In its legally binding ruling of 23.10.2023, the OVG NRW issued a clarification of the legal regulations for the safe storage of keys for gun cabinets with key locks. This clarification has been sent to all gun owners in Lippe (firearms requiring a license) with a corresponding information letter.
New: According to the ruling, gun owners who use a gun cabinet with a key lock now only guarantee the safe storage of weapons and ammunition if the key to the respective gun cabinet is kept in another container.
This must have at least the same security level that must also be maintained for the firearms. Furthermore, this container is only sufficient if it is locked with a combination lock or a biometric locking system, for example a fingerprint scan lock.
When choosing the numerical code, it must be taken into account that the code must be chosen in such a way that the gun owner can remember it without having to write it down and without relatives, friends or acquaintances being able to guess it with a small number of attempts. Keeping the key to the gun cabinet "in your pocket" no longer meets the requirements of firearms legislation.
The implementation of this change does not have to be proven to the weapons authority at first. However, the weapons authority points out to all weapon owners that the implementation can be checked at any time during a storage check and that a violation of this ruling can lead to unreliability under weapons law and the revocation of the weapons law permit.
If you have any further questions about your letter, you can contact the Lippe weapons authority by email at waffenrecht.lippe [at] polizei.nrw.de (waffenrecht[dot]lippe[at]polizei[dot]nrw[dot]de) or Monday - Friday from 8 a.m. - 12 noon and Tuesday + Thursday additionally from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. by telephone on (05231) 609 2121.