Sweden sees surge in weapon license applications after law changes

Sweden has experienced a surge in weapon license applications following the implementation of more liberalized weapons laws on June 1. Police officials described the influx of requests as a ‘tsunami,’ with over 8,000 applications submitted in the first month alone.

The legislative changes allow hunters to own up to ten complete hunting weapons without providing specific justifications for each, and permit up to two extra barrels per weapon. Additionally, regulations regarding weapon storage have become more flexible, and certain time-limited permits for multi-shot handguns and automatic weapons have been replaced by ongoing supervision.

The sudden volume of applications caused significant delays in processing. In August, the median processing time rose to 43 days, ten days longer than the previous year. To address the backlog, the police implemented overtime and dedicated focus weeks. Recent data indicates that processing times are beginning to decrease, dropping from 43 to 28 days, with a target of approximately three weeks.