Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control (Type 3 Weapons — Exemption) Order 2025

No. S 370

Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act 2021

Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control
(Type 3 Weapons — Exemption)
Order 2025

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 87(3) of the Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act 2021, the Minister for Home Affairs makes the following Order:

Citation and commencement

1.  This Order is the Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control (Type 3 Weapons — Exemption) Order 2025 and comes into operation on 1 July 2025.

Definitions

2.  In this Order —

“bayonet” means a thrusting, striking or cutting weapon designed to be attached to or at the muzzle of a gun;

“display to the general public” means to display as part of an exhibition which is open to any member of the public as of right or by virtue of express or implied permission, whether or not on payment of a fee;

“disposing” means destroying or handling with a view to destroying, and includes rendering harmless;

“manufacture”, in relation to a weapon, includes any of the following:

(a) the assembling of a weapon from parts of a weapon (but excludes repair);

(b) the testing of the assembled object or thing as a weapon;

“spear” means a thrusting, throwing, striking or cutting weapon to be propelled by human power without the use of any device, and includes a halberd, glaive and a martial arts weapon called “Guandao” or “Yanyuedao”;

“sword” means a thrusting, striking or cutting weapon with a long blade having one or 2 cutting edges and a hilt and includes any bolo, kukri or hooked swords, but excludes any of the following:

(a) a machete;

(b) a parang;

“Type 3 weapon” means any of the following weapons:

(a) an axe, including a tomahawk, a “Ge”, a parashu or an “Ono”;

(b) a machete or parang;

(c) a scythe, or sickle‑shaped article designed as a weapon, that has a fixed or folding blade, and may or may not have a chain attached;

(d) a diving knife or hunting knife,

but not any of the following:

(e) a bayonet;

(f) a sword;

(g) a throwing knife;

(h) a kris, karambit, kirpan or dirk;

(i) a spear;

(j) a sharp pointed stabbing instrument commonly called a push knife, push dagger or trench knife.

Licence not needed for manufacturing, etc., Type 3 weapon

3.  A person is exempt from sections 29(1), 30(1) and 33 of the Act for undertaking any of the following activities, either in the course of the person’s employment or engagement or in the course of carrying on the person’s business:

(a) manufacturing or taking part in the manufacture of, or repairing or taking part in the repair of, any Type 3 weapon;

(b) acquiring, or taking part in the acquisition of, and possessing, any Type 3 weapon for the purpose of that manufacture or repair;

(c) disposing of any Type 3 weapon in the course of that manufacture or repair;

(d) storing any Type 3 weapon when the Type 3 weapon is not being handled in connection with any activity mentioned in sub‑paragraph (a), (b) or (c).

Licence not needed for trading in Type 3 weapon

4.  A person is exempt from sections 29(1), 31 and 33 of the Act for undertaking any of the following activities, either in the course of the person’s employment or engagement or in the course of carrying on the person’s business:

(a) importing or exporting, or taking part in the importing or exporting, of any Type 3 weapon;

(b) acquiring, or taking part in the acquisition of, and possessing, any Type 3 weapon for the purposes of that importing or exporting;

(c) disposing of any Type 3 weapon which was acquired for the purposes of that importing or exporting, or having in the person’s possession after that importing or before that exporting;

(d) storing any Type 3 weapon when the Type 3 weapon is not being handled in connection with any activity mentioned in sub‑paragraph (a), (b) or (c).

Licence not needed for supply of Type 3 weapon

5.  A person is exempt from the requirement in sections 29(1), 32(1) and 33 of the Act for undertaking any of the following activities, either in the course of the person’s employment or engagement or in the course of carrying on the person’s business:

(a) supplying any Type 3 weapon;

(b) acquiring, or taking part in the acquisition of, and possessing, any Type 3 weapon for the purposes of that supply;

(c) disposing of any Type 3 weapon which was acquired or in the person’s possession for the purposes of that supply;

(d) storing any Type 3 weapon when the Type 3 weapon is not being handled in connection with any activity mentioned in sub‑paragraph (a), (b) or (c).

