Weapons licenses are only issued to residents of the state capital Wiesbaden.

You require a small firearms license if you wish to carry a weapon with the approval mark of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB marking).

Anyone who carries an alarm, irritant or signal weapon without a small firearms license will be punished with a fine or a prison sentence of up to 3 years in accordance with § 52 Para. 3 No. 2 a of the Weapons Act (WaffG).

Carrying means exercising actual control over a weapon - for example in a jacket pocket, handbag, in the glove compartment of a car, etc. as well as outside your own home, business premises or pacified property.

The small firearms license does not entitle the holder to carry alarm, irritant and signal weapons at public events, such as sporting events, public festivals, fairs, markets, dance events and the like. Shooting without a permit is prohibited in public, including on New Year's Eve.

You can conveniently apply for a small firearms license online at Waffe digital (opens in a new tab).