green firearms license without prior entry if the buyer already owns firearms
• red firearms license with the respective collection area

Single-shot handguns for cartridge ammunition

This includes single-shot pistols without a magazine for cartridge ammunition.

Acquisition authorization (various combinations possible):

• yellow WBK
• green WBK with prior entry
• red WBK with the respective collection area

Multi-shot handguns with centerfire ignition

This includes multi-barrel percussion pistols and revolvers with centerfire ignition.

Acquisition authorization (various combinations possible):

• yellow firearms license
• green firearms license with pre-entry
• red firearms license with the respective collection area

Multi-shot long guns with percussion cap ignition

This includes multi-barrel percussion rifles and revolver rifles with percussion cap ignition.

Acquisition authorization (various combinations possible):

• yellow firearms license
• green firearms license with prior entry
• red firearms license with the respective collection area

Bolt-action Rifles

This includes all bolt-action rifles such as straight-pull bolt actions or classic bolt actions.

Acquisition authorization (various combinations possible):

• yellow WBK
• hunting license without WBK for the first firearm
• hunting license + green WBK without prior entry, if the buyer already owns firearms
• red WBK with the respective collection area

Single-shot handgun with percussion cap ignition (percussion pistol)

Illogical but true: Unlike multi-shot handguns with percussion cap ignition, a prior entry is required here.

Acquisition authorization: exclusively green WBK with prior entry.

Semi-automatic rifles

Self-loading rifles for the shooting range and hunting.

Acquisition authorization (various combinations possible):

• Hunting license without firearms license for the first firearm
• Hunting license + green firearms license without prior entry, if the buyer already owns firearms
• Green firearms license with prior entry
• Red firearms license with the respective collection area

Semi-Automatic Shotguns

Self-loading shotguns, popular in sports shooting or for crow hunting.

Acquisition eligibility (various combinations possible):

• Hunting license without firearms ownership card (WBK) for the first firearm
• Hunting license + green WBK without prior entry, if the buyer already owns firearms
• Green WBK with prior entry
• Red WBK with the respective collection area

Repeating Shotguns

Repeating shotguns are especially common in sport IPSC shooting; in hunting, they are hardly used in Germany.

Acquisition authorization (various combinations possible):

• Hunting license without firearms ownership license (WBK) for the first firearm
• Hunting license + green WBK without prior entry, if the buyer already owns firearms
• Green WBK with prior entry
• Red WBK with the respective collection area

Semi-automatic pistols or revolvers

Acquisition eligibility:

• green firearms license with pre-entry
• red firearms license with the respective collection area

Signal weapons

Signal weapons are usually single-shot and require a firearms license (WBK), unless they are marked as type-approved (marking "PTB" in a circle).

Acquisition authorization: green WBK with prior entry.

This list does not claim to be complete. Feel free to contact us if you have any comments. How to practically check an acquisition authorization can be read under Who am I allowed to sell a firearm to?