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 like hunting or shooting at a shooting range.

If you are planning to buy a weapon, it is important to study the rules and conditions 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.

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

Any weapon is an item of increased danger, which means that strict requirements are put forward for the rules for storing weapons. By law, all responsibility for compliance with the conditions for storing weapons and ammunition for them lies with their owner. The owner is obliged to prepare such conditions that would guarantee the safety and complete safety of the product.

In particular, any possibility of third-party access to it must be excluded. Also, according to the rules:

• 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 provide conditions for storing each combat unit at home that meet official requirements.
• Weapons and ammunition can only be stored at the place of registration of their owner with a license.
• If a citizen changes his place of residence or temporarily plans to live somewhere other than his registered place of residence, he must notify the district police officer about this. The requirements for preservation must be observed both at home and at the place of temporary or new residence.

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 for them:

1. Employees of law enforcement agencies. It is permitted to store firearms (smooth-bore and rifled) weapons, 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 an award personalized weapons. 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.

If we are talking about departmental weapons, that is, those belonging to enterprises, organizations, institutions, then 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.

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

• Carrying it outside of areas where military operations are directly taking place. That is, in places where military events are not taking place, for example, in rest homes, hospitals, sanatoriums, clubs, cinemas, etc.
• Transporting without special equipment or showing the product in this form to other citizens in situations not directly related to shooting.
• Removing weapons and cartridges from the storage place without need.
• Removing the safety catch and loading cartridges in situations not related to shooting.
• Blocking the barrel with foreign objects - this can lead to injuries when firing.
• Pointing the muzzle of a gun at people, vehicles, houses, animals without reason.
• Transferring a weapon to anyone except the police.
• Clean it not in the storage place, but in any other place, and near other people.
• Reconstruct weapons and ammunition.
• Change, erase markings.
• Neglect cleaning, lubricating the weapon unit, etc.

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 the storage rules.

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

Owners should adhere to the following rules:

1. Smooth-bore or rifled firearms can be stored in a safe (metal cabinet) assembled or disassembled.
2. If the weapon is to be stored assembled, it must be unloaded - disconnect the magazine, remove the cartridges from the chamber.
3. A separate safe must be allocated for departmental weapons and ammunition for them. Hunting rifled and smooth-bore, as well as traumatic weapons, do not need to be stored separately from ammunition. Cartridges can be left in a 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.

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

Safes must have the following characteristics:

• The thickness of the metal used for production is from 3 mm.
• No less than two internal locks.
• Mandatory fastening to the floor and/or wall: the safe must have special fasteners.

If we are talking about hunting weapons and ammunition for them, then the thickness of the walls and the number 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 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 the safes on the territory of organizations and institutions is determined.

To store weapons in the house, follow these recommendations:

• the best place for installation is the room where the owner of the weapon lives;
• choose in places that are difficult to break into - niches, protrusions of building structures, furniture;
• the distance to the safe from the entrance door is 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 in the house. A reliable lock is a must.

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

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.