The Arms Bill passed its final reading in Parliament today meaning New Zealanders will soon have much better firearms laws that respect licenced firearm owners and improve public safety, says Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Bill keeps firearms out of criminals\u2019 hands, while making compliance easier for licenced firearm owners,\u201d says Mrs McKee<\/p>\n
\u201cFirearms are used by licenced New Zealanders to put food on the table, earn a living, manage pests, compete in sport, enjoy the outdoors, and more.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe new law replaces a complex and confusing patchwork with legislation that is more logically structured, easier to understand, and focused on the areas that matter most for public safety.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt strengthens penalties and enforcement against unlawful firearms activity while removing unnecessary rules and improving the way the firearms system operates.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the most significant changes is the creation of a new arms regulator, Firearms Safety and Education New Zealand, that will operate independently of the Police.<\/p>\n
\u201cPolice will be able to focus on investigating crime and holding offenders to account, while the regulator focuses on licensing, firearms safety, education, and delivering a professional service to licenced firearm owners. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat separation is an important step towards rebuilding trust and confidence in the firearms regulatory system.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost of the Bill, along with regulations giving effect to the changes in the Bill, will come into force on 23 September. The remaining provisions will come into force progressively by 23 February 2028.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would like to thank every New Zealander, including those members from the firearms community, who engaged with this process. The Bill had extensive consultation prior to being drafted, along with a full six-month select committee process where New Zealanders could share their views and suggest improvements. This is how law should be made.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn a personal level, this is a very special moment. I came to Parliament six years ago with a goal of completely replacing the Arms Act 1983. Today that goal has been achieved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Notes to editors:<\/p>\n
Notable changes in the Bill include:<\/p>\n
Separating firearms regulation from police and the creation of a new arms regulator.
\nEstablishing an independent firearms licencing review committee.
\nExtending pest control endorsements to five years and allowing multi-user agreements for short term transfers of restricted firearms.
\nRemoving the need for a permit to posses for short-term business activities such as taking a firearm to a gunsmith for less than 21 days.
\nExtending multiple-consignment import permits for business licence holders so they remain valid for 12 months.
\nExtending business licence duration to five years for those with a proven compliance record.
\nRemoving the ability for the regulator to include information in the firearms registry that is not required by regulations.
\nAllowing multi-entry visitor licences of up to 18 months.
\nAllowing health-related suspensions for up to 12 months so individuals have time to obtain medical reports, implement mitigations, or seek help.
\nEnabling infringement powers for low-level non-compliance.
\nDisqualifying gang members from holding a firearms licence.
\nRestricting large-capacity pistol magazines to only those who hold a pistol licence.
\nIncreasing penalties for some offences and creating eight new offences, including ones to reduce firearms entering the black market.
\nEstablishing a statutory \u2018red flag\u2019 system with clarified information sharing so Police and other agencies can continue to signal to the firearms regulator when they have relevant intel that might trigger a review of whether a LFO remains a fit and proper person.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Arms Bill passed its final reading in Parliament to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_10164628679967220_110360201440802":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4785,"url":"https:\/\/nzchinesedailynews.co.nz\/?p=4785","url_meta":{"origin":8568,"position":0},"title":"\u65b0\u67aa\u652f\u6cd5\u6848\uff1a\u6295\u8d44\u516c\u5171\u5b89\u5168\u4e0e\u6301\u724c\u67aa\u68b0\u6743\u76ca","author":"\u7f16\u8f91\u90e8","date":"29\/05\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"\u526f\u53f8\u6cd5\u90e8\u957f\u59ae\u53ef\u00b7\u9ea6\u57fa\uff08Nicole McKee\uff09\u5bf92026\u5e74\u9884\u7b97\u4e2d\u62e8\u6b3e4,490\u4e07\u7ebd\u5e01\u8868\u793a\u6b22\u8fce\uff0c\u8be5\u8d44\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u5728\u201c\u65b0\u897f\u5170\u534e\u4eba\u6bcf\u65e5\u8d44\u8baf\u7f51\u201d\u4e2d","block_context":{"text":"\u65b0\u897f\u5170\u534e\u4eba\u6bcf\u65e5\u8d44\u8baf\u7f51","link":"https:\/\/nzchinesedailynews.co.nz\/?cat=26"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nzchinesedailynews.