AR-15 or pump-action shotgun. How to legally buy a weapon amid talk of self-defense and terrorist attacks in the capital
The tragic events of April 18 in Kyiv, where seven people died at the hands of a terrorist, have once again raised an acute question - how can Ukrainians protect themselves and their families? While society awaits the promised law on civilian weapons, the reality is that it is possible to legally arm yourself today.
We figured out how to get a weapons permit during martial law, how much it will cost, and what our readers are already armed with.
The tragic events of April 18 in Kyiv, where seven people died at the hands of a terrorist, have once again raised an acute question - how can Ukrainians protect themselves and their families? While society awaits the promised law on civilian weapons, the reality is that it is possible to legally arm yourself today.
We figured out how to get a weapons permit during martial law, how much it will cost, and what our readers are already armed with.
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The bloody terrorist attack once again proved that the issue of personal safety in times of war and unpredictable internal threats is more acute than ever. The tragedy instantly revived a difficult but necessary discussion in society about the right to armed self-defense, because when lives are at stake, a few minutes before the police arrive can be fatal.
Against the backdrop of these events and heated discussions online, it is surprising that not everyone knows: every adult healthy Ukrainian can legally purchase a firearm today.
We conducted a survey among dev.ua readers, which showed that 28.6% of respondents already legally own weapons and 48.1% plan to become gun owners. The most common answers include 12-gauge pump-action shotguns purchased for home defense and AR-15-type rifles used for regular sports training. Many have had their arsenal for 4–5 years, and some bought their first units back in 2012.
The other day, the Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko expressed the state's position on the future of civilian weapons:
"I want a law on civilian weapons. Types of weapons, carbines, that is, hunting weapons, smooth-bore, rifled - all this must be classified. And a person must undergo a training course, including safe handling of these weapons. This is a whole system, infrastructure. Changes to criminal legislation, definitions of self-defense, shooting ranges, storage places. We are ready for this dialogue. We want this system to exist. So that people have the right to armed self-defense. And, most importantly, this person must be trained."
Minister Klymenko's words are surprising, because even under current legislation, all weapons are classified and there is even a necessary procedure that must be completed in order to become a legal owner of a weapon. Below we will tell you how to do this.
What weapons are available to civilians?
According to the instructions, weapons available to civilians in Ukraine are divided into several categories:
Gas weapons;
Traumatic weapons;
Pneumatic weapons and weapons for Flaubert cartridges;
Cold weapons;
Hunting firearms.
All of the above categories require prior registration and a permit to purchase, except for air guns and Flaubert-loaded weapons with a caliber of up to and including 4.5 mm.
In this article, we will focus specifically on hunting firearms that are available to civilians.
Types of hunting firearms
A hunting firearm is a firearm that meets the requirements established by the technical regulations for hunting weapons, or in its absence, by the national (industry) standard.
Hunting firearms include: hunting rifles, carbines and fittings, smoothbore shotguns, smoothbore shotguns with a "paradox" bore with 100–140 mm rifling at the beginning or end of the barrel, hunting shotguns with a "supra" bore, and combined shotguns that have both smooth and rifled barrels.
Formally, all civilian long-barreled firearms in Ukraine, without exception, are considered hunting , even if their ultimate purpose is sports or use in combat. As noted above, civilian hunting firearms are divided into two main subspecies and their combinations:
Rifled firearms;
Smooth-bore firearms;
Combined firearm (weapon equipped with several types of barrels).
Right to possession
Citizens of Ukraine or persons who have a permanent residence permit and have reached the age of 18 have the right to purchase hunting weapons.
Citizens of Ukraine or persons who have a permanent residence permit may possess an unlimited number of hunting firearms, rifled and smooth-bore weapons, their main parts, pneumatic, cold and cold-action weapons, and devices, provided that they are properly stored (clause 12.1 of Chapter 12, Section II of Instruction No. 622).
