Retirees should know about Costa Rica’s strict gun laws
Gun laws in the United States are a constitutional right. According to the Second Amendment of the United States: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
Almost anyone can obtain weapons in the US due to the second amendment, weak background checks, and lack of thorough regulation and screening. As recent massacres will attest to, a lot of disturbed people have slipped through the cracks and killed hundreds of innocent people as a result. Sadly, this trend seems to be on the rise.
On the other hand, owning a handgun in Costa Rica is not a constitutional right as in the States. Quoting the Costa Rican Supreme Court’s logic behind this decision, ”Different empirical studies have demonstrated that in those countries where its inhabitants have a high number of gun ownership, the most violent crimes are committed against human life and physical integrity.”
The court’s opinion is easy to understand since Costa Rica is a country without an army and with an enduring pacifist tradition. Basically, it is the state’s responsibility to regulate activities that cause harm to its citizens.
The law which regulates weapons in Costa Rica is appropriately named the Law of Arms and Explosives (Ley de Armas y Explosivos) and its accompanying regulations to the law (Reglamento a La Ley de Armas y Explosivos).
Furthermore, only citizens of Costa Rica and Permanent Residents with a valid permanent residency card are allowed to own, register or carry weapons. If you have a Temporary Residency category you will NOT be able to do so. The current limit is three handguns per person which will soon be reduced to two. NO military weapons like assault rifles may be owned by private individuals. A corporation may also be the registered owner of a firearm.
In order to further control weapons, gun permits have to be renewed every two years by taking a battery of psychological tests.
The law clearly states the following that restricts the ownership and carrying of guns:
Nobody with a criminal record may possess a gun. Thus, those with records of drug arrests, involved in acts of kidnapping, domestic violence, sex crimes like rape, attempted murder, or any other violent acts may not have a gun legally. Those with physical and impairments cannot own weapons, either.
As you can see gun ownership is much stricter there than in the United States.
To find out more details about gun ownership and registration see these two articles from Costa Rica Law’s site:
Guns in Costa Rica – Ownership and Registration
New Gun Control Law in Costa Rica
