Gun licences

(1) Subject to section 3B, no person shall own, keep, carry, discharge or use any firearm or ammunition for any purpose, unless he is the holder of a valid licence for that purpose, issued under section 3A. (2) An application that is approved by the Commissioner shall be subject to the relevant fee in the Table below. TABLE1 TYPE OF GUN LICENCE CITIZEN OF NON-BELIZEAN, NON-CARICOM NATIONAL, OR FOREIGN COMPANY CARICOM NATIONAL, BELIZEAN OR CARICOM COMPANY (a) Special Protection $75.00 $500.00 (b) Gun Repair $200.00 $500.00 1This Table was amended by Acts. No. 36 of 2002, 3 of 2007(g), 5 of 2018 and 23 of 2019. 10 (c) Sport Hunter $450.00 $750.00 (d) Farmer Gun $5.00 $25.00 (e) Shooting Range $1000.00 $3000.00 (f) Shooting Club $500.00 $1500.00 (g) Firearm Safety Instructor $500.00 $1500.00 (h) Heirloom Licence $300.00 $600.00 One-time fee not requiring renewal (i) Company Gun Category A (up to 10 firearms) $2,000.00 $5,000.00 Category B (from 11 to 20 $4,000.00 $10,000.00 Category C (from 21 to 40 $8,000.00 $20,000.00 Category D (from 41 to 60 $16,000.00 $40,000.00 (3) For the purpose of sub-section (2)– (a) where a firearm is used for more than one purpose, the higher of the fees prescribed above for such purposes shall be payable; 11 (b) the licence fee for a member of the British Forces Belize or of any other foreign Force, or a non-national member of the Belize Defence Force, in respect of a firearm kept by him for his personal use shall be the same as that specified for nationals in the Second Column of the above Table; (c) the diplomatic personnel accredited to the Government of Belize by a sovereign State shall pay as administrative charge the fees specified in the Second Column of the above Table in respect of firearms kept by them for their personal use; (d) it shall be lawful for the Minister to exempt from the payment of the fees prescribed in the preceding sub-section any public officer to whom the Minister has given permission to keep, carry or use a firearm or ammunition for his protection in the carrying out of his official duties; (e) such conditions may be attached to each type of licence as the Commissioner may consider necessary; (f) an applicant for a gun licence may, in his application, seek to include in the licence the names of one or more members of his household, as persons who may lawfully use the licensed firearm, and the Commissioner may, if satisfied that the other member is not disqualified from holding a gun licence, include the name of the other member in the licence, and the list of additional members may from time to time be amended by the Commissioner at the request of the holder of the licence; 12 (g) in the case of a Company Gun Licence, it shall be lawful for the Commissioner to issue one licence in the name of such company to cover all firearms and ammunition which the Commissioner may approve as reasonably required for the use of such company, and any of the firearms so licensed may be issued to and used by any licensed security guard employed by such company who has been certified by the Commissioner to be a fit and proper person to handle a firearm, and for this purpose, every company which has been issued a licence under this section shall forward a list of the security guards in its employ to the Commissioner and shall forthwith notify the Commissioner of any change in such list; Schedule II. (h) the category of firearm or ammunition for which a person may be qualified to receive a gun licence shall be of the descriptions set out in Schedule II. (4) The Minister may from time to time by Order published in the Gazette, amend the Table contained in the preceding sub- section. (5) Where a person who is granted a gun licence fails to acquire the type of firearm shown on his licence within three months of the date of issue, such gun licence shall automatically become void. (6) A company which has been issued a Company Gun Licence shall be responsible for the proper custody, safe keeping and use of the firearms and ammunition for which it is licensed, and shall be liable for any improper or unauthorised use of any such firearm by any of it security guards. (7) In this section13 “CARICOM national” means a person who– (a) is a citizen of a Member State; (b) has a connection with a Member State of a kind which entitles that person to be regarded as belonging to or, if it be so expressed, as being a native or resident of such a Member State for the purposes of the laws thereof relating to immigration; “CARICOM Company” means a company or other legal entity constituted in a Member State in accordance with the laws thereof and which that Member State regards as belonging to it, provided that the company or other legal entity has been formed for gainful purposes and has its registered office and central administration, and carries on substantial activity within the Caribbean Community and is substantially owned and effectively controlled by CARICOM Nationals; “Member State” means a Member State of the Caribbean Community excluding an Associate Member within the meaning of Article 231 of the Revised Treaty; and “Revised Treaty” means the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas Establishing the Caribbean Community, including the CARICOM Single Market and Economy, that was signed in The Bahamas on 5th July, 2001. (8) For the purposes of this section– (a) a company is a Belizean company if it has been formed and registered under the Companies Act or formed under another enactment of Belize, and is not a foreign company; CAP. 250. (b) a company is a foreign company, if regardless of where it has been formed14 (i) one half or more of its shareholders or directors are not citizens of Belize; (ii) one half or more of its issued share capital is held by or for and on behalf of persons who are not citizens of Belize; or (iii) one half or more of the votes exercisable at any meeting of the company is held by or for and on behalf of persons who are not citizens of Belize.