Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control (Arms Exhibitions — Class Licence) Order 2025

No. S 362

Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act 2021

Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control
(Arms Exhibitions — Class Licence)
Order 2025

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 56 of the Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act 2021, the Minister for Home Affairs makes the following Order:

PART 1

PRELIMINARY

Citation and commencement

1.  This Order is the Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control (Arms Exhibitions — Class Licence) Order 2025 and comes into operation on 1 July 2025.

Definitions

2.—(1)  In this Order —

“arms demonstration exhibition” means an exhibition arranged or held exclusively by or on behalf of the Government at any premises in Singapore —

(a) to do either or both of the following:

(i) temporarily exhibit or display any gun, major part of a gun, gun accessory or explosive or any combination thereof, but not for the purposes of sale, supply by loan or hire or trading;

(ii) temporarily demonstrate or offer target shooting activity involving any gun, major part of a gun, gun accessory or explosive; and

(b) to which individuals are admitted on payment of a fee or charge, or after making a contribution, or admitted free of charge, to attend the exhibition or to enter or remain at those premises where the exhibition takes place or is to take place;

“arms trade fair” means an exhibition arranged or held in the course of business at any premises in Singapore —

(a) to do either or both of the following:

(i) temporarily exhibit or display any gun, major part of a gun or gun accessory, or any combination thereof, for the purposes of sale or supply by loan or hire or trading;

(ii) promote all or any of the following:

(A) the sale, or the supply by way of loan or hire, or the trading, of any gun, major part of a gun or gun accessory, or any combination thereof;

(B) the provision of services in relation to any gun, major part of a gun or gun accessory; and

(b) to which individuals are admitted on payment of a fee or charge, or after making a contribution, or admitted free of charge, to attend the exhibition or to enter or remain at those premises where the exhibition takes place or is to take place;

“business” includes —

(a) a venture or concern in trade or commerce, whether or not conducted on a regular, repetitive or continuous basis; and

(b) any business, whether or not carried on for profit;

“customer”, in relation to an arms trade fair, includes the following:

(a) a prospective customer;

(b) a guest of honour to the arms trade fair;

“deactivated gun” means a gun —

(a) which has been rendered permanently inoperable; or

(b) the breech, chamber and barrel of which have been permanently sealed;

“exhibition” means an exhibition or a display, or a series of exhibitions or displays, or a combination thereof;

“exhibition period”, for an arms demonstration exhibition, means the period —

(a) starting at the time that the arms demonstration exhibition is stated to begin on any publicity material relating to the arms demonstration exhibition; and

(b) ending at the time that the arms demonstration exhibition is stated to end on any publicity material relating to the arms demonstration exhibition,

and includes any period for lead‑in and lead‑out activities and social events connected with the arms demonstration exhibition;

“organiser”, in relation to an arms demonstration exhibition or arms trade fair, means —

(a) a person who is responsible (whether fully or substantially) for promoting, conducting or holding the arms demonstration exhibition or arms trade fair; and

(b) a person who will receive revenue from the sale (if any) of tickets to the arms demonstration exhibition or arms trade fair,

but does not include a person mentioned in section 88(2) of the Act or a person by reason only of being a party to a sponsorship‑like arrangement connected with the arms demonstration exhibition or arms trade fair;

“participating exhibitor”, in relation to an arms trade fair, means a person who is entitled to take part in the arms trade fair as an exhibitor so as to do all or any of the following:

(a) to exhibit or display any gun, major part of a gun or gun accessory, or any combination thereof, for the purposes of sale or supply by loan or hire or trading;

(b) to provide information on, or give a demonstration of, any gun, major part of a gun or gun accessory, or any combination thereof, for the purposes of sale or supply by loan or hire or trading;

(c) to promote all or any of the following at the arms trade fair:

(i) the sale, or the supply by way of loan or hire, or the trading, of any gun, major part of a gun or gun accessory, or any combination thereof;

(ii) the provision of services in relation to any gun, major part of a gun or gun accessory;

“sale” means sale by wholesale or retail, and whether by tender, auction or otherwise;

“security and safety measures, procedures and controls” includes —

(a) securing guns and explosives to prevent any gun, major part of a gun, gun accessory or explosive from being lost or stolen, or coming into the possession or knowledge of an unauthorised person;

