Arms and Ammunition Act Nepal 2026: Licence, Fees, Penalty Guide

Most ordinary Nepali households never deal with the Arms and Ammunition Act, but the people who do — licensed shotgun owners in farming districts, retired security officers, registered shooters, gun dealers — run into the same handful of questions every renewal cycle. Which arms can a civilian legally hold? How many rounds can be kept on the licence? Where exactly does the application go, and what does it cost in 2026?

The governing law is the Arms and Ammunition Act 2019 (1962), enacted as Act No. 45 of 2019 BS and amended through the Second Amendment Act 2064 (2007) and the Republic Strengthening (Amendment of Some Acts) Act 2066 (2010). It is read alongside Chapter 11 of the Muluki Penal Code 2074 — the criminal-side offences relating to arms — and the Weapons Regulations 2028 with its successive amendments. Together these three instruments set out who may carry what, on whose licence, and the imprisonment plus fine that follow when the rules are broken.

This guide covers the licensing regime in plain terms — the categories of arms civilians may possess, the ammunition limits, the District Administration Office (DAO) application path, the current fees, the renewal cycle, and the Section 20–23 penalty matrix. It is updated for 2026 and reflects the licensing arrangements actually in use at DAOs across Nepal.

Alpine Law Associates — trusted by 1,000+ clients across family, corporate, civil, and criminal cases in Nepal.

Speak with our lawyers today →

Our criminal law team represents clients in arms-related prosecutions before the District Court and on bail and appeal at the High Court. The recurring pattern in unlawful-possession cases is not deliberate trafficking — it is a lapsed licence, an inherited shotgun never registered after the licensee's death, or an over-quantity of ammunition kept at home without the licence on file. A timely renewal, a proper succession application after the death of a licensee, and a clean ammunition register prevent most of the prosecutions we see. Where charges have already been laid, defence work focuses on contesting the seizure procedure, the calibre classification, and the link between the accused and the arm.

What law actually governs arms in Nepal?

Three instruments operate in parallel:

1. The Arms and Ammunition Act 2019 (1962) — the licensing statute. It defines arms and ammunition, identifies prohibited categories (cannon, machine gun, military explosives), creates the licensing regime, and sets the offence and penalty schedule in Sections 20–23.
2. The Weapons Regulations 2028 (1971) as amended — the procedural rules under the Act. They prescribe the application form, the documents required, the renewal cycle, fees, conditions on storage and transport, and the Ministry of Home Affairs approval flow for higher-category arms.
3. The Muluki Penal Code 2074 (2017), Chapter 11 (Offences relating to Arms) — the criminal-side overlay. It covers the use of arms in violence, possession with intent to commit an offence, manufacture without authority, and smuggling. Where conduct also amounts to an Arms Act offence, the prosecutor frames charges under both statutes and the court determines the applicable sentence.

The licensing authority on the ground is the Chief District Officer (CDO) at the District Administration Office of the applicant's home district, with substantive approval reserved to the Ministry of Home Affairs at Singha Durbar for higher-category arms.

What arms can a Nepali civilian legally possess?

The Act draws a sharp line between routinely-licensable civilian arms and arms requiring special approval. The routine category — what most lawful licence holders actually own — covers:

• 12-bore shotgun — the most common civilian licence in rural Nepal. Used for crop-protection from wild animals, hunting under permit, and licensed sport. Ammunition limit: 100 rounds on the licence at any one time, with replenishment governed by the DAO register.
• .22-bore rifle (miniature rifle) — used for sport shooting and small-game hunting under permit. Ammunition limit: up to 200 rounds.
• Air gun — including pellet rifles and air pistols. Licensed routinely at the DAO subject to the same eligibility checks.

The second category is reserved and requires Ministry of Home Affairs approval on a CDO recommendation:

• Pistols and revolvers — issued sparingly, principally to retired security personnel, gazetted officers in specific roles, and licensed dealers. The CDO assesses need before sending the file to MoHA.
• Centre-fire rifles outside .22 — issued to recognised shooters, registered hunters operating under the wildlife regime, and security professionals on duty.
• Towed-trigger and loaded-state arms — only on terms specifically prescribed by the CDO, generally tied to the use case stated in the application.

Cannons, machine guns, automatic weapons, hand grenades and similar military arms are prohibited for civilian possession and are reserved for the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police under their service rules. Possession by a civilian falls in the highest penalty band of Section 20.

