How to Store Your Gun Collection Safely and Legally
Every licensed firearm owner in Malta has to store their firearms properly. It's a condition of your license, it protects your family, and it keeps your firearms out of the wrong hands if your home is ever broken into.
This guide covers what the law expects, how to choose a safe, how to deal with Malta's humidity, and what to do when you move house or something goes missing.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Requirements can change, so always confirm with the Police Weapons Office.
What the law says about storage
Malta's Arms Act (Chapter 480) is short on storage detail, but two points are clear:
Firearms must be kept so they can't fall into anyone else's hands. This applies to every license holder and dealer.
Firearms and ammunition are kept locked, safely and separately, at the premises named on your license, and firearms are kept unloaded. Your license is granted on this condition.
Your firearms must always be kept at the residence where your ID card is registered, the premises named on your license.
In practice, that means a proper safe, firearms unloaded, ammunition locked away separately, and keys or codes that only you can get to.
The Police can inspect how licensed firearms are kept. It's very rare, but your storage should always be ready to show.
Choosing a safe
A good safe is the centre of safe storage. When you're choosing one, think about:
Size: fit what you own now and leave room for what you're likely to add. Rifles need a tall cabinet; pistols can go in a smaller safe. Overcrowding scratches stocks and finishes.
Lock type: key, mechanical combination, electronic keypad or fingerprint. Choose one you'll use properly every time, and keep spare keys or codes secure.
Anchoring: bolt the safe to the floor or a wall so it can't be carried away. Many Maltese homes have solid stone walls and floors, which are ideal for fixing a safe.
A separate ammunition compartment, or a second lockable box, so ammunition is kept apart from your firearms.
👉 Browse safes on the Maltaguns marketplace, or find a store near you on our stores page.
Where to put it
Somewhere private and out of sight, not in a garage, shed or anywhere visitors pass through.
Out of reach of children, and never in a spot they know about.
Away from damp external walls and bathrooms.
Keep your firearms in the safe rather than on display. A rifle hanging on a wall isn't locked away, and in older houses the limestone walls hold moisture that will rust it.
Dealing with Malta's humidity
Humidity is the biggest threat to firearms kept in Malta, especially in summer and in older houses. Rust can start in a closed safe without you noticing.
Put silica gel packs in the safe and dry them out regularly, or fit a small safe dehumidifier.
Wipe metal parts with a light coat of gun oil before storing.
Open and check your firearms every few weeks, even if you haven't used them.
Our cleaning and maintenance guide explains how to protect your firearms from rust.
Storing firearms somewhere else temporarily
If you need to keep firearms at a different location for a while, for example during building works or a long stay elsewhere, speak to the Police first and tell them:
which firearms from your license will be stored there
why they need to be stored there
the safety measures you have in place to keep them secure
Never move firearms to another address without informing the Police.
Taking firearms to the range
A lockable hard case is the right way to carry firearms to and from your club or range. Keep them unloaded and cased, and go straight there and back. A case is for transport only: at home, firearms go back in the safe.
Moving house, loss and theft
Moving house: your license names the premises where your firearms are kept. Tell the Police about the change at least 15 days before you move.
Loss or theft: report it to the Police within 24 hours of finding out.
Keeping a list of your firearms with photos and serial numbers makes a report much easier, and helps with any insurance claim.
Talk to your household
Everyone at home should know that firearms are kept locked away and are never to be touched. Keep keys and codes to yourself. If you have children, explain early and simply that firearms aren't toys, and never leave one out, even for a moment.
FAQs
Do I need a safe for my firearms?
Yes. Your firearms must be kept locked and safe at the premises named on your license, so that nobody else can get to them.
Can I keep ammunition in the same safe?
Keep it locked away separately from your firearms, for example in a separate lockable compartment or box.
Can I keep my firearms at another address?
Firearms are kept at the residence where your ID card is registered. For temporary storage elsewhere, speak to the Police first and tell them which firearms, why, and how they will be kept secure.
Can I display my firearms on a wall?
No. Firearms should be locked in your safe, not on display.
I'm moving house. What do I need to do?
Tell the Police at least 15 days before the move, because your license names the premises where your firearms are kept.
My firearm has been stolen. What should I do?
Report it to the Police within 24 hours of finding out.
I've inherited firearms. How should they be stored?
Contact the Police Weapons Office first. Our guide to inheriting firearms in Malta explains your options.
Official contact: Police Weapons Office
Address: Police General Headquarters, St. Calcedonius Square, Floriana, FRN 1530 (pulizija.gov.mt/en/contact)
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 7:30 AM – 2:15 PM (closed for a 15-minute break, 12:00 PM – 12:15 PM). Hours may change. Check with the Police before visiting.
Email: weapons.police@gov.mt
Telephone: 2294 2110
Requirements can change. Always confirm with the Police Weapons Office.