1[(1)] No person shall acquire, have in his possession, or carry any firearm or ammunition unless he holds in this behalf a licence issued in accordance with the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder:
Provided that a person may, without himself holding a licence, carry any firearm or ammunition in the presence, or under the written authority, of the holder of the licence for repair or for renewal of the licence or for use by such holder.
2[(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), no person, other than a person referred to in sub-section (3), shall acquire, have in his possession or carry, at any time, more than 3two firearms:
"Provided that a person who has in his possession more firearms than two at the commencement of the Arms (Amendment) Act, 2019, may retain with him any two of such firearms and shall deposit, within one year from such commencement, the remaining firearm with the officer in charge of the nearest police station or, subject to the conditions prescribed for the purposes of sub-section (1) of section 21, with a licensed dealer or, where such person is a member of the armed forces of the Union, in a unit armoury referred to in that sub-section after which it shall be delicensed within ninety days from the date of expiry of aforesaid one year:
Provided further that while granting arms licence on inheritance or
heirloom
basis, the limit of two firearms shall not be exceeded.".
Provided that a person who has in his possession more firearms than three at the commencement of the Arms (Amendment) Act, 1983 (25 of 1983), may retain with him any three of such firearms and shall deposit, within ninety days from such commencement, the remaining firearms with the officer in charge of the nearest police station or, subject to the conditions prescribed for the purposes of sub-section (1) of section 21, with a licensed dealer or, where such person is a member of the armed forces of the Union, in a unit armoury referred to in that sub-section.
(3) Nothing contained in sub-section (2) shall apply to any dealer in firearms or to any member of a rifle club or rifle association licensed or recognised by the Central Government using a point 22 bore rifle or an air rifle for target practice.
(4) The provisions of sub-sections (2) to (6) (both inclusive) of section 21 shall apply in relation to any deposit of firearms under the proviso to sub-section (2) as they apply in relation to the deposit of any arm or ammunition under sub-section (1) of that section.]
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1. Section 3 re-numbered as sub-section (1) thereof by Act 25 of 1983, s.
3 (w.e.f. 22-6-1983).
2. Ins. by s. 3, ibid. (w.e.f. 22-6-1983).
3.Ins. by Act 48 of 2019, s.2 (w.e.f. 13-12-2019)
Section 2 Definitions and Interpretation
Section 3 Licence for acquisition and possession of firearms and ammunition
Section 4 Licence for acquisition and possession of arms of specified description in certain cases
Section 5 Licence for manufacture, sale, etc., of arms and ammunition
Section 6 Licence for the shortening of guns or conversion of imitation firearms into firearms
Section 8 Prohibition of sale or transfer of firearms not bearing identification marks
Section 10 Licence for import and export of arms, etc
Section 14 Refusal of licences
Section 15 Duration and renewal of licence
Section 16 Fees, etc., for licence
Section 17 Variation, suspension and revocation of licences
Section 19 Power to demand production of licence, etc
Section 20 Arrest of persons conveying arms, etc., under suspicious circumstances