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Inherited a firearm: what to do

Sources checked on 08.10.2026

When an estate includes weapons, the law gives the heirs six months to comply. What to do depends on the type of weapon, but there is always a simple alternative: sell the weapon within six months to a person entitled to acquire it.

Key points
  • The deadline is six months from the death of the person you inherit from (Art. 17 and 22 WO).
  • For firearms subject to a permit (pistols, revolvers, semi-automatics): apply for a weapon acquisition permit (Art. 8 para. 2bis WA).
  • For firearms without a permit requirement (e.g. hunting rifles, K31 carbine): a report to the cantonal reporting office is enough (Art. 11 para. 4 WA).
  • For prohibited weapons (e.g. assault rifle 90 with a magazine of more than 10 rounds): apply for an exceptional licence (Art. 6a WA).
  • If the weapon is transferred to an authorised person within six months, no permit or report is needed.

1. Who takes care of it

The procedure is handled by the representative designated by the deceased or by the community of heirs (Art. 17 and 22 WO). They prepare a signed list of the inherited weapons with the type, manufacturer, calibre, model and number of each weapon.

If a weapon goes to another heir when the estate is divided, that heir makes the application or report in their own name, within six months of the division.

The competent authority is the cantonal weapons office where the person receiving the weapon lives: the addresses are in the official fedpol list (in German).

2. Weapons subject to a permit: apply for a weapon acquisition permit

For pistols, revolvers, semi-automatic weapons and other weapons subject to a permit, the representative applies for a weapon acquisition permit within six months of the death, enclosing the list of weapons (Art. 8 para. 2bis WA, Art. 17 WO).

If the requirements are met, the canton issues a single permit for all the weapons on the list. The same requirements apply as for an ordinary purchase: at least 18 years old and no impediment (Art. 8 para. 2 WA).

3. Weapons without a permit requirement: make a report

For firearms that may be acquired without a permit, such as single-shot or multi-barrel hunting rifles and Swiss service bolt-action rifles, a report within six months is enough: the representative sends the cantonal reporting office the signed list with a copy of their passport or identity card (Art. 11 para. 4 WA, Art. 22 WO).

4. Prohibited weapons: exceptional licence

If the estate includes prohibited weapons, an exceptional licence must be applied for within six months (Art. 6a WA). According to fedpol, these include for example automatic weapons and semi-automatic rifles with a magazine of more than 10 rounds, such as the assault rifles 90 and 57, as well as silencers and laser or night-vision aiming devices.

If you do not know which category a weapon belongs to, ask the cantonal weapons office before the deadline expires.

5. The alternative: sell within six months

If you do not want to keep the weapon, no permit or report is needed if it is transferred within six months to a person entitled to acquire it (Art. 8 para. 2bis and Art. 11 para. 4 WA).

The ordinary rules for private sales then apply: checking the buyer, a written contract or weapon acquisition permit, reporting within 30 days. Everything is explained in the guide Selling a firearm privately.

Frequently asked questions

Within six months of the death of the person you inherit from (Art. 17 and 22 WO). If the weapon is allocated to you later when the estate is divided, you have six months from the division.

No. It is a Swiss service bolt-action rifle without a permit requirement: a report to the cantonal reporting office within six months is enough (Art. 11 para. 4 WA, Art. 22 WO).

Yes. If you transfer it within six months to a person entitled to acquire it, you do not need to apply for a permit or make a report for the inheritance (Art. 8 para. 2bis and 11 para. 4 WA). The ordinary sale rules apply.

The representative designated by the deceased or by the community of heirs. If another heir then receives the weapon when the estate is divided, they apply in their own name within six months of the division (Art. 17 and 22 WO).

Official sources

This guide summarises federal law in practical terms and is not legal advice. The legal text and the instructions of the cantonal weapons office of your canton, which may have its own forms and procedures, are authoritative. Swiss legal texts are binding only in German, French and Italian.