Want to become a weapons collector?

Persons who are 18 years of age or older are eligible for weapons collector approval. Additionally, the person must be deemed to be suitable to possess firearms and firearm components on the basis of their health and behaviour. 

When considering an application, the police may use the applicant’s medical records to help determine suitability if necessary. Generally, the police do not automatically receive access to a person’s medical records, only receiving access in cases in which a decision cannot be made without that information.

Proof of completing military or civilian service must be provided upon request

A person liable for military service who is applying for weapons collector approval must provide proof of having completed military or civilian service when asked. If service has not been completed, a person liable for military service must provide an induction order or decision of exemption from military service, postponement of service or interruption of service complete with the reason for said decision.

Weapons collector approval may also be given to a legal person. Said legal person must be an association or foundation that serves a public function and is registered in Finland. 

To be granted approval, the legal person must also be considered suitable to possess firearms and firearm components based on the purpose of the proposed activity and other factors. The law permits a significant degree of discretion in decisions to approve a legal person as a weapons collector. 

Storage of firearms and firearm components

Storage spaces for firearms and firearm components must be approved by the local police department before an acquisition permit can be granted on the basis of weapons collector approval. The National Police Board may also control the security level of storage spaces by introducing conditions to the weapons collector approval.

Legal persons must have a firearms officer

When applying for weapons collector approval, the legal person must show the National Police Board that they have a firearms officer approved by the local police of their place of residence. It is a prerequisite for weapons collector approval that the firearms officer is in the employ of the applicant or takes part in the applicant’s activities. The firearms officer is responsible for ensuring that weapons collecting activities are in compliance with the Firearms Act, the statutory responsibilities therein and the conditions of their weapons collector approval.

A weapons collector application includes

• a written application
• a collecting plan
• possible appendices. 

Please write a clear application. The application will be copied by scanning or entering the information into the form in the police’s electronic firearms database.  

Approval as a weapons collector is contingent upon a collecting plan. Write the plan carefully and follow the instructions. 

A processing fee of EUR 240 is payable for all weapons collector authorisation applications regardless of whether or not authorisation is granted. The same fee also applies to renewals of existing weapons collector authorisations except where only minor changes are made to the collection plan. The charge for minor changes is EUR 125.

Please draft your application documents according to the following instructions as one copy in three or more parts. Use separate sheets of paper and print on only one side of them. 

An application that was made following the instructions will be faster to process.
Include the applicant’s name and date of birth in the upper or lower margin of each sheet. 

Please do not staple the sheets together, as they will need to be scanned during processing.

1. Written application

Include your personal details and the planned course of the collection.

Course refers to what weapons and items the collection will contain, such as hunting weapons, sporting weapons, competition weapons, weapons of war, pocket guns etc., and the time period in which the weapons were manufactured, expressed as a date range in years.

2. Weapons collecting plan 

In the weapons collecting plan, please elaborate on the weapons and items you intend to collect and why you intend to collect them. 

The collecting plan must be systematic and reasonable. Additionally, the collecting plan must include a safe storage solution for weapons. 

In the plan, you must also declare which of the following subjects it is related to: 

1. history 
2. science 
3. technology 
4. education 
5. cultural heritage

You must justify each subject you have included. The regulation that requires applicants to report the purpose of the collection can be found in the Firearms Act.

Declare what items, weapons, weapon components, cartridges and specially dangerous cartridges and projectiles you plan to collect.

Declare, using the terminology of the Firearms Act, the model, type, modes of operation and calibre of the weapons you intend to collect. Additionally, declare the weapons’ years of manufacture as a date range in years. 

For example: Rifle, make xx, model yy, mode of operation self-loading single-shot, calibre cc, manufactured 1918-1950.

Reporting the calibre

The calibre must be written sufficiently clearly to avoid any risk of confusion. More than one calibre can be reported but they must pertain to the specific weapon model. Calibres may not be reported as ranges without a separate justification.

Firearm manufacturing

A firearm is considered to have been manufactured at the time it was first assembled from its component parts. Weapons collector approval may include the condition that weapons collected must have been manufactured within a given date range. 

Report on secure storage

The storage of firearms is controlled by the Firearms Act. 

The National Police Board influences the storage of weapons in accordance with the risk the collection poses to public order and safety by using the reports given during weapons collector applications. When necessary, the National Police Board improves storage security by stipulating related conditions in the approval. To aid in assessing the security of the storage space, the applicant must report the estimated size of the collection. 

If approval is given, the police department will inspect the storage space. 

Weapons collectors must always store their weapons, at minimum, in a certified weapons cabinet that has been bolted to the floor in an inhabited building. To store a large collection or one that contains automatic weapons, a space that meets Finance Finland’s level-3 security requirements may be used.

If you have any objections to conditions that may prohibit the firing of weapons, include them in your application. The police may still impose such a condition for a justified reason. 

3. A short account of the applicant as a person

Describe your life situation up to this point. Discuss possible future plans if they have relevance to weapons collecting. An appropriate length for this account is 1–2 pages. In the account, it is important to describe

• your experience with firearms
• membership in clubs and associations
• life situation and housing (where, what kind of building, alone/with others, living together with a partner or with family).

Information about your housing situation is needed when assessing the risk the collection would pose to public order and safety. 

Also discuss other hobbies and any criminal convictions you may have and what led to them. You can also discuss your family members and their relationship with and stance on weapons collecting. 

Explain your experience with firearms and handling them in order to allow the police to ensure you can acquire and handle weapons safely. The applicant or firearms officer must have sufficient technical and historical knowledge of the weapons. 

When considering applications, information held by the police, health authorities and/or other authorities on the applicant will be processed and compared with the account given by the applicant.

If necessary, the police will invite the applicant for an interview at the local police station.

Certificates and references

You may attach references and other supporting documents to your account to clarify the information given in it. The National Police Board will not contact persons or organisations whose references are attached by the applicant without a special reason to do so. The signatory of a reference is liable for the truthfulness of its contents.
 

Generally, it is best to start collecting weapons with a relatively narrow collecting plan. By starting small, you can gradually increase the scope and demonstrate your capability for broader and more demanding weapons collecting activities. 

You can apply for a new weapons collector approval at a later date, either to replace your existing approval or to exist alongside it. Plans that advance one step at a time serve to direct and develop a hobby in a faster and more directed manner.

Examples of narrow plans include 

• The products of arms factory A in the years xx–yy 
• Weapons of the civil guard
• Weapons used by Finns in world championship competitions 

If the first collecting plan is overburdened with several different collection criteria, problems may arise in its overall feasibility and in trying to show that the plan is systematic and reasonable. 

Processing a weapons collector application takes 3–4 months from its arrival at the National Police Board, depending on the application and other police duties during that time. 

To speed up the processing of the matter and avoid having to send further information, please be thorough when writing your application. 

The police only disclose information about the application to the applicant. Please send any information requests by mail. We will only provide information via e-mail if an encrypted e-mail system is used by the party making the request. When making the information request, please include the record number you received when you filed the application at the police station. The number is in the format 2023/12345.