Arms Act 2026 is in Force Today. Your COLFO Day One briefing.

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Today the Arms Act 2026 comes into force, replacing the Arms Act 1983.

Thousands of licensed firearm owners made submissions through the select committee process, and a good number of the practical fixes in the final Act came from that. If you submitted, thank you, that work showed up in the detail.

Parliament’s rewrite sets controls to protect people from firearms-related harm and to support safe, legitimate possession and use for sport, hunting, collecting, and pest control.

Below is what we think you need to know today.

Your licence

Existing firearms licences remain current under the new Act.

Mental health & health-related suspensions: a major timeline change

One of the most important practical changes for owners is the extended health-related suspension period. Under the new settings (coming into force 23 February 2028), a health-related suspension can run for up to 12 months. That is a meaningful extension on the shorter period that applied before.

Why it matters: mental health and other health issues are rarely tidy, short, or linear. A longer maximum suspension gives licence holders more time to get medical advice, engage with treatment or support, and show recovery before a final licensing decision. It is better for public safety and fairer for people who are doing the right thing by seeking help. COLFO pushed hard on workable health timelines through the reform process, and this is one of the outcomes we want members to understand. Check out Mental Hunts for more info and support for your mental health.

Independent regulator

Firearms Safety and Education New Zealand (FSE) is now the independent regulator, replacing the Firearms Safety Authority (previously a branded Police unit). FSE starts work today. It is headed by an independent chief executive appointed by the Governor-General, reporting to the responsible Minister.

Police still provide corporate services; the Ministry of Justice monitors the agency. Police continue to handle criminal enforcement. That separation of roles is one of the structural changes owners have sought for years.

Independent review

A Firearms Licensing Review Committee can review FSE decisions to refuse, suspend, or cancel firearms licences (and related conditions). That is meant to provide a clearer, more independent path than the old internal review settings.

Other key changes in the Act

• Anyone operating under the firearms regime must act in the interests of personal, community, and public safety.

• Gang membership disqualifies a person from holding a firearms licence.

• The regulator can issue infringements for low-level non-compliance by licence holders.

• Clearer rules for sharing information between the regulator, Police, and other agencies where fit-and-proper concerns, risks, or arms-related incidents arise.

• Higher penalties for serious offending.

• More flexibility for licence holders to store firearms in the most appropriate place to prevent theft and unlawful access.

• Dealer licences renamed business licences, with duration extended to five years for compliant holders.

• Museum-specific licences created.

• Fee reviews every five years.

Timing

Most of the Act and the new firearms regulations apply from today, 23 September 2026.

Commercial ammunition sellers: new requirements from 23 July 2027, with existing sellers needing to have transitioned by 23 February 2028. Remaining policy settings come into force on 23 February 2028, including the extended health-related suspension timeline described above.

COLFO’s stance from here

Day One is implementation, not the end of advocacy. We will watch how FSE, the Review Committee, and the new rules work in practice, push for fair and workable administration, and keep members informed when something affects day-to-day compliance.

If you hit a concrete problem under the new settings, tell us. Practical member feedback is how we spot implementation issues early.