Gun Laws in Belize: Licenses, Carry Rules, and Penalties

Gun laws in Belize treat firearm ownership as a government-granted privilege rather than a right, governed by the Firearms Act (Chapter 143 of the Laws of Belize) with the Commissioner of Police as the final licensing authority.¹ Every licensed owner faces caliber restrictions, ammunition caps written into the license itself, mandatory secure storage, and annual renewal tied to their birthday. Penalties are harsher than many expect: even a lapsed license can trigger a mandatory minimum of six months in prison for a first offense.

Who Qualifies for a Firearm License

You must be at least eighteen and either a Belizean citizen or a permanent resident. Beyond those thresholds, the Commissioner of Police applies a “fit and proper person” standard, which is essentially a character assessment. Officers consider your reputation in the community, any history of violence or instability, and whether you have a legitimate reason for wanting a gun.¹

You also have to show a secure place to store the weapon before approval. The Commissioner can deny an application without a detailed explanation, and there is no clearly established statutory appeal route for denials. In practice, the decision is largely discretionary.

License Types and Fees

Belize offers several license categories, each with its own annual fee. The Firearms (Amendment) Act of 2018 updated the fee schedule. Amounts are in Belize Dollars, pegged at 2 BZD to 1 USD.²

Special Protection Licence: BZ$225 for Belizean citizens and CARICOM nationals, BZ$1,500 for non-citizens. This is the license most people seek for personal or business protection, and it is required for restricted calibers like 9mm.
Sport Hunter Licence: BZ$450 for citizens, BZ$750 for non-citizens. Covers documented sporting or hunting activity.
Farmer Gun Licence: BZ$5 for citizens, BZ$25 for non-citizens. The cheapest option, meant for agricultural use such as protecting livestock.
Gun Repair Licence: BZ$200 for citizens, BZ$500 for non-citizens.
Heirloom Firearm Licence: BZ$300 for citizens, BZ$600 for non-citizens, for inherited firearms.
Shooting Range Licence: BZ$1,000 for citizens, BZ$3,000 for non-citizens.
Firearm Safety Instructor Licence: BZ$500 for citizens, BZ$1,500 for non-citizens.
Company Gun Licence: BZ$4,000 to BZ$32,000 for Belizean companies depending on the number of firearms, and BZ$10,000 to BZ$80,000 for non-Belizean companies.

Restricted and Prohibited Firearms

Belize bans automatic weapons outright, along with firearms chambered in military-grade calibers such as .223, 5.56, and 7.62. High-capacity magazines and military-specification ammunition are also prohibited for civilian possession.¹

The 9mm caliber sits in a gray area that catches many people off guard. Common elsewhere in the world, 9mm handguns are restricted here and typically require a Special Protection Licence. You cannot simply buy one with a basic Farmer or Sport Hunter licence.

Possessing a prohibited weapon carries a mandatory minimum of three years in prison and a maximum of seven, regardless of whether the case is tried summarily or on indictment.¹ There is no fine-only alternative, and courts have no discretion to go below three years.

Your license also specifies the exact quantity of ammunition you are authorized to possess. Keeping more rounds than the license allows is an offense under the Firearms Act on the same footing as unlicensed possession.¹ If you need more, you have to request a license modification through the Commissioner.

How to Apply

Applications start with documentation of your identity, residency, and character:

A clean police record from the Belize Police Department. Standard processing is BZ$12 and takes about two weeks; express is BZ$25 and can be ready the same or next day.³
Several passport-sized photographs.
Government identification such as a Belizean passport or Social Security card.
Proof of residency through official utility bills.

Forms are available at any local police station or National Police Department headquarters. Applications ask for your full name, occupation, home address, and a detailed justification for wanting a firearm. That justification is where most applications succeed or fail. A vague answer like “personal safety” carries less weight than a specific one, such as protecting a business that handles large amounts of cash or participating in a licensed shooting club. False information can result in permanent denial.¹

After submission at your local Police Formation, officers do a preliminary review and forward the file to the Commissioner. Expect a formal interview covering your application details, temperament, and basic firearm safety knowledge. Processing runs anywhere from several weeks to several months depending on the backlog. If approved, you pay the annual fee before the permit card is issued. Holding the weapon before payment clears is a violation and can lead to immediate seizure.¹

Renewing on Your Birthday

Every firearm license in Belize expires on the holder’s next birthday after issuance.¹ You can start renewal up to 30 days before that date. Missing the deadline is not just an administrative problem. Once your license expires, you are technically possessing a firearm without a valid license, which triggers the same penalties as unlicensed possession: a mandatory minimum of six months in prison for a first offense.

