https://fla.gov.

jm/

https://www.my-island-jamaica.com/
fla_jamaica.html

Can you own a rifle in Jamaica?

Yes, Jamaicans are permitted to own a rifle as long as they have the
requisite licence obtained from the FLA.

Do you need a gun licence in Jamaica?

Yes, gun licences are needed to legally own a gun in Jamaica.

What does FLA mean in Jamaica?

The FLA is the Firearm Licensing Authority given the responsibility to
provide approval for the issuance and renewal of firearm licences in
Jamaica.

The Firearms Act of 1947 was not as comprehensive as the FLA currently
is. Its primary objective was to control the manufacturing, sale,
purchasing, importation, exportation possession and use of firearms and
ammunition.

The new system for firearm licencing in Jamaica is more transparent and
has less room for unscrupulous activities to take place.
How long does a firearm license application take?
1. The new application for a firearm license takes 12 months. However,
a request for additional ammunition, disposal permit, firearm
import permit and ammunition import permit all take 5 working
days to be processed.
2. The replacement or exchange of non-defective firearms will take 10
days.
3. How long do the permits last
4. Each permit has a specific permit in which it’s valid. This can be
between 30 days to 5 years depending on the permissions you have
received.

5 Year Permits

 Firearm User’s Licence Card

 Firearm User’s Business Licence
 Firearm User’s (Special) Permit
 Safe Use & Handling Assessment

1 Year Permits

 Firearm User’s Licence Fee Certificate

 Firearm User’s Employee Certificate
 Firearm Dealer’s Licence
 Gunsmith’s Licence

30 Day Permits

 Disposal Permit
 Permits Valid For A Specific Period or Event
 Provisional Permit (Bird Hunting Season)
 Minor Permit (Bird Hunting Season)
 Firearm Import Permit
At what age can you get your licensed firearm in Jamaica?
You must be 18 years old to own a licensed firearm in Jamaica. However, a
provisional permit can be applied for from the age of 17 while minors (11-
16), with the help of a primary holder, can apply for a minor permit.

How do you apply for a provisional or minor permit?

There are a few documents required for your application. You will need:

 Application Form: Minor Application Form (for children 11 years – 16

years) or FLA Application Form (17 years and over)
 1 passport size photo
 Tax Registration Number (TRN)
 Licence fee receipt

Copy of Licence and current licence fee certificate belonging to the

primary holder
Authorization letter from parent/legal guardian (where applicable) &
primary holder of the licence.

Letter of competence: This must be obtained from an approved FLA

trainer. The letter should state the applicant's competence with handling
the shotgun and compliance with safe use standards.

Who can go to a gun range in Jamaica?

Gun ranges are open to the general public in most cases. Only adults, 18
years and older are allowed to go on their own. Minors must be
accompanied by a parent or guardian who is at least 21 years old.

What are the requirements for a gun license in Jamaica?

 1 Application form completed in the handwriting of the applicant
 2 Passport photographs certified by a Justice of the Peace. (The JP’s
stamp should include their registration number.
 Proof of Age (Passport or Birth Certificate; Original and Photocopy).
 Proof of Income (Original and Photocopy)
  2 Recommendations
 Licence Fee Receipt (Original and Photocopy)
 Letter of Justification for application

Additional information for the firearm application process

Both recommendations must come from the following persons. You must
be known to both referees for at least 5 years.

 Minister of Religion (must be a Marriage Officer)

 Justice of the Peace
 School Principal
 Gazetted Rank Police Officer (not below the rank of Deputy
Superintendent)
 Attorney-at-law
 Medical Doctor
 Resident Magistrate
 Member of the J.D.F (Major and above)
 Member of Parliament

Members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force or Jamaica Defence Force

must include a sealed letter from their commanding officer in their
application.

All recommendations must be addressed to the Firearm Licencing

Authority
For proof of income, you will be required to present original and
photocopied payslips for the past 3 months (for fortnightly paid workers
this would be 6 payslips).

For those who are self-employed, a valid Business Tax Compliance

Certificate (TCC) and a valid Individual Tax Compliance Certificate (TCC) are
required where the applicant is a business i.e. a Company, Sole Trader or
Partnership. An official bank statement is also required.
Can I ask someone to drop off my application?
No. All applications must be handed in by the applicant via registered
mail.

