Hunters: How To Declare Your Firearms On The Sia?
Since February 8, 2023, hunters and all individuals who possess hunting weapons must declare them on the SIA or Arms Information System. We will explain how to make this declaration through a personal account that you must first create online.
"What is a personal SIA account?"
French regulation regarding weapons has changed since February 8, 2023, with the obligation to declare hunting weapons on the SIA or System of Information on Weapons. Hunters who own one or more weapons have until December 31, 2023 to make this declaration via a personal SIA account. Eventually, this obligation to create a personal online account and declare one's weapons will concern all private owners of weapons. The objective of this measure is of course to ensure better inventory and traceability of weapons held by individuals in France.
2- Who is affected by this obligation?
For now, the obligation to create a personal SIA account applies to gun owners who:
- are of legal age
- have or have had a hunting license.
This measure applies to both active hunters who have validated their hunting license for the current year and, more broadly, to all hunters, even if they have not renewed their validation.
In summary, anyone who has ever obtained a hunting license and who owns at least one firearm must create a personal SIA account. It is not necessary to have a valid hunting license to create this account. However, a valid hunting license is mandatory to acquire a firearm.
Regarding firearms to be declared via this personal space, note that you must declare all hunting firearms in your possession, except for smoothbore firearms firing only one shot per barrel acquired before December 1, 2011.
3- How to create a personal SIA account?
If you are a hunter concerned about this new obligation to declare your weapons, know that you must have an email address and provide certain documents to create your personal SIA account.
The required documents are:
• a valid ID
• proof of address dated within the last 3 months
• if applicable, your hunting license.
As these documents are required in digital format, you must scan or take a photo of them with your phone.
You must then go to the dedicated website of the System for Information on Weapons (see link below). From the homepage of this site, you can download a user guide in PDF format that guides you step by step.
Once you have created this personal account, a personal SIA number is assigned to you for the entire duration of weapon possession. You will need to present it to your gunsmith before each intervention on your weapon.
Attention: do not confuse this SIA number with your login ID and password which allow you to log in to the SIA website!
What is the purpose of the SIA personal account?
Using the login ID provided to you at the end of creating your personal account and a password you have chosen, you can log in to your SIA personal account at any time.
This allows you to access your "digital gun rack," a page that lists all the weapons you own. If all of your weapons are not listed there, you must register them yourself.
You have 6 months from the date of creating your SIA account to declare all hunting weapons in your possession and to update your digital gun rack if necessary:
• by adding a weapon that should be listed
• by correcting any errors (such as incorrect information about a weapon)
• by removing a weapon that should not be listed in your digital gun rack because you have sold it.
5- Where to find help for creating a SIA account?
If you are not proficient in digital tools and are having difficulty creating your personal SIA account, you can find help at the digital reception point of your prefecture.
Note that the SCAE, the central service for arms and explosives of the Ministry of the Interior and Overseas Territories, will organize an operation to help create accounts during the next Game Fair exhibition. This event, which is the largest hunting fair in France, will be held from June 16 to 18, 2023 in Lamotte-Beuvron.
Interested visitors can be assisted in creating or modifying their account if necessary. They can then comply with the new obligation for hunters to declare their weapons.