Only persons who have reached a certain age can obtain a weapon permit:
18 years old - for cold weapons and pneumatic weapons with a caliber of over 4.5 mm and a bullet speed of over 100 m/s, for gas pistols, revolvers and cartridges for them, charged with tear gas and irritant substances;
21 years old - for smooth-bore hunting firearms and their main parts;
25 years - for firearms for hunting rifles (hunting carbines, rifles, combined weapons with rifled barrels) and their main parts.
Combat firearms are prohibited for civilian use and cannot be owned by private individuals. They are only permitted to be owned by law enforcement agencies, military personnel, and other authorized government agencies.
How to get a weapon permit
Procedure for obtaining permission under normal conditions (step by step)
1. Medical examination
A medical certificate for obtaining a weapons permit using form 127/o can be obtained from both public and private healthcare facilities.
The list of doctors who conduct the examination includes a therapist, psychiatrist, narcologist, and ophthalmologist.
2. Weapons training
Training is provided at licensed shooting clubs or shooting ranges. The course for future gun owners usually lasts 8–9 hours and includes two parts:
theoretical (safety rules, weapon structure, legislation, first aid in cases of gunshot wounds);
practical (performing shooting exercises at a shooting range or at a shooting range).
After that, an exam is taken, which also has a theoretical and practical part. If successfully passed, a certificate of completion of the course is issued. The certificate of completion of the course has no expiration date.
3. Gather the necessary documents and submit them to the police permit system
A permit for a smooth-bore weapon is issued at the district department of the permitting system, and a permit for a rifled weapon is issued at the regional department. This means that depending on the type of weapon, you need to contact institutions at different addresses .
There is also a simplified process for submitting documents through certified gun shops. The essence of the service is that the specified documents are submitted directly to the gun shop, which sends your documents to the licensing service without your direct participation. This may save you a few days of time, but will cost more.
Documents that must be provided:
Application for a permit to purchase a weapon in the name of the head of the police department at the applicant's place of residence;
Completed application card;
Certificate of study of the material part of weapons, special means, rules for their handling and use;
Medical certificate (form No. 127/o);
Copies of pages 1, 2 and 11 of the passport of a citizen of Ukraine;
Payment document (payment order, receipt) with a bank, post office stamp or code of the transaction made to deposit funds for the provision of the relevant paid service.
If the citizen's actual place of residence differs from that indicated in the passport, it is necessary to provide a document confirming this (a rental agreement for residential premises, a certificate of ownership, etc.).
The decision to grant a permit to purchase hunting firearms, rifled, smooth-bore, pneumatic, cold and cold-action weapons, devices is made by police bodies (units) within a period not exceeding 30 calendar days.
If the decision is positive, the applicant is issued a permit to purchase a specific type of weapon — a green tear-off form, popularly known as a “green card.” This document is valid for three months and can be extended if it has not been used in time.
This is a detachable document consisting of three parts:
The first part remains with the licensing service, the second with the seller, and the third is exchanged for a storage permit - the second document in the series that can be obtained after purchasing a weapon.
After purchasing a weapon, you must register it and obtain a permit to store and carry it. This permit takes the form of a small booklet that lists the model and caliber of your new weapon. Registration is required no later than 10 days after purchase.
Once your weapon is finally registered, you will be able to buy ammunition for it, transport it, and store it at your place of residence.
Information about your weapon will also be automatically added to the "Single Window" of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the "My Weapons" section, as well as to the list of documents in the state service "Diya" .
The so-called "green" among the people
Compulsory insurance
After purchasing a weapon, mandatory liability insurance for the weapon owner is required. The corresponding policy can be purchased from almost every Ukrainian insurance company, including online.
Price of the question
The cost of obtaining a medical certificate ranges from 500 to 2,000 hryvnias, depending on the clinic.
Weapons training, including the exam, will cost approximately UAH 5,000 and depends on the shooting club and region.
Civil liability insurance for a weapon owner costs from 300 to 700 UAH (for a period of three years).
