Austrian law allows firearm possession on shall-issue basis with certain classes of shotguns and rifles available without permit. With approximately 30 civilian firearms per 100 people, Austria is the 14th most armed country in the world.
History
1853-1938 – Waffenpatent allows firearm ownership without permit for any non-prohibited person. Carry required permit which was being issued to respectable citizens.
1945-1967 – previous law largely remains in effect, right of Jews to bear arms is restored.
1967-1996 – new law regulating handguns goes into effect. It contains right of the law-abiding citizens to own handguns.
1994 – pump-action shotguns are banned. Few hundred were turned, 2,000 were registered and legalized and around 40,000 disappeared and went illegal.
1996 - today – Weapons Act is passed in accordance with EU law.
Legal framework
In Austria the Waffengesetz defines weapons as objects that are designed to directly eliminate or reduce the ability of people to attack or defend themselves or for firing projectiles during hunting or sport shooting. §2 further defines firearms as weapons where projectiles can be fired from a barrel in a predefined direction.
Firearm licensing
Austria law divides firearms into three categories:
Any non-prohibited Austrian citizen over 18 can buy firearms from categories C without permit after three-day background check. They need to be registered six weeks after acquisition. Law requires owner to provide good reason during registration. Good reasons according to law are: self-defense at home, hunting, sport shooting and collection. There is no limit on number of category C weapons that one can possess.
Category B
Acquisition of category B weapons requires firearm license. Authorities shallissue license to any non-prohibited citizen of European Economic Areaover 21 who has good reason which allows purchase of up to two handguns. Authorities may issue license to person below 21, but over 18, non-citizen of EEA or person seeking to own more than two handguns.
Category A
Category A weapons require further exceptions to be granted for holders, except in the case of suppressed weapons, which may be held by those with valid hunting licenses. War materials like automatic firearms requires a further special federal permit, which is in practice only granted to approved collectors and experts.
Carrying firearms
Carrying firearms in Austria requires carry permit. Authorities issue it at may-issue basis for holders of category B firearm licenses who can provide good reason. According to law good reason means proving that one's life is in danger. Austrian law make no distinction between open or concealed carry.
Storing firearms
Firearms and ammunition have to be stored securely in a reasonable manner to prevent unauthorized access. There are no general storage requirements for firearms and ammunition inside someones own habitation and every gun owner is responsible for keeping his firearms and ammunition stored secure. As self defense is a recognized reason by the law to own firearms, keeping firearms stored in loaded condition inside someones own habitation is allowed. However if someone has 20 or more firearms stored in a close area to each other or ammunition on a large scale he has to inform the suitable authorities which storage measure he has taken to ensure safe storage and protection against unauthorized access. Such a notification is required again when the number of firearms stored in a close area to each other has doubled since the last communication to the Authority.
Firearm possession
As of 2019 there are 1,068,582 registered firearms in Austria owned by 310,352 people. 198,834 of them have Category B firearm license and 74,527 people have carry permit. 75,526 people are prohibited from owning firearms Small Arms Survey estimates that there are approximately 1,740,000 unregistered and illegal firearms in Austria.
