Am I allowed to own a firearm in Norway?
Yes — but only with an acquisition permit from the police and an approved purpose. Under the Firearms Act you must have a legitimate purpose, in practice hunting or sport shooting. For hunting you must have passed the hunting exam and be in the Hunter Register. For sport shooting you must document at least 6 months of active membership in an approved shooting club. The age limit is 18 for rifles and shotguns, and 21 for handguns. Here is where people go wrong: the permit is only half the job — the gun must be locked in an approved gun cabinet, with a vital part or the ammunition stored so that the gun cannot be fired. From 16 the police can allow you to borrow a shotgun or rifle for hunting with guardian consent — but that is a loan, not ownership.
📋 The rules
- Requires an acquisition permit from the police
- Approved purpose: hunting or sport shooting
- Sport shooting: 6 months' membership in a club
- Age limit 18 rifle/shotgun, 21 handgun
- Guns locked in an approved cabinet
🔓 Exceptions
- Police can let a person from 16 borrow a shotgun or rifle for hunting with guardian consent
- Inherited commemorative weapons can be permitted with a special licence, often deactivated
- Collectors can hold otherwise-restricted weapons with a collector's permit
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Illegal possession of a firearm can bring a fine or up to 2 years prison, and up to 6 years for serious breaches. The weapons are confiscated and the acquisition permit revoked — and without a permit you no longer have any lawful basis for owning a gun at all. What people underestimate is the storage: a gun that is not locked in an approved cabinet, or where a vital part or the ammunition is not stored so the gun cannot be fired, is a breach in itself. It catches the owner whose paperwork is in order but whose cabinet is not.
📎 Official sources
❓ Frequently asked
Can I own a firearm?
Yes, with an acquisition permit from the police and an approved purpose, in practice hunting or sport shooting. Without such a legitimate purpose no permit is granted, and the purpose must be documented by the hunting exam or club membership.
How old must I be?
18 for rifles and shotguns, and 21 for handguns. From 16 the police can allow you to borrow a shotgun or rifle for hunting with guardian consent, but that is a loan — it gives you no right to acquire the gun yourself.
What is required for sport shooting?
At least 6 months of active membership in an approved shooting club, on top of the acquisition permit. The requirement is activity, not just a paid subscription, and for hunting it is the hunting exam and the Hunter Register that count instead.
How must I store the gun?
Locked in an approved gun cabinet, with a vital part or the ammunition stored so the gun cannot be fired. Storage is a duty in its own right: it applies in full even when the acquisition permit is entirely in order.
What is the penalty for an illegal gun?
A fine or up to 2 years prison, and up to 6 years for serious breaches. The weapons are confiscated and the permit revoked — and without a permit there is no lawful basis for owning a gun at all.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “can I own a firearm norway”
- “firearm acquisition permit police”
- “gun age limit 18 21”
- “sport shooting 6 months club”
- “approved gun cabinet”
- “hunting exam firearm”