All holders of legally registered firearms have been given three months to revalidate their licences after the Ministry of