(b) reinforcing barriers at any shooting range made available for target shooting activity;

(c) cordoning off or adjusting the boundaries of any demarcated area where any gun or explosive is possessed or controlled; and

(d) deploying personnel to supervise safety and security;

“simulated ammunition or inert projectile” means a simulated ammunition, or an inert projectile, which is approved by a person mentioned in section 88(2) of the Act for the purposes of an arms demonstration exhibition;

“sponsorship‑like arrangement”, for an arms demonstration exhibition or arms trade fair, means —

(a) a right to associate a person or a person’s goods or services with —

(i) the arms demonstration exhibition or arms trade fair;

(ii) an organiser of the arms demonstration exhibition or arms trade fair; or

(iii) any target shooting activity or other activity associated with the arms demonstration exhibition or arms trade fair; or

(b) an affiliation or association (whether commercial or non‑commercial) with —

(i) the arms demonstration exhibition or arms trade fair;

(ii) an organiser of the arms demonstration exhibition or arms trade fair; or

(iii) any target shooting activity or other activity associated with the arms demonstration exhibition or arms trade fair;

“target shooting activity” means the use of any gun to shoot shots, bullets or other missiles at a fixed or moving target;

“trade fair period”, for an arms trade fair, means the period —

(a) starting at the time that the arms trade fair is stated to begin on any publicity material relating to the arms trade fair; and

(b) ending at the time that the arms trade fair is stated to end on any publicity material relating to the arms trade fair,

and includes any period for lead‑in and lead‑out activities and social events connected with the arms trade fair;

“trading” means to import or export or both;

“use” —

(a) in relation to a gun, means —

(i) to fire the gun; or

(ii) to hold the gun so as to cause a reasonable belief that it will be fired, whether or not it is capable of being fired; or

(b) in relation to an explosive which is a simulated ammunition or an inert projectile, means to discharge or fire the explosive;

“visitor”, in relation to an arms demonstration exhibition, means an individual who is lawfully attending in person at the premises where the arms demonstration exhibition is arranged or held, whether or not he or she is undertaking any target shooting activity at the arms demonstration exhibition.

(2)  For the purposes of the definitions of “arms demonstration exhibition” and “arms trade fair”, it does not matter that the arms demonstration exhibition and arms trade fair are organised in connection with any other event.

(3)  For the purposes of this Order, a deactivated gun at an arms demonstration exhibition or arms trade fair is tethered in an appropriate manner only if the deactivated gun is attached by steel cables to a fixed point on the ground or other permanent installation at the premises where the arms demonstration exhibition or arms trade fair is arranged or held in order to prevent its unauthorised removal from the premises.

Application

3.—(1)  This Order does not extend to an individual who is exempt by or under section 87 or 88 of the Act.

(2)  The application of paragraph 4, 6 or 8 to a person is subject to section 66(1) and (2)(c) of the Act.

PART 2

ARMS TRADE FAIR CUSTOMERS

Arms trade fair customer is class licensee

4.  Every individual who —

(a) is lawfully attending in person at any premises in Singapore where an arms trade fair is arranged or held;

(b) is a customer of an organiser of or a participating exhibitor at the arms trade fair;

(c) makes a request at those premises to examine or otherwise use a deactivated gun; and

(d) is, because of his or her request, expressly authorised by —

(i) an organiser of or a participating exhibitor at the arms trade fair; or

(ii) an employee of an organiser of or a participating exhibitor at the arms trade fair,

to use or possess the deactivated gun at those premises,

is subject to a class licence authorising the individual’s use and possession of the deactivated gun during the trade fair period of the arms trade fair and at those premises where the arms trade fair is arranged or held.

