Parker, Sarah. 2011 ‘Balancing Act: Regulation of Civilian Firearm Possession.’ Small Arms Survey 2011: States of Security; Chapter 9, p. 278. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 6 July

Relevant contents

Criminal Record

Yemen refuses a licence to anyone who has been convicted of a 'serious crime'; has been imprisoned for at least seven months for a crime involving assault, money, or honour; has been convicted twice of any of these crimes within the same year; or has been convicted of a crime involving the use of a firearm.

In many jurisdictions, licensing authorities pay particular attention to whether the applicant has committed violent crimes, especially those involving sexual violence, domestic violence, or interpersonal violence; that is the case in Australia's Victoria, Kenya, New Zealand, South Africa, and Switzerland. For example, in New Zealand the licensing officer may reject a firearm licence if a protection order under the Domestic Violence Act 1995 is in force against the applicant, but he or she is not obliged to decide accordingly.

Likewise, in the United States, federal law prohibits the purchase and possession of firearms and ammunition by those who have been convicted of a misdemeanour involving domestic violence or who are subject to certain kinds of domestic violence protective orders. Some states go further and strengthen these requirements, giving the police the authority to remove firearms at the scene of a domestic violence incident, to remove firearms from the abuser when a protection order is granted, or to require the abuser to surrender his firearms.

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