Law of the People's Republic of China on Gun Control
Law of the People's Republic of China on Gun Control
Law of the People's Republic of China on Gun Control (1996)
Order of the President [1996] No. 72
July 5, 1996
The Law of the People's Republic of China on Gun Control, which was adopted at the 20th session of the Standing Committee of the 8th National People's Congress on July 5, 1996, is released hereby and shall take effect as of October 1, 1996.
President of the People's Republic of China Jiang Zemin
Appendix: Law of the People's Republic of China on Gun Control
Contents
Chapter I General Provisions
Chapter II Units and Individuals Allowed to Be Armed or Equipped with Guns
Chapter III Manufacture of Guns and Rationed Sale of Guns for Civilian Use
Chapter IV Everyday Gun Control
Chapter V Transport of Guns
Chapter VI Entering and Leaving the Country with Guns
Chapter VII Legal Responsibility
Chapter VIII Supplementary Provisions
Chapter I General Provisions
Article 1 This Law is enacted for the purpose of tightening control over guns, preserving public security and order and ensuring public safety.
Article 2 This Law applies to gun control within the territory of the People's Republic of China.
Where other regulations are formulated by the State Council and the Central Military Commission regarding gun control with which the Chinese People's Liberation Army, the Chinese People's Armed Police Forces and the Militia are armed, those regulations shall apply.
Article 3 The State establishes strict control over guns. All units and individuals are prohibited to possess, manufacture (alter and assemble included), trade in, transport, lease or loan guns in violation of the provisions of laws.
The State shall severely punish any criminal act committed in violation of the gun control. Every unit and individual has the obligation to inform against any violations against the gun control. The State shall protect the informant and reward the persons who have rendered meritorious service by informing against criminal acts committed against the gun control.
Article 4 The public security department under the State Council shall be in charge of gun control throughout the country. Public security organs of the people's governments at or above the county level shall be in charge of the gun control in their administrative regions respectively. The public security organs of the people's governments at higher levels shall exercise supervision over the gun control by the public security organs of the people's governments at lower levels.
Chapter II Units and Individuals Allowed to Be Armed or Equipped with Guns
Article 5 People's policemen of the public security organs, State security organs, prisons and institutions of reeducation through labour, judicial policemen of the People's Courts and the People's Procuratorates, people's procurators who are charged with the task of investigation of cases, and customs coast guards may, when performing their functions pursuant to law and when it is definitely necessary for them to use guns, be armed with guns for the discharge of official duties.
Professional guards and escorts of the country's important defence enterprises, banking institutions, storehouses and scientific research institutions may, when performing their tasks and when it is definitely necessary for them to use guns, be armed with guns for the discharge of official duties.
Specific measures for arming with guns for the discharge of official duties shall, in accordance with the principle of strict control, be formulated by the public security department under the State Council together with other State organs concerned and submitted to the State Council for approval before enforcement.
Article 6 The following units may be equipped with guns for civilian use:
1. Sports units that are set up with the approval of the physical culture and sports administration department of the people's government at the provincial level to engage specially in target shooting competitions and profit-making shooting ranges that are set up with the approval of the public security organ of the people's government at the provincial level may be equipped with sports guns;
2. Hunting grounds that are built with the approval of the forestry administration department of the people's government at or above the provincial level may be equipped with hunting guns; and
3. Units for protecting and raising wild animals and for conducting scientific research of such animals may, due to need of the work, be equipped with hunting guns and narcotic injection guns.
Hunters in hunting zones and herdsmen in pastoral areas may apply for equipment with guns. Hunting zones and pastoral areas shall be delineated by the people's governments at the provincial level.
Specific measures for equipment with guns for civilian use shall, in adherence to the principle of strict control, be formulated by the public security department under the State Council and submitted to the State Council for approval before enforcement.
Article 7 Arming with guns for the discharge of official duties shall be subject to exclusive examination and approval by the public security department under the State Council.
When arming persons with guns for the discharge of official duties, the public security department under the State Council or the public security organ of a people's government at the provincial level shall issue to them certificates permitting them to hold guns for the discharge of official duties.
Article 8 With regard to equipment with sports guns for a unit that is specially engaged in target shooting competition as a sport event, the competent administrative department for physical culture and sports under the State Council shall submit the matter to the public security department under the State Council for examination and approval. With regard to equipment with sports guns for profit-making shooting grounds, the matter shall be submitted by the public security organ of a people's government at the provincial level to the public security department under the State Council for approval.
When equipping with sports guns, the public security organ of the people's government at the provincial level shall issue certificates permitting the holding of guns for civilian use.
Article 9 To obtain hunting guns for a hunting ground, one must, by producing the document of approval issued by the competent forestry administration department of the people's government at or above the provincial level, apply to the public security organ of such government for examination and approval, before the public security organ of the people's government of a city divided into districts shall, after verification, issue a certificate for rationed purchase of guns for civilian use.
Article 10 To apply for equipment with hunting guns or narcotic injection guns, the units for protecting and raising wild animals or for conducting scientific research of such animals shall, by producing their hunting certificates or their special permits for hunting and capturing animals issued by the competent administrative department for wild animals of the local people's government at the county level, as well as their business licenses, submit their application to the public security organ of the local people's government at the county level.
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