Gun-Law

Hi could some-one tell me about the gunlaws in the D.R.,
I am about to start a business here and for that I would like to know if I need to protect my-self.
Thank you.

As a rule, a business owner who has Dominican Residence can obtain a permit. I know that the fees for a licence have increase a lot. Perhaps someone else can supply further info

You must be a citizen or a legal resident and you must present a valid reason for owning a firarm. A license is required for all firearms, including pistols, shotguns, even BB guns. It is illegal for private citizens to posess rifles in the Dominican The first license investigation is very time consuming, and even after that, the yearly renewal is only time consuming, not very time consuming. All paperwork must be done in Santo Domingo and it is not unusual to spend an entire day there only to find that you must return the next day. Even to renew the permit, it takes a minimum of two trips to the capital. I do not remember the cost of my last annual renewal (I have not renewed this year because I am out of the country)but I think it was about RD $4,000 or $5,000. My first permit, in 1989, cost me about U.S. $50.00.

For a business, in my opinion, you are better off hiring a private security guard. The cost in pesos is high but low in terms of the time you must spend in the government offices trying to process the paper work. Good luck>

Thanks for the responses and info.

I don't like guns and I try to keep away from them.

My experience is that anybody can own a gun here if they have the money. Most guns that are sold in legal gun shops include their licence. The laws mentioned by Capt. Emmons probably do exist but like the majority of the laws here they are not inforced to the last detail.

You are better of staying away from guns as they usually bring more problems than they are worth.

I bought a Smith and Wesson 9MM Hand gun about 6 years ago.
At that time I paid RD $24000 Pesos ( $1500 ) That included a Licence/ Each year I have to pay $ 1000 pesos ($62)
I keep it in my home for security.

Didn't it not go up "MUCHO" this year?

Was that for a model 59 (16 shot alloy)? Thats about 1000.00 more than the US, but likely you don't have much choice

Prices on new handguns in the DR are around 3 to 4 times higher than in the US. 10 years ago, I sold a S&W Mod.95 in Canada for Can.$500.00 (US$350.00). The price here for the same Mod.was about (US$1350.00)

i wouldnt be advertising

How about prices on the tons of .45 ACP's we gave to the Govt in the DR? There seems to be tons of them in everyones waistbands?

Tom

Re: AMET Guns?

Speaking of Guns - Does anyone know what type of small handgun the new AMET police carry in Santo Domingo?

Erm... do I get it right from this thread that every
idiot in the DR can buy himself a gun and start robbing/shooting
people with it?
It seems to me that to the US people this is the most normal
thing in the world but to me as an European it's not really a
nice thought that everyone on the street COULD have a gun ...
Should I get one too when I live there or???

I'm a bit confused here...

Marco

You are misinformed. Know the facts.

If you are a criminal and want to rob people, then it really doesn't matter if guns are legal or not because you obviously would not care what the law says and would get one if you wanted one. So your argument about any idiot being able to buy a gun doesn't hold. Any idiot can buy an gun in Europe as well. They just can't do it legally, and if they are criminals, what do they care.

FACT: US States where most private citizens can carry a concealed weapon, major crime has fallen DRAMATICALLY. The fall in crime did not result from an increased use of guns, but from potential criminals avoiding confrontations. In fact, criminals apparently shifted to lower-risk offenses. See <A HREF="http://www.ncpa.org/~ncpa/pi/crime/pdcrm/pdcrm20.htm">http://www.ncpa.org/~ncpa/pi/crime/pdcrm/pdcrm20.htm</A>.

When guns are legally restricted, only the criminals are armed, because they don't care what the law says. Honest citizens with guns do not commit crimes.

When citizens are armed, criminals are less likely to rob because they might be shot by a citizen. When the citizens are not armed, they can rob freely.

Jim Hinsch
JimHinsch@CSI.COM

.45 ACP's

As a rule, only the police & military can leagally(sic) carry a 45 cal. in the DR. (That of course includes the retired).

Um... I didn't mean to start a pro/con gun-lobby argument
here really. I know how a lot of Americans think about guns.

I personally don't like the idea of having to buy a gun because
everyone else who might become troublesome towards me might
carry one. I guess European ideas differ 180 degrees on this
subject compared to the USA.

But to get this straight: Is it easy for every person in the DR
to carry a gun or not? And if yes: is it common for people to
arm themselves with firearms?

Re: AMET Guns?

My wife's nephew is visiting here the US and lives in Santiago. He said they carry 44 magnums.

Jim, I would argue that crime has decreased for many other reasons, including the perceived state of the economy. The gun control laws only ban attack weapons and want stricter controls on selling, purchasing and registering hand guns. Most of the guns used in crimes are legally bought in states with less strict rules and are illegally owned in another state. You have been reading way too many NRA brochures. I heard that their constitution was changed so Charles Heston could remain as president of the organization. Changing the constitution, how about the 2nd admendment. Not all of us US citizens like guns.
Also, the statistics show that you or a family member is more likely to shot a gun is you keep it in your home. Tom F.

The Dominicans that carry guns and are not in uniform are usually off duty, retired or plain clothes police officers or military. The other Dominicans who carry guns are those with property to protect. A poor Dominican does not have the means to purchase or maintain a gun. There are others who are aligned with the drug mafias in the US, but they aren't robbing people either. Most people suspect that much of the crime in the DR is being done by police officers.

I can't answer about how easy it is to get a gun because I never inquired, but I've seen plenty of Dominican people packing firearms, including the guy at the local colmado with a pistol shoved in his belt.

In general, unless somebody is a member of some police/guard/military, a business owner at his place of business, etc., you won't see people walking around armed.

--I personally don't like the idea of having to buy a gun because everyone else who might become troublesome towards me might carry one. --

Your reasoning doesn't make sense to me. Are you planning on having a gun fight? Are you going to carry a knife because everyone who might become troublesome towards you has one? You are going to defend yourself against a knife with a knife?

Walk away buddy. One doesn't need a gun to cause great bodily harm or death. The same can and is accomplished with plenty of other readily available weapons including machetes, knives, a tire iron, a broken beer bottle, a big rock, a large stick, a big fist, a good boot, or a spiked heel. Even when somebody looses a fight, they might come back with friends and/or weapons. You don't need this kind of trouble.

I've never personally seen a gun used in a personal confrontation, but I've seen the latter items, plenty of times. This applies everywhere, not just the Dominican Republic. It is senseless to worry about who might or might not be carrying a firearm. If someone wants to hurt you, they will find a way. You don't want to get in a fight with someone that feels they have a hell of a lot less than you to loose or just doesn't care. This applies in Europe, America, Canada, and everywhere else.