When a weapons permit is suspended and a weapon seized, time matters more than arguments: the Law on Arms regulates these procedures with strict deadlines, and a missed deadline ends with the weapon passing into state ownership or the permit being finally revoked. At the same time, the law describes precisely when, how and by which authority suspension and seizure occur — and a breach of those rules becomes the foundation of your position.
The service on this page is representation in suspension and seizure procedures and work toward the return of the weapon: deadline control, elimination of the ground of suspension and, where necessary, judicial review of legality.
How automatic suspension happens
The law provides: if the holder of a licence or a weapon acquisition permit falls mentally ill or his state of health makes use of the permit impossible, or he falls ill with alcoholism, drug addiction or toxicomania, and information about this is received from the unified information base, the permit is automatically deprived of legal force. The Service Agency must notify the relevant territorial body of the Ministry of Internal Affairs within forty-eight hours of receiving that information.
The holder is notified of the suspension by an authorised officer of the territorial body appearing at his place of residence or at the place of storage of the weapon — and it is at that moment that the weapon is seized. The holder must admit the authorised representative for the purpose of seizure; in case of resistance, the use of coercive measures is permitted, and non-admission is a ground for revocation of the permit. This means that confrontation at the door achieves nothing — the sound route is managing the deadlines and lawfully eliminating the ground.
Thirty days — the window of decision
From the delivery of the notice, the holder retains for thirty days the right to dispose of the weapon in the manner established by law, and the authorised representative of the territorial body sets precisely a thirty-day term for eliminating the ground of suspension and/or disposing of the weapon. If within that term the ground is not eliminated and the weapon is not disposed of, the permit is revoked and the seized weapon passes into state ownership. If the ground is eliminated within the term, the permit is restored and the seized weapon returned. The difference between these two outcomes depends entirely on how promptly and correctly you act.
When a weapon is seized and how it comes back
The law separately names the cases of seizure: absence of a licence or permit; revocation of the permit; violation of the rules of circulation of the weapon — until a final decision is made; death of the owner of a civil weapon, if compliance of the weapon with the requirements of the legislation is not ensured within the established term; the cases and periods defined by a protective, restraining or weapons-rights restriction order issued against an abuser; and the suspension case.
In the case of the owner's death, the seizure procedure is approved by the government, and for heirs this is a separate procedural labyrinth — the decision to store or alienate the weapon must be taken within the term established by law. In the conviction-related case, the representative of the territorial body sets the convicted person a thirty-day term for alienating the weapon, and if the obligation remains unfulfilled, the permit loses legal force and the weapon will be seized. Orientation and deadline planning at this stage are decisive.
What we do in these procedures
Our work proceeds along three lines. First, the deadline calendar: forty-eight hours for the Agency's notification, thirty days for eliminating the ground and for disposal, thirty days for alienation in the conviction case — each deadline is fixed and managed. Second, elimination of the ground: where the matter rests on health, we organise the relevant medical documentation and its entry into the base; where it concerns alcoholism, drug addiction or toxicomania, we act within the system that maintains data on those diagnoses. Third, control of procedural legality: it is settled that where a notice is twice undelivered by post it is replaced by public publication — and if you did not receive the notice because the rule was breached, the counting of the deadlines becomes contestable. Where necessary, we prepare the court claim for resolving the weapons-circulation dispute.
Frequently asked questions
Can a seized weapon be returned?
Yes — if the ground of suspension is eliminated within thirty days, the permit is restored and the seized weapon returned. That is why the first step is establishing the ground precisely and filling the term with action, not confrontation.
What happens if the thirty days run out?
If the ground is not eliminated and the weapon is not disposed of, the permit is revoked and the weapon passes into state ownership. Managing the term — including a timely alienation — is the way to minimise the loss.
Should I refuse entry to the seizing officer?
No. Coercive measures are permitted in case of resistance, and non-admission is itself a ground for revoking the permit. Your rights are protected through observance of deadlines and elimination of the ground, not through confrontation.
What awaits the weapon of a deceased owner?
Upon death, seizure follows if compliance of the weapon with the legislation is not ensured within the established term. The heirs face the task of disposal or of ensuring compliance, and the procedure is approved by the government.
How We Help on Legal.ge
We take the case from the first day of counting: analyse the ground of suspension or seizure, organise its elimination and defend your right to the weapon's return — including through the courts where the procedure is unlawful. Contact us — we will evaluate your situation and build the thirty-day window plan in full compliance with every deadline of the Law on Arms.