Conditions of customer’s class licence

5.  A class licensee by virtue of paragraph 4 may use and possess a deactivated gun at an arms trade fair subject to all the following conditions:

(a) the class licensee uses or has possession of the deactivated gun only —

(i) within the premises where the arms trade fair is arranged or held; and

(ii) during the trade fair period of the arms trade fair;

(b) the class licensee does not, when using or in possession of the deactivated gun, intentionally or negligently do anything to cause the deactivated gun to cease to be tethered in the appropriate manner;

(c) the class licensee, when using or in possession of the deactivated gun, complies with every direction that is given by an organiser of or a participating exhibitor at the arms trade fair, or an employee of an organiser of or a participating exhibitor at the arms trade fair, that —

(i) is for the surveillance and security of the premises where the arms trade fair is arranged or held;

(ii) is a security and safety measure, procedure and control for the arms trade fair; or

(iii) is to reduce any safety risk from the use of the deactivated gun.

PART 3

ARMS DEMONSTRATION EXHIBITIONS

Division 1 — Organiser

Organiser of arms demonstration exhibition and employees are class licensees

6.—(1)  Every person who is an organiser of an arms demonstration exhibition arranged or held at any premises in Singapore is subject to a class licence authorising the person’s use and possession of any of the following items within those premises during the exhibition period of the arms demonstration exhibition:

(a) any gun;

(b) any simulated ammunition or inert projectile to operate, in those premises, a shooting range at which visitors to the arms demonstration exhibition may undertake target shooting activity;

(c) any deactivated gun for the purposes of providing information or giving a demonstration to visitors attending the arms demonstration exhibition at those premises.

(2)  Every individual who is an employee of a class licensee in sub‑paragraph (1) is subject to a class licence authorising the individual’s use and possession, in the course of his or her employment, of any item mentioned in sub‑paragraph (1) —

(a) within the premises where an arms demonstration exhibition organised by the class licensee is arranged or held; and

(b) during the exhibition period of the arms demonstration exhibition.

Conditions of organiser’s, etc., class licence

7.—(1)  A class licensee by virtue of paragraph 6(1) or (2) may use or possess any item mentioned in paragraph 6(1) subject to all the following conditions and other applicable conditions in sub‑paragraph (2) or (3):

(a) the class licensee does not intentionally or negligently abandon the item or allow it to be abandoned;

(b) the class licensee ensures that the item is not taken out, or allowed to be taken out, at any time during the exhibition period of the arms demonstration exhibition, from the premises where the arms demonstration exhibition is arranged or held by a person not authorised by or under the Act to possess the item;

(c) the class licensee ensures that the possession of the item is not transferred, or allowed to be transferred, to another person unless the other person first produces to the class licensee acceptable proof of the person’s authorisation by or under the Act to possess the item;

(d) the class licensee clearly demarcates, within those premises where the arms demonstration exhibition is arranged or held, each of the following areas:

(i) a space that is for the exclusive exhibition or display of guns, major parts of guns or gun accessories or explosives involved in the arms demonstration exhibition;

(ii) a space for visitors to undertake target shooting activity, if any;

(e) the class licensee prominently displays, during the exhibition period of the arms demonstration exhibition, at each entrance to, and exit (including an emergency exit) from, every area demarcated under sub‑paragraph (d), a conspicuous sign stating —

(i) that the space is for the exclusive exhibition or display of guns, major parts of guns or gun accessories or explosives or for visitors to undertake target shooting activity, as the case may be; and

(ii) that entry and remaining within the space is restricted;

(f) the class licensee ensures that —

(i) those guns, major parts of guns or gun accessories or explosives are, during the exhibition period of the arms demonstration exhibition, exhibited or displayed within the area demarcated under sub‑paragraph (d)(i); and

(ii) target shooting activity (if any) is undertaken only within the area demarcated under sub‑paragraph (d)(ii) and no other activity is undertaken in that area;

(g) the class licensee establishes and applies, at all times during the exhibition period of the arms demonstration exhibition, and within the premises where the arms demonstration exhibition is arranged or held, the following:

(i) appropriate security and safety measures, procedures and controls for the arms demonstration exhibition;

(ii) appropriate measures to reduce any safety risk from the use of the deactivated gun or any target shooting activity or both.

(2)  With respect to every deactivated gun in the class licensee’s possession in connection with the arms demonstration exhibition, the class licensee also —

(a) must ensure that the deactivated gun is, at all times during the exhibition period of the arms demonstration exhibition, tethered in the appropriate manner; and

(b) must not, when using or in possession of the deactivated gun, intentionally or negligently do anything to cause the deactivated gun to cease to be tethered in the appropriate manner.