The law does recognize an expired-but-not-renewed license as a “special extenuating circumstance,” giving a judge discretion to impose a fine of at least BZ$1,000 instead of jail time for a first offense.¹ Judicial discretion is not something to plan around when renewing on time avoids the question entirely.

Storage and Carry Rules

When not in use, the firearm has to sit in a secure, locked container such as a bolted safe. Police officers can inspect your storage at any time without notice. Failing an inspection can bring license revocation and fines, and general penalty provisions allow summary conviction fines up to BZ$5,000 and imprisonment up to two years for negligent storage.¹

A valid license lets you carry in public, but only concealed. Open carry, whether in a visible holster or in your hand, is illegal and grounds for immediate arrest. Displaying a weapon in public is treated as a separate offense from whatever else you were doing.

Carry is prohibited in specific locations including government buildings and schools, and the Commissioner has authority to add restricted places through regulations without a full legislative amendment. Carrying while under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance is a standalone offense under Section 42.¹ Carry violations can bring up to two years on summary conviction and up to five on indictment.

Self-Defense With a Firearm

Section 36 of Belize’s Criminal Code allows the use of force, including lethal force, that is “reasonably necessary” to defend yourself or another person against a crime.⁴ The Constitution echoes this, stating that force resulting in death is not a deprivation of life when “reasonably justifiable” for defense against violence, defense of property, or crime prevention.

The word carrying the weight in both provisions is “reasonably.” Force beyond what the situation demands loses the defense. Shooting someone who posed no lethal threat, or using excessive force out of panic, will not clear you. Section 119 can reduce a murder charge to manslaughter in those cases, but it does not eliminate criminal liability.⁴

Belize has no written “duty to retreat” and no “stand your ground” statute. The proportionality requirement does the work. Courts assess whether the force used matched the threat faced, and whether you could have safely retreated factors into that analysis.

Bringing a Firearm Into Belize

Do not enter Belize with a firearm or ammunition without prior written permission from the Belizean government. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives explicitly warns travelers against carrying firearms into Belize without “prior express consent.”⁵ Arriving at a border or airport with an undeclared weapon will almost certainly result in arrest and prosecution.

Legal import requires working through a licensed Belizean firearm dealer, who handles the regulatory paperwork. Background checks and fingerprinting at a police station in Belmopan are part of the process. Visitors interested in hunting should contact the Embassy of Belize before traveling, since temporary authorizations are handled case by case rather than through a standardized tourist permit.

Penalties for Firearms Offenses

Most firearms offenses fall under Section 32 of the Firearms Act, which sets two tiers depending on how the case is prosecuted.¹

Summary Conviction

First offense: mandatory minimum of six months in prison, maximum of two years, fines up to BZ$5,000. A judge may substitute a fine of at least BZ$1,000 for special extenuating circumstances such as an inadvertently expired license.
Second or subsequent offense: mandatory minimum of eighteen months in prison.

Conviction on Indictment

First offense: mandatory minimum of two years in prison, maximum of five, fines up to BZ$50,000. A judge may substitute a fine of at least BZ$5,000 for special extenuating circumstances.
Second or subsequent offense: mandatory minimum of five years in prison.

Courts can also order forfeiture of any firearms and ammunition connected to the offense. Prohibited weapons draw steeper penalties still: mandatory minimum of three years, maximum of seven, with no fine-only alternative.¹

1
Government of Belize. Belize Code Chapter 143 – Firearms Act
2
National Assembly of Belize. Firearms (Amendment) Act, 2018
3
Belize Police Department. How does the online application work?
4
Government of Belize. Belize Criminal Code Chapter 101
5
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Traveling with Firearms