North Macedonia announces new weapon ownership regulations

North Macedonia’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Panche Toshkovski, has announced significant reforms regarding weapon ownership and regulation. Speaking at the 80th anniversary of the Hunting Federation of Macedonia, Toshkovski stated that the new measures aim to reduce administrative hurdles for law-abiding citizens while increasing oversight and security.

The reforms include the introduction of an electronic platform for submitting weapon purchase applications. Additionally, the requirement for prior approval to purchase ammunition will be abolished, replaced by a central electronic system that allows the Ministry of Internal Affairs to monitor quantities purchased.

Under the new Law on Weapons, citizens may request the purchase of multiple firearms and specific ammunition loads through a single application. The regulations also extend the deadline for regulating inherited weapons from two to four months and provide a one-year grace period for certain cases where previous deadlines were missed or applications were rejected due to expiration.