Licence not needed for carrier of Type 3 weapon

6.—(1)  A person is exempt from sections 29(1), 32(1) and 33 of the Act for undertaking any of the following activities either in the course of the person’s employment or engagement or in the course of carrying on the person’s business, and whether on hire or on own account:

(a) conveying a Type 3 weapon consignment in any conveyance on a Singapore journey;

(b) acquiring, or taking part in the acquisition of, and possessing, any Type 3 weapon for the purposes of that conveying;

(c) disposing of any Type 3 weapon which was acquired or in the person’s possession for the purposes of that conveying.

(2)  In this paragraph, a “Type 3 weapon consignment” means one or more batches of Type 3 weapons (and no other types of weapons) that is or are conveyed on a Singapore journey —

(a) at the same time; and

(b) on one and the same conveyance, or on a motor vehicle in the same convoy of not more than 4 motor vehicles,

and “batch” and “Singapore journey” have the respective meanings given by regulation 2(1) of the Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control (Weapons and Noxious Substances) Regulations 2025 (G.N. No. S 361/2025).

Licence not needed to possess Type 3 weapon for ornamental or vocational purposes

7.  An individual is exempt from section 29(1) of the Act for undertaking any of the following activities:

(a) carrying, handling or otherwise possessing a Type 3 weapon for the individual’s personal use for any of the following purposes, and no other purposes:

(i) as an ornament for display to the general public or otherwise;

(ii) as a curio or as part of a collection due to the Type 3 weapon’s commemorative, historical, thematic or heirloom value;

(iii) as a tool or implement to carry out manual work in the course of the individual’s vocation or employment, or the individual’s lessons or training, that requires the use of the Type 3 weapon;

(iv) as a tool or implement to carry out, either for the individual’s own food or personal recreation or hobby —

(A) any cultivation of plants or keeping of fish, bees or animals; or

(B) any gardening, landscaping or other similar manual work that requires the use of the Type 3 weapon;

(b) storing any Type 3 weapon when the Type 3 weapon is not being handled in connection with any activity mentioned in sub‑paragraph (a)(iii) or (iv).

Licence not needed to acquire Type 3 weapon for ornamental or vocational purposes

8.  An individual who is not and has not been found or declared to be of unsound mind is exempt from section 33(1) of the Act for acquiring, or taking part in the acquisition of, one or more Type 3 weapons for the individual’s personal use for any of the following purposes, and no other purposes:

(a) as an ornament for display to the general public or otherwise;

(b) as a curio or as part of a collection due to the Type 3 weapon’s commemorative, historical, thematic or heirloom value;

(c) as a tool or an implement to carry out manual work in the course of the individual’s vocation or employment, or the individual’s lessons or training, that requires the use of the Type 3 weapon;

(d) as a tool or an implement to carry out, either for the individual’s own food or personal recreation or hobby —

(i) any cultivation of plants or keeping of fish, bees or animals; or

(ii) any gardening, landscaping or other similar manual work that requires the use of the Type 3 weapon.

Persons not covered by exemption

9.—(1)  This Order does not extend to a passenger or crew member, or the master, of a ship that departs, on or after 1 July 2025, from Singapore waters on a voyage where —

(a) the passenger, crew member or master (as the case may be) entered Singapore on board the same ship; and

(b) that ship arrived in Singapore waters from a place outside Singapore on or after the 30th day before the date the ship departs, and for this purpose, any such arrival before 1 July 2025 is reckonable.

(2)  In sub‑paragraph (1), “crew member”, “master”, “passenger”, “Singapore waters”, “ship” and “voyage” have the meanings given by the Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control (Maritime Industry — Exemption) Order 2025 (G.N. No. S 373/2025).

(3)  This Order also does not extend to exempt an individual who is or is found or declared to be of unsound mind.

Made on 23 May 2025.

PANG KIN KEONG

Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Home Affairs,
Singapore.

[112/2/029; AG/LEGIS/SL/121C/2020/17]

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