The state fee for considering an application to purchase a weapon is 18 UAH, and for considering an application to carry and store it is 9 UAH (be prepared for the fact that the bank commission may exceed the payment amount).
A safe or metal cabinet with a lock is also required to store weapons — prices for such start at 5,000 hryvnias.
Who cannot obtain a permit:
A weapon permit will not be obtained by persons who have not reached the established age or by persons who:
systematically violate public order or the rules of the permit system;
drove vehicles under the influence of alcohol or drugs;
produce, store or use narcotic substances prohibited by law;
commit domestic violence;
have an unexpunged or unspent criminal record or are under investigation;
have been convicted of serious or especially serious crimes;
are wanted (including for violating military registration).
Procedure for obtaining permission during martial law
Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine No. 170 dated March 1, 2022 establishes a simplified procedure for issuing permits to citizens of Ukraine to purchase, store and carry hunting weapons and ammunition during martial law.
The following features are provided for the period of martial law:
1. Submitting an application
The permit is issued by authorized units of the National Police of Ukraine on the basis of a written application submitted to the head of the police agency at the applicant's place of residence or stay.
An identity document is sufficient to submit an application.
The following shall be attached to the application:
copies of pages of the passport of a citizen of Ukraine;
If available, a copy of a military ID card or a valid weapons permit.
2. Police check
The permit is issued or renewed after inspections (if possible) by the police. The duration of the inspection should not exceed two days.
3. Permit validity period
A permit to purchase, store and carry hunting weapons and ammunition is issued for the duration of martial law.
4. Cancellation of permission
The permit may be revoked if circumstances are established that make it impossible to grant it in accordance with the requirements of the law.
Duty to return weapons
Citizens are required to hand over the weapons they receive to the police no later than 10 days after the termination or cancellation of martial law.
After the end of martial law, such weapons may be:
registered as property in the general procedure (if there are grounds);
or implemented in accordance with applicable law.
Registration of captured weapons for military personnel
There is a separate procedure for registering weapons captured in battle. In this case, a serviceman of the Defense Forces applies to the National Police of Ukraine units using the above-described procedure, where he must report the circumstances under which this weapon ended up in his possession and the settlement where the weapon was captured/found.
After that, the weapon is checked by number to see if it belongs to Ukrainian bases, and if it passes the check, it is declared to the serviceman along with the found ammunition, if any.
Then, a permit is issued for temporary possession of a captured weapon for the duration of martial law. After the end of the legal regime of martial law, the serviceman has 90 days to legalize the trophy, for which the weapon must be converted to a single-shot firing mode. Important clarification: short-barreled rifled weapons (pistols or revolvers) cannot be legalized for oneself after martial law.
On the legalization of short-barreled weapons
As you can understand from our guide and the general public discussion, current legislation does not allow the legal possession of short-barreled weapons, except in cases of prize weapons.
The attitude towards owning a short-barreled gun among the audience is as responsible and cautious as possible. Almost 60% of respondents said that this right should apply to all civilians. However, there are also reasonable reservations.
As one of our veteran readers, who is currently teaching his relatives how to handle weapons, noted: “I support firearms for veterans (those who fought), and maybe for certain categories of people, such as public volunteers with a reputation. For others, I support “rubber bullets” (devices for shooting rubber bullets with traumatic effects, ed.). Why is that: I don’t want the fucking scoundrels to shoot at servicemen from the TCC or the police themselves. For those who, with their sacrifice and contribution, have proven their loyalty to the state, the nation, we can entrust them with short-barreled firearms.”
One of the functions of the state is to protect the population, but extremely tragic events lead to an unpleasant conclusion. It is good that the state is initiating public discussions on an issue that has long been overdue, it is bad that the victims and the negligence of police officers led to this. After all, the state believed in the ability of society to defend itself and its home in February 2022, when there was a threat to the existence of the country, but this threat has not disappeared and new ones are emerging, and the means for self-defense and response are still limited.
