More Than 200,000 People in Kazakhstan Legally Own Weapons
Illustration: elements.envato.com
More than 200,000 people in Kazakhstan officially own weapons. Over the past year and a half, police have revoked more than 1,400 permits to store and carry them, Orda.kz reports.
According to the Interior Ministry’s response to Orda.kz’s request, registered owners hold more than 290,000 weapons in Kazakhstan. These include rifled, smoothbore, gas, electric and pneumatic weapons.
In 2025 and the first five months of 2026, the Interior Ministry revoked 1415 permits for storing and carrying weapons. The main reason was violations of weapons circulation rules.
A permit may be suspended or revoked for several reasons, including lack of permanent residence, improper storage conditions, unpaid debts under enforcement proceedings, failure to undergo control shooting on time, administrative or criminal offenses, a criminal record, medical contraindications, or a protective order in a domestic violence case.
The ministry also said it does not keep records of gun owners by age group.
The Interior Ministry added that it is working to improve legislation on weapons circulation and is studying international practice with national security in mind. According to the response, the current parliament has already approved a new gun-control bill, but no details have been provided yet.
Original author: Eva Golovintseva
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