Can you bring a firearm into Jamaica?

No. Guns, knives or weapons of any kind are not allowed on the island.

Can Jamaicans Living abroad apply for a Firearm licence in

Jamaica?
Before this, persons living outside the island were not allowed to apply for
permits. But now pensioners, returning residents and persons who work
seasonally abroad are allowed to apply. The same documents are
required.

It is important to note, that those living abroad must travel back to

complete their renewal process in person each year. And, you must have a
permanent residence in Jamaica.

Also, spending most of your time outside of the country might hurt your
application.

Can a person apply for any type of firearm in Jamaica?

No, the only two guns allowed in Jamaica are 9mm pistols and shotguns.

What do you do if you lose your licensed firearm?

In the event that your firearm is lost or stolen, you should report it within
48 hours at the nearest police station. A signed and stamped copy of the
report must also be submitted to the Firearm Licensing Authority. The
report must give full details of the weapons and the circumstances under
which it was lost or stolen.

How should I store my firearm if travelling from the island?

Whenever you are travelling outside of the island, your firearm must be
left at the nearest police station or at the Firearm Licencing Authority.
This must be done in person and failure to comply can result in penalties.
There is a cost associated with leaving your firearm at the FLA. Handguns
cost JMD 300 per month and rifles and shotguns cost JMD 500 per month.

Contact Information
 Address: Headquarters - 91A Old Hope Road. Kingston 6 | Montego
Bay - Shop #9, Bogue City Centre. Bogue, Montego Bay, St. James |
Manchester – Shop G15, James Warehouse Plaza. Mandeville,
Manchester | St. Ann, Lot 60, Dairy Road, Discovery Bay, St. Ann

 Phone: Kingston (Headquarters): (876) 927-5159 - 60 / 927-6057 - 59

|
Montego Bay - (876) 978-0245 | Manchester: Digicel - (876) 927-6073
/ (876) 927-6075 / (876) 618-0487 (Digicel) | St. Ann: Flow- 876-670-
0812 | Digicel- 876-618-2920-21

 Opening Hours: Monday – Thursday: 8:30am - 4:00pm | Fridays:

8:30am - 3:00pm (Closed on Weekends)

I sure hope I covered most of the questions you had. However, if there are
some that I missed, the FLA website has a wealth of information including
fees and application forms. The FLA representatives are also quite
informative.
https://jamaica-star.com/article/
features/20160226/how-getting-gun-
license
How to: Getting a gun license
by
Rosheika Grant
February 26, 2016
 Photo

@Normal:Man Aiming Gun

The need to protect family or property has prompted an increased number of Jamaicans
to get a licensed firearm to aid in their protection. Here is how to apply to the Firearm
Licensing Authority for the legal use of a firearm:
1. Pay the application fee of $12,000 at the tax office and submit the receipt, along with
the completed application form, to the superintendent of police in charge of the
jurisdiction in which you work or do business.
2. The following documents will accompany the completed application form:
• Two passport-size photos - One certified by a Justice of the Peace
• Two recommendations - May be from a justice of the peace, lawyer, medical doctor,
principal and gazetted-rank police officer (not below the rank of deputy superintendent)
and member of the Jamaica Defence Force (major and above).
• A passport or birth certificate for proof of age.
• Original and photocopy of fingerprint receipt.
• Licence booklet or card.
3. Applicants must be able to prove that they have a safe, where the weapon can be
stored when not in use, either at home or business place.
4. Applicants will have to undergo a fingerprint check and a rigorous background check.
Homes and business places are visited, safe inspected, and friends and relatives
interviewed where necessary.
5. The police then check with special branch to ascertain if you are a suitable candidate.
Checks are also made with the Narcotics Division and the National Intelligence Bureau
to rule out serious criminal involvement on a transnational basis, drug smuggling or
deportation.
6. Deportees who were sent home because of immigration violations are not prevented
from carrying licensed firearms.
7. The applicant should not have been convicted for an offence involving a breach of the
Firearms Act or an offence involving violence in Jamaica within the last five years.
8. Investigators will also try to establish whether the person is otherwise unfit - below
age 18, is a drunk, a gambler, short-tempered, prone to the use of violence or, generally
quarrelsome.