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/SNyaVCNZZf-e1777865245464.jpg?fit=245%2C217&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5119,"url":"https:\/\/nzchinesedailynews.co.nz\/?p=5119","url_meta":{"origin":8568,"position":1},"title":"\u65b0\u897f\u5170\u6b63\u5728\u5bf9\u53cd\u6d17\u94b1\u8eab\u4efd\u9a8c\u8bc1\u4f53\u7cfb\u8fdb\u884c\u201c\u53bb\u7e41\u5316\u4e0e\u98ce\u9669\u5206\u7ea7\u6539\u9769\u201d\uff0c\u76ee\u6807\u662f\u5728\u6253\u51fb\u91d1\u878d\u72af\u7f6a\u7684\u540c\u65f6\uff0c\u663e\u8457\u964d\u4f4e\u666e\u901a\u6c11\u4f17\u7684\u5408\u89c4\u8d1f\u62c5\u4e0e\u529e\u4e8b\u95e8\u69db\u3002","author":"\u7f16\u8f91\u90e8","date":"04\/06\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"\u65b0\u7248\u53cd\u6d17\u94b1\u8eab\u4efd\u6838\u9a8c\u89c4\u5219\u51fa\u53f0\uff0c\u65b0\u897f\u5170\u7b80\u5316\u8eab\u4efd\u9a8c\u8bc1\u6d41\u7a0b \u5185\u653f\u90e8\u957f Brooke van Velden \u4e0e\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u5728\u201c\u65b0\u897f\u5170\u534e\u4eba\u6bcf\u65e5\u8d44\u8baf\u7f51\u201d\u4e2d","block_context":{"text":"\u65b0\u897f\u5170\u534e\u4eba\u6bcf\u65e5\u8d44\u8baf\u7f51","link":"https:\/\/nzchinesedailynews.co.nz\/?cat=26"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nzchinesedailynews.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/SNyaVCNZZf-e1777865245464.jpg?fit=245%2C217&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6353,"url":"https:\/\/nzchinesedailynews.co.nz\/?p=6353","url_meta":{"origin":8568,"position":2},"title":"Launch of SafetyNet Critical Communications","author":"\u7f16\u8f91\u90e8","date":"01\/07\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery Mar\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u7c7b\u4f3c\u6587\u7ae0","block_context":{"text":"\u7c7b\u4f3c\u6587\u7ae0","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nzchinesedailynews.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/SNyaVCNZZf-e1777865245464.jpg?fit=245%2C217&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6340,"url":"https:\/\/nzchinesedailynews.co.nz\/?p=6340","url_meta":{"origin":8568,"position":3},"title":"Five judges for the price of none","author":"","date":"01\/07\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Courts are set to receive a double boost, with two\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u7c7b\u4f3c\u6587\u7ae0","block_context":{"text":"\u7c7b\u4f3c\u6587\u7ae0","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nzchinesedailynews.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/SNyaVCNZZf-e1777865245464.jpg?fit=245%2C217&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6470,"url":"https:\/\/nzchinesedailynews.co.nz\/?p=6470","url_meta":{"origin":8568,"position":4},"title":"\u65b0\u897f\u5170\u623f\u5730\u4ea7\u4e2d\u4ecb\u76d1\u7ba1\u6539\u9769\uff1a\u53d6\u6d88\u4e0d\u6210\u6bd4\u4f8b\u5904\u7f5a \u63d0\u5347\u5236\u5ea6\u516c\u5e73\u6027","author":"","date":"04\/07\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"\u65b0\u897f\u5170\u60e0\u7075\u987f\u2014\u2014\u65b0\u897f\u5170\u56fd\u4f1a\u4eca\u65e5\u901a\u8fc7\u591a\u9879\u76d1\u7ba1\u6539\u9769\u6cd5\u6848\uff0c\u5176\u4e2d\u5305\u62ec\u9488\u5bf9\u623f\u5730\u4ea7\u884c\u4e1a\u4e0e\u53f8\u6cd5\u4f53\u7cfb\u7684\u8c03\u6574\uff0c\u65e8\u5728\u63d0\u5347\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u5728\u201c\u65b0\u897f\u5170\u534e\u4eba\u6bcf\u65e5\u8d44\u8baf\u7f51\u201d\u4e2d","block_context":{"text":"\u65b0\u897f\u5170\u534e\u4eba\u6bcf\u65e5\u8d44\u8baf\u7f51","link":"https:\/\/nzchinesedailynews.co.nz\/?cat=26"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nzchinesedailynews.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/SNyaVCNZZf-e1777865245464.jpg?fit=245%2C217&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6355,"url":"https:\/\/nzchinesedailynews.co.nz\/?p=6355","url_meta":{"origin":8568,"position":5},"title":"AML reforms enter new phase with one clear regulator","author":"","date":"01\/07\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Today marks a major step toward a smarter, more pr\u2026","rel":"","context":"\u7c7b\u4f3c\u6587\u7ae0","block_context":{"text":"\u7c7b\u4f3c\u6587\u7ae0","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nzchinesedailynews.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/SNyaVCNZZf-e1777865245464.jpg?fit=245%2C217&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nzchinesedailynews.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8568","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nzchinesedailynews.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nzchinesedailynews.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nzchinesedailynews.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nzchinesedailynews.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8568"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nzchinesedailynews.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8568\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nzchinesedailynews.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nzchinesedailynews.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8568"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nzchinesedailynews.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}