Thousands of Macedonian citizens legally own guns. The terms of granting a firearm license are prescribed in the Law on Weapons, while those who wish to apply need to take a professional and a practical exam, Telegraf.mk reads.
But the person who obtains the license cannot freely carry it along on public places.
In 2015, the Macedonian Interior Ministry issued 2,409 weapon licenses, while in 2014, that figure was almost double - 4,529 licenses. Officials with the authority point that these numbers include the re-registered weapons and not only the newly acquired ones.
Who can get a weapon license? Anyone who feels his or hers safety has been put to danger can file an application to the Interior Ministry. Under the Law on Weapons, the application for procurement of firearms can be submitted for protection of personal safety, family or property, for hunting or sports reasons, on the grounds of inheritance or to secure the safety of people and property. However, the granted license does not mean that the individual can carry the weapon everywhere. The law prohibits the person to carry the weapon on public places and it allows him or her to keep it at home, or in his or hers vehicle, but dismantled.
The entire license obtaining procedure could cost around MKD 12-13,000, including training, taking the professional exam, filing the medical competence certificate, issuing the certificate on not having any criminal records, the certificate on unrevoked professional ability and the administrative fees.
The Law on Weapons stipulates the person needs to meet several criteria in order to be able to use a firearm, i.e. to be of a full age, not to be convicted, to own a special medical certificate that he or she is healthy and able to use the gun, not to have disturbed the public order or not have records of offenses, and to have a proof that he or she is capable of handling weapons.
The application can be filed at the Interior Ministry's local offices, depending on the person's residence. The applicant needs to pay MKD 300 for the administrative fees for a hunting weapon and MKD 600 for guns, riffles, revolvers and alike. The law allows the issuance of three types of licenses: a weapon that can be obtained by any interested citizen, a weapon license that can refer to legal entities, and firearms that could be owned by people working in the security sector.
"The physical person has justified reasons to own a firearm if his personal safety, the safety of his family and property are endangered, due to which the need to own a weapon for their protection arises, or if the tasks and assignments the person performs on his job could cause a danger of jeopardizing his life or property. Also, a person is considered to have a valid reason to own a weapon if he is an active member in a hunting or archery association, or if he or she is a collector or has inherited a certain type of a firearm," the Law on Weapons reads.
In order to be granted a weapon license, the individual is obliged to take a professional exam which allows the applicants to get training on handling firearms.
The professional exams and the practical training on firearm handling is conducted at authorized shooting ranges. When issued, the weapon license is valid for the next ten years, while persons older than 65 can use the license but for five years.
The weapon license's duration can be extended on the written demand of the holder, submitted to the competent institution, two months the latest after the expiration of the validation period.
However, the illegal guns and riffles trade appears to be blooming in Macedonia despite the clearly prescribed legal procedure.
According to statistical data gathered by the Interior Ministry, there were 225 crimes related to illegal manufacturing, possession and trade of firearms in 2014, for which criminal charges have been pressed against 234 offenders. The same year, the total of 185 pieces of weapon were seized and 9,919 pieces of ammunition.
Last year, 195 crimes involving illegal manufacturing, possession and trade of firearms have been discovered, while 226 people were criminally prosecuted. According to statistics, last year, 224 pieces of firearms were seized and 22,792 pieces of ammunition.