How to apply for an arms licence in Nepal

The licence is granted on application to the Chief District Officer at the District Administration Office of the applicant's home district. The CDO assesses eligibility and either issues the licence directly (routine categories) or forwards a recommendation to the Ministry of Home Affairs for the higher categories.

The standard supporting set at the DAO counter is a citizenship certificate and recent passport-size photographs, a ward recommendation from the applicant's local government, a police-clearance verification (the DAO routes this internally with the District Police), a written purpose statement for the licence, a medical fitness certificate, and the bank-voucher receipt for the fee. Districts publish district-specific application forms — the DAO Sunsari renewal form dated 2080-10-26 (October 2023) is one publicly available example. Confirm the exact document set with your home-district DAO before applying because districts do periodically update their internal lists.

Eligibility — who can hold an arms licence?

The Act and the Regulations together exclude applicants on grounds of age, criminal record, mental fitness, and citizenship status. In practice the CDO declines applications where:

• The applicant is a minor under the age threshold prescribed by the Regulations (typically 18+, with higher thresholds for higher-category arms)
• The applicant is not a Nepali citizen — foreign nationals are not eligible for civilian arms licences in Nepal
• The applicant has a conviction for a violent offence, an arms offence, or an organised-crime offence
• The police verification flags an active feud, ongoing dispute or threat indicator that suggests a clear risk of misuse
• The applicant cannot demonstrate a legitimate purpose proportionate to the calibre and ammunition quantity sought
• The applicant does not meet the prescribed mental and physical fitness standard

The CDO records the reasons in writing and the applicant has a right of administrative appeal to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Fees and renewal

Recent reporting in the Nepali press indicates a current arms licence fee of approximately NPR 6,000 for a new licence and NPR 4,000 for renewal, with the figure varying slightly by category and from time to time as the Ministry of Home Affairs notifies revisions through the Weapons Regulations amendment chain. The exact fee for your application is set out on the DAO counter notice and on the bank-voucher slip.

Renewal is periodic — most arms licences in Nepal run on an annual or short-cycle renewal, and the DAO will not entertain an over-quantity ammunition replenishment or ownership transfer if the licence has lapsed. The renewal cycle is the single most important compliance point because a lapsed licence converts a lawful arm into unauthorised possession the day after the expiry, exposing the holder to prosecution under Section 20.

Penalty schedule — Sections 20–23

The Act ladders the penalty by category of arms or ammunition involved. The penalty bands set out in the Act are:

The court may impose imprisonment, fine, or both, taking into account the calibre, the quantity, the use to which the arm was put, and any prior conviction. Where the conduct also amounts to a Penal Code 2074 offence — for example use of an arm in homicide, robbery, abduction or organised crime — the prosecutor charges under both statutes and the harsher sentence applies on conviction. For the broader criminal-law overlay, see our guide to homicide laws in Nepal where arms use is a frequent aggravating factor.

Death of a licensee, transfer of ownership, and surrender

An arms licence is personal to the holder. On the death of a licensee the legal heirs must apply to the DAO within a reasonable period either to (a) re-licence the arm in the name of an eligible heir, (b) transfer it to a licensed buyer, or (c) surrender it to the DAO. Until one of these steps is taken, the arm is held without authority and the heir technically falls within the Section 21 perimeter — the most common factual setting we see in Tier-1 arms prosecutions outside Kathmandu Valley.

Voluntary surrender at the DAO is accepted and is the right course where renewal is not desired, the licensee has moved abroad, or the family no longer needs the weapon. The DAO records the surrender and issues a deposit slip; subsequent retrieval requires a fresh licence application.

Common compliance failures

The patterns that drive Arms Act prosecutions are largely procedural rather than violent:

• Lapsed renewal — the licence expired during a busy farming season and the holder did not return to the DAO in time
• Inherited arm not re-licensed — the family kept the deceased father's shotgun without applying for an heir's licence
• Excess ammunition — the holder kept more rounds than the licence permits, often after a single bulk purchase
• Calibre mismatch — the licence covers a 12-bore but the seizure inventory shows a different calibre
• Transport without licence on person — the holder moved the arm between districts without carrying the licence and the DAO authorisation slip
• Non-compliance with storage conditions — the arm was not kept in the manner specified on the licence

Each of these is preventable with a calendar reminder for renewal, a quick succession application after the death of a licensee, and a tidy ammunition register.