Rules and conditions for storing weapons at home

Having an interesting hobby is one of the effective ways to relax, take a break from everyday work and get a boost of positive emotions. Some people like to ride a bicycle or bike, others like to play chess, and still others prefer hunting or shooting at a shooting range.

If you are planning to buy a weapon, it is important to study the conditions and rules for storing weapons in advance. In our article, we will figure out whether it is possible to store weapons at home and what is needed for this.

How to store weapons at home?

1. Always unloaded and in a safe.
2. Separately from ammunition.
3. Under lock and key.

This reduces the risk of accidents and fines.

In Ukraine, firearms are allowed to be stored not only by legal entities and military personnel, but also by citizens who have permission to purchase them.

Any weapon is an item of increased danger, which means that strict requirements are placed on the rules for storing weapons. By law, all responsibility for compliance with the conditions for storing weapons and ammunition lies with their owner. The owner is obligated to prepare conditions that guarantee the safety and complete preservation of the item.

In particular, any possibility of third-party access to it must be excluded. Other conditions for storing weapons:

• It is prohibited to transfer weapons and ammunition to anyone.
• For collectors or those who own several units (three or more) of firearms, it is important to ensure that each unit is stored at home under conditions that meet official requirements.
• Weapons and ammunition may only be stored at the registered address of their licensed owner.
• If a citizen changes their place of residence or temporarily plans to live somewhere other than their registered address, they must notify the district police officer. Storage requirements must be observed both at home and at the place of temporary or new residence.

Legal requirements for storing weapons

Employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine have the right to control storage conditions and seize weapons in case of violation of legal requirements.

According to Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs No. 622, the following categories of citizens may store weapons and ammunition:

1. Law enforcement officers. They are permitted to store firearms (smooth-bore and rifled), as well as traumatic weapons and cartridges.
2. Officials. Permission to store weapons at home is issued to those officials who, due to the nature of their activities, are subject to state protection and have service weapons issued to them for temporary use.
3. Citizens of the country who have received personalized weapons as an award. The presentation of such awards is regulated by the current legislation of Ukraine.
4. Adult citizens of Ukraine (over 21 years old) who have received the appropriate permit to purchase smooth-bore hunting weapons.
5. Citizens of Ukraine (over 25 years old) who have received permission to purchase rifled hunting weapons.
6. Adult Ukrainians (over 18 years old) have the right to purchase and store at home cold and pneumatic weapons, as well as ammunition for pneumatic weapons.

In accordance with Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs No. 622:

"Weapons and cartridges must be stored where you actually reside, and you must inform the police of the storage location."

If we are talking about departmental weapons, that is, those belonging to enterprises, organizations, and institutions, they are stored exclusively in specially equipped rooms at the place of registration of the legal entity, or in firearms storage points.

In addition, on November 25, 2024, Order No. 770 of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine came into force, which outlined the rules for carrying, storing, and transporting firearms by citizens participating in deterring military aggression of the Russian Federation and other states.

What is prohibited when storing weapons?

When carrying, storing, and transporting firearms and ammunition, citizens are prohibited from:

• Carrying them outside of areas where military operations are directly taking place. That is, in places where military activities are not being conducted, for example, in rest homes, hospitals, sanatoriums, clubs, cinemas, etc.
• Transporting without special equipment or showing the item in this form to other citizens in situations not directly related to shooting.
• Removing weapons and cartridges from the storage place without necessity.
• Removing the safety catch and loading cartridges in situations not related to shooting.
• Blocking the barrel channel with foreign objects — this can lead to injuries when firing.
• Pointing the muzzle of a gun at people, vehicles, buildings, or animals without reason.
• Transferring a weapon to anyone except the police.
• Cleaning it outside the storage place, or near other people.
• Reconstructing weapons and ammunition.
• Changing or erasing markings.
• Neglecting cleaning, lubricating the weapon unit, etc.

"All these violations carry serious fines and possible confiscation of weapons. Compliance with these requirements is monitored by employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs" - Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine No. 622

The national police monitors compliance with the rules for the use and storage of weapons. Civilians do not have the right to prohibit police officers from checking storage rules.

Storing firearms at home is a great responsibility. It is important not only to register them with the relevant authorities, but also to prepare a safe place.

Owners should follow these rules for storing weapons at home:

1. Smooth-bore or rifled firearms can be stored in a safe (metal cabinet) in assembled or disassembled form.
2. If the weapon is to be stored in assembled form, it must be unloaded — disconnect the magazine, remove cartridges from the chamber.
3. A separate safe must be allocated for departmental weapons and ammunition. Hunting rifled and smooth-bore, as well as traumatic weapons, do not need to be stored separately from ammunition. Cartridges can be left in the safe, for example, in a special cartridge compartment.
4. When storing more than three units of firearms, an alarm is not required. This requirement was removed from the new rules.
5. Both firearms and traumatic weapons can be stored in one safe.

"Failure to ensure proper storage of weapons is punishable by fines and loss of the weapon ownership permit" - Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine No. 622, Art. 8

The strictest storage rules at home apply only to safes for departmental firearms and personal weapons of law enforcement officers.

Safes must have the following characteristics:

• Metal thickness used for manufacturing — from 3 mm.
• No fewer than two internal locks.
• Mandatory fastening to the floor and/or wall: the safe must have special fastening elements.

If we are talking about hunting weapons and ammunition, then the wall thickness and quantity are not regulated, as is the mandatory fastening to any surface. Also, such safes can have any lock:

• mechanical or electronic code;
• key;
• combined (code + key).

The material used to make the gun safe must be fireproof and resistant to burglary.

As for the rules for installing safes for storing weapons, in accordance with Order No. 622, in Ukraine only the location for safes on the territory of organizations and institutions is determined.

To store weapons at home, follow these recommendations:

• the best place for installation is the room where the weapon owner lives;
• choose places that are difficult to break into — niches, protrusions of building structures, furniture;
• the distance to the safe from the entrance door — from 1.5 m, from windows — from 0.5 m, from heating devices — from 1 m.

In addition to the safe, special metal boxes and cabinets, wooden boxes covered with iron are suitable for storing firearms at home. A reliable lock is a must. Regularly visit the gunsmith workshop to check the condition of the weapon.

"Violation of weapon storage norms is grounds for confiscation of firearms and imposition of administrative fines" - Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses, Art. 191

Violation of the rules for storing, carrying, and transporting weapons (firearms, cold arms, pneumatic weapons of more than 4.5 mm caliber with a bullet speed above 100 mm/s) and ammunition for citizens with the appropriate permit is punishable by fines in the amount of 7–10 non-taxable minimum incomes. As an additional measure, confiscation is possible.

If this incident is repeated within a year, a fine of 10–15 non-taxable minimum incomes is imposed with confiscation of weapons and ammunition.