(3)  In addition to sub‑paragraphs (1) and (2), the class licensee must, with respect to every target shooting activity undertaken during the exhibition period of the arms demonstration exhibition within the area demarcated under sub‑paragraph (1)(d)(ii), ensure that the projectiles of guns used in the target shooting activity are only simulated ammunition or inert projectiles.

(4)  For the purpose of sub‑paragraph (1)(b), “authorised by or under the Act”, for possession of any item mentioned in paragraph 6(1), means authorised to possess the item without committing an offence under the Act, because of —

(a) a provision in the Act;

(b) a licence or a class licence; or

(c) an exemption by or under section 87, 88 or 89 of the Act.

Division 2 — Visitor

Arms demonstration exhibition visitor is class licensee

8.—(1)  Every individual who —

(a) is a visitor to an arms demonstration exhibition;

(b) makes a request at the premises where the arms demonstration exhibition is arranged or held to examine or otherwise use a deactivated gun; and

(c) is, because of his or her request, expressly authorised by —

(i) an organiser of the arms demonstration exhibition; or

(ii) an employee of an organiser of the arms demonstration exhibition,

to use or have possession of the deactivated gun at those premises,

is subject to a class licence authorising the individual’s use and possession of the deactivated gun during the exhibition period of the arms demonstration exhibition and at those premises where the arms demonstration exhibition is arranged or held.

(2)  Every individual who —

(a) is a visitor to an arms demonstration exhibition;

(b) makes a request at the premises where the arms demonstration exhibition is arranged or held to undertake any target shooting activity at those premises; and

(c) undertakes target shooting activity at those premises using any simulated ammunition or inert projectile, with the express authorisation by —

(i) an organiser of the arms demonstration exhibition; or

(ii) an employee of an organiser of the arms demonstration exhibition,

is subject to a class licence authorising the individual’s use and possession of the gun and any simulated ammunition or inert projectile at those premises during the exhibition period of the arms demonstration exhibition.

Conditions of visitor’s class licence

9.—(1)  A visitor to an arms demonstration exhibition who is a class licensee by virtue of paragraph 8(1) may use and possess any deactivated gun at the arms demonstration exhibition subject to all the following conditions:

(a) the visitor uses or has possession of the deactivated gun only —

(i) within the area demarcated under paragraph 7(1)(d)(i); and

(ii) during the exhibition period of the arms demonstration exhibition;

(b) the visitor does not, when using or in possession of the deactivated gun, intentionally or negligently do anything to cause the deactivated gun to cease to be tethered in the appropriate manner;

(c) the visitor, particularly when using or possessing the deactivated gun, complies with every direction given by an organiser of the arms demonstration exhibition, or an employee of an organiser of the arms demonstration exhibition, under paragraph 7(1)(g), that —

(i) is for the surveillance and security of the premises where the arms demonstration exhibition is arranged or held;

(ii) is a security and safety measure relating to the conduct of the arms demonstration exhibition; or

(iii) is to reduce any safety risk from the use of the deactivated gun.

(2)  A visitor to an arms demonstration exhibition who is a class licensee by virtue of paragraph 8(2) may undertake target shooting activity using any gun, simulated ammunition or inert projectile at the arms demonstration exhibition subject to all the following conditions:

(a) the class licensee uses or possesses the gun and the simulated ammunition or inert projectile only —

(i) within the area demarcated under paragraph 7(1)(d)(ii) for target shooting activity; and

(ii) during the exhibition period of the arms demonstration exhibition;

(b) the class licensee, when using or possessing the gun, simulated ammunition or inert projectile, complies with every direction given by an organiser of the arms demonstration exhibition, or an employee of an organiser of the arms demonstration exhibition, under paragraph 7(1)(g), that —

(i) is for the surveillance and security of the premises where the target shooting activity is to take place; or

(ii) is a security and safety measure relating to the use of the gun, simulated ammunition or inert projectile during the target shooting activity.

Made on 26 May 2025.

PANG KIN KEONG

Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Home Affairs,
Singapore.

[112/2/029; AG/LEGIS/SL/121C/2020/21]

(To be presented to Parliament under section 92 of the Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act 2021).