20th Jan 2020

Permit to Carry and Use Firearms

231 Issuing of permits for the carry and use of firearms and ammunition for them

Legal grounds:

Law on Arms, Ammunition, Explosives and Pyrotechnic Articles, art. 81

Authority issuing an individual administrative act:

The director of National Police General Directorate or an official authorized by him, or the head of the LPS of MoI.

Reception of documents:

At an administrative services desk

Issuing procedure and necessary documents:

In order to obtain permission to carry and use firearms and ammunition for them, Bulgarian citizens, nationals of other Member States, residing in the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, and third-country nationals residing on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria who have obtained permits for acquisition and storage, shall submit a standard application to the Director of General Directorate National Police (GDNP), respectively to the head of LPS of the Ministry of Interior as per the permanent address, accompanied by:

1. A document for completed course and exam for firearms handling or an official note from the Ministry of Interior (MoI), State Agency for National Security (SANS), DAR, State Agency Technical Operations (DATO), General Directorate Security and General Directorate Execution of Penalties at the Ministry of Justice, the Bureau of Protection at the Chief Prosecutor’s Office, Armed Forces officers, officers and sergeants from the National Service for Protection (NSO), the State Commission for Security of Information (DKSI) or former employees or servicemen from the listed institutions - for official or self-defense purposes, a hunting ticket - for hunting purposes, or a membership document of the respective sports organization under the Physical Education and Sports Act - for sporting purposes;

2. Suitability certificate when the weapon is not new;

3. Document for paid fee at a rate determined by a tariff.

Where natural persons and legal entities registered as traders, sports and cultural organizations and hunting associations registered under the national law of a Member State, and entities established by law or by an act of the Council of Ministers have received an acquisition and storage permit, they shall submit to the Director of GDNP, respectively the head of LPS of the Ministry of Interior as per the location of the firearms storage facility and their ammunition, a standard application for issuing permit for carrying and using firearms and ammunition for them, for their personnel or members.

The application shall state the grounds for the authorization and the following documents shall be submitted:

1. Copy of a labor or civil contract of the employees or a document certifying the membership in the organization concerned;

2. Copy of the organization's permits for acquisition and storage.

3. For each employee or member of an organisation and for each firearm, the following shall apply:

- a document for completed course and test or a service note that they are former employees or former servicemen from the Ministry of Interior (MoI), State Agency National Security (SANS), DAR, State Agency Technical Operations (DATO), General Directorate Security and General Directorate Execution of Penalties at the Ministry of Justice, the Bureau of Protection at the Chief Prosecutor’s Office, Armed Forces officers, officers and sergeants from the National Service for Protection (NSO), State Commission for Security of Information (DKSI) or former employees or servicemen from the listed institutions - for official purposes, a hunting ticket - for hunting purposes, or a document for membership of the relevant sports organization under the Physical Education and Sport Act - for sporting purposes;

-suitability certificate when the firearm is not new;

- document for a fee paid at a rate determined by a tariff;

- if the person is a foreign citizen - a document certifying that the person concerned has not been convicted of general crimes;

- an official document issued by a judicial authority or a relevant document under the national law of other country certifying that the person has no criminal proceedings for a criminal offense of general nature;

- a medical certificate from a medical establishment or a relevant document under the national legislation of the other country certifying that the person does not suffer from mental disorders.

In order to obtain permission to carry and use firearms and ammunition, a natural person residing in the territory of another Member State shall submit to the Director of GDNP the following documents:

1. A document for completed course and exam for firearms - for official or self-defense purposes, hunting ticket - for hunting purposes, or document for membership of the relevant sports organization under the Physical Education and Sport Act - for sporting purposes;

2. Two photos of 1.5 to 2.5 cm in size;

3. Suitability certificate when the weapon is not new;

4. Document for paid fee at the rate determined by a tariff;

5. Prior written consent issued by a competent authority of the other Member State.

Upon receipt of the application and documentation, GDNP, respectively LPS of the Ministry of Interior, shall evaluate the completeness and the correspondence of the submitted documentation with the requirements for issuing the respective permit and shall carry out an on-site inspection of the storage sites.

In case of incompleteness and/or inconsistency with the requirements, GDNP, respectively RD of the Ministry of Interior, shall notify the applicant in writing and shall give instructions and a 30-day period for their removal.

If the deficiencies and/or inconsistencies found are not remedied within the given time limit, the procedure for issuing the authorization shall be terminated.

The Director of GDNP or the head of LPS of the Ministry of Interior shall check ex officio the following circumstances:

• whether pre-trial proceedings have been initiated for an intentional crime of a general nature against the natural person or the manager/managers and/or the members of the management bodies of the legal person;

• whether a notification under Art. 182, para. 2, item 2 or under Art. 221, para. 6 of the Tax and Insurance Procedure Code has been received;

• whether during the last three years two or more times have been placed in a sobering premises;

The director of the National Police General Directorate or an official authorized by him/her, respectively the head of the LPS of MoI, shall issue, or provide a motivated refusal to issue, a permit within a one-month period of the submission of the application.

The refusal is subject to appeal under the Administrative Procedure Code.

How to request the service:

1. Submitting an application at the respective desk;

2. Through an authorized courier service;

3. Electronically.

Request electronically:

Through the portal for electronic administrative services of the Ministry of Interior: https://e-uslugi.mvr.bg

The means for electronic identification, through which electronic administrative services are requested in the MoI portal, is a Qualified Electronic Signature, issued by а certification services provider licensed by the Communications Regulations Commission.

Validity:

As per the validity of the storage permit

Fee:

20 BGN according to Tariff 4. Bank payment, ATM or via https://e-uslugi.mvr.bg.

Control body:

Higher authority

Appeal:

By the order of the Administrative Procedure Code.

Email address for suggestions: [email protected]

Receiving the service result:

1. At an administrative services desk;

2. Through an authorized courier service.

1320 Change of permits for carrying and using firearms and ammunition for them

Legal grounds:

Law on Arms, Ammunition, Explosives and Pyrotechnic Articles, art. 86, Para 4

Authority issuing an individual administrative act:

The director of the General Directorate National Police or an official authorized by him/her, or the head of the LPS of MoI.

Reception of documents:

At an administrative services desk

Issuing procedure and necessary documents:

The person authorized to carry and use firearms and ammunition for them shall notify the Ministry of Interior’s Directorate General National Police (GDNP), respectively the LPS of the Ministry of Interior, in case of:

• change of the permanent address,

• change the address of sites for storing firearms and ammunition for them;

• termination of the legal relationship with employees or members of legal persons, sports or hunting companies, which have been authorized to carry and use firearms and ammunition for them;

• acquiring a weapon.

The person authorized to carry and use firearms and ammunition for them shall submit, within 14 days of the change, the documents related to it and a document of paid fee at a rate determined by a tariff.

Upon receipt of the documents, GDNP, respectively the LPS of the Ministry of Interior, shall assess the completeness and the correspondence of the submitted documents with the requirements for issuing the permit and, if necessary, shall conduct an on-site inspection of the storage sites.

In case of incompleteness and/or inconsistency with the requirements, GDNP, respectively LPS, shall notify the applicant in writing and give instructions and a 30-day period for their removal.