Weapon storage and purchase and loan of weapons
Weapon Storage
The regulations for how you store, transport, and monitor your firearms are strict. Once you have obtained a firearm license, you are expected to know these rules. The police have the right to inspect your weapon storage at any time, and mistakes can lead to both revocation of your license and prosecution.
The basic rule is that all firearms and ammunition must be stored in an approved gun safe or security cabinet that meets at least the SS 3492 standard. The cabinet does not need to be fireproof. You may modify old gun cabinets or even build your own, as long as it complies with SS 3492. However, it is doubtful whether that is worthwhile. More on the requirements can be found in the regulations of the Swedish Police Authority and from the Swedish Standards Institute (SIS).
Lighter safes must be bolted down
Today, most firearm dealers sell approved gun safes in various models. Keep in mind that a safe weighing less than 150 kg (without firearms or ammunition) must be bolted to a wall, deck, or floor. Keys or codes must be stored in such a way that only the firearm owner can access them. This means that neither family nor friends should have access to the keys.
Weapon storage must take place in the firearm owner’s residence, in their own gun cabinet. Anything else requires police approval. The police may, in exceptional cases, grant such permission—for example, to store the weapon in a parent’s gun safe where the owner hunts. Or if the firearm owner is going abroad for an extended trip.
Supervision during travel
The basic rule for all forms of transport is that the firearm must be under supervision. If you have the weapon in your car and you are in or near the car, it is considered under supervision. During a normal trip between home and the hunting grounds—or the shooting range—storage is usually not a problem. The firearm must never be transported loaded and should ideally be kept in a storage compartment.
However, sometimes you may need to stop and eat or run an errand. In such cases, you should disassemble the weapon and take a vital component with you—for example, the bolt or fore-end. The remaining part of the firearm should be hidden in the locked car (not visible). If the weapon cannot be disassembled, a gun lock (e.g., class 3 padlock) should be used and the whole firearm should be hidden in the car.
Never loaded in the car
During transport, firearms must never be loaded, and ammunition must be stored separately. When staying in hotels, on ferries, or flying, similar rules apply—the firearm must be unloaded. You can lock the vital component in the hotel safe or hand it in at the reception. When flying, you should ask the airline about their rules.
When staying in a hunting cabin or being at a shooting range, the same rules apply: either keep the firearm under constant supervision or store it disassembled with the vital part on you, or locked in the vehicle with a gun lock.
Get a gun case. In situations where you need to carry the weapon around other people (for example, on public transport), the case protects both others and the weapon itself.
Vital firearm components
For bolt-action rifles: bolt and barrel.
For break-action weapons (like shotguns): stock, receiver, and barrels.
(If the weapon has a blind magazine or is built as a single unit, consult authorities about what counts as a vital component.)
Weapons in off-road vehicles
According to hunting regulations, firearms may not be transported in motor vehicles when driving off-road.
When stored in such a vehicle, the firearm must not have a round chambered or a loaded magazine. Exceptions apply for certain professional hunters, wildlife protection hunters, or during specific controlled hunts such as wolf culling.
Buying and Borrowing Firearms
To own a hunting firearm, you need a firearm license from the police. You don’t need to justify a hunting need. Everyone can buy short-term hunting rights, accompany a guest hunter, or go on a hunting trip. Therefore, a license application for a hunting weapon is only a matter of meeting certain requirements:
- You must be at least 18 years old and law-abiding.
- You must have passed the hunting exam, proving basic knowledge in hunting, game management, and weapon handling.
- For shotguns or rifles in class 2 or lower, the theoretical and practical tests of the hunting exam must be passed.
- For class 1 rifles, a practical big game shooting test is also required.
- You must have an approved gun safe.
Application and Payment
Apply for a firearm license using the police’s application form. Include your hunting exam certificate, previous licenses, or proof of purchase, along with the fee.
The fee is higher for the first weapon (as of 2012: 700 SEK for the first, 250 SEK for each additional).
A hunter’s basic need is considered to be four firearms. If you want up to six, you must justify the need. At six, your “firearm wardrobe” is full. More than six requires “very qualified needs,” and such permits are only issued in exceptional cases.
No Youth Offenses
Being law-abiding and responsible means you do not have issues with substance abuse or a criminal record. A minor alcohol-related offense in youth could mean you’ll have to wait a few years before getting a license (provided there are no further offenses). The police can also revoke your license due to crime or mental illness.
Exceptions
You can be granted an age exemption at 15 if there are special reasons for a license—for example, if you are in a vocational program that includes hunting and your 18th birthday occurs during the hunting season.
Firearms with interchangeable barrels count as one weapon in your firearm wardrobe (you must apply for each barrel).
You can be granted a license for handguns in .22 caliber or single-shot rifles (e.g., rimfire rifles) for pest control or dispatching trapped animals. These are not counted in the weapon wardrobe.
Never hunt with target shooting weapons
A weapon may only be used for the purpose listed in the original license. A weapon licensed for target shooting may never be used for hunting. The firearm’s type, caliber, or your qualifications don’t change this.
Youth and Weapon Loans
Those who are 15 or older may borrow firearms if the lender (license holder) is present when the firearm is used—this is called supervised use. The lender must remain near the borrower and supervise the use at all times. This applies to both hunting and target practice.
- The borrower does not need to have passed the hunting exam for supervised hunting.
- If the borrower is 18 or older, they must have a state hunting card. Those under 18 do not.
- Youths under 15 in study groups may shoot licensed firearms (e.g., rifles or shotguns) only under the organization’s supervision.
No minimum age applies in approved shooting clubs for supervised use.
Rules for lending firearms are found in the Firearms Act and the Police Authority’s regulations (RPSFS 2009:13).