Understanding Gun Laws in Romania

Understanding the current state of gun laws around the world is crucial for anyone interested in world news, travel or current affairs, and the potential obstacles that they may encounter due to government regulations in their country of origin or destination. Gun laws, for instance, have been a source of very controversial debate in the European Parliament of late. One of the most discussed issues within the subject of gun laws, especially considering the frequent attacks that Europe has been subject to in the last year, is whether or not these policies would be “harmful to the rights of innocent civilians, since a registered gun owner is less likely to attack unarmed civilians than one with nothing to lose.”

However, even though there are no countries on the continent (with the exception of Latvia) where the lack of permits can be purchased or sold, gun control varies greatly throughout the European continent. In the UK, citizens face a 6-month wait period to receive their permit, while Romanians have the option to buy firearms for self-protection, given that there are no regulations saying otherwise. The current state of Romanian gun laws, therefore, although strictly enforced, is more liberal than that of its European peers, even though only a small number of Romanians have shotguns, pistols or rifles.

According to law, anyone can theoretically own a firearm if they don’t have any criminal history and submit to the tests organized by the police, including psychological tests and tests of the skills of the candidate. However, these requirements can be exorbitant for most civilians. Considering the fact that the cost of living is relatively low in Europe compared to North America, but considerably higher than in other parts of the world, it’s safe to say that the Swiss-style regulations of most European countries are nevertheless too demanding for a Romanian, for instance to find the resources to fulfil them legally.

When it comes to gun laws, even though Romania signed a Protocol on Firearms in 2001 and ratified it 3 years later, the only thing that Romanian law states is that shotguns are allowed “provided they have a barrel of at least 24 inches in length.” Most other laws are open to interpretation and some forms of weapons are not considered firearms at all. Romanian gun laws allow the carrying of firearms strictly “for defense,” while the possibility of buying weapons in “real situations where it is possible that the individual’s security or physical integrity be endangered” has been also added to the law through an amendment. That also means certain forms of weaponry are allowed for purchase, like the crossbow. Other forms of ammunition, however, such as blank shots or super-pellets are not allowed, making sure that people don’t use these weapons to attack their targets.

Gun laws in Romania have recently been amended to allow Romanians to buy weapons in a no decleration regime (declaraţie de neîncadrare în categoria interzisă), but only if he/she has an authorisation for hunting or sport shooting and is over 18. Therefore, even though guns are allowed for self-protection, this right is restricted to certain categories of people, while hunting permits allow any big game shooters to hunt in designated areas, but can be used for any firearms use. While these are a minority, it’s worth knowing that you can carry a weapon around without having proper permits for it.

It’s important to make the distinction between shotguns and weapons used only for collection purposes. Because guns are purchasable by anyone, the fact that the weapons community is fairly small in Romania results in dealerships of collectibles closing down from unable to find permits on behalf of their customers. Customers do not always know the rules of the trade, and although there are shops specializing in collectibles, they’re quite rare and their finding requires a considerable amount of investment in both time and money. Should you decide to visit Romania, make sure you know the ins and outs of the laws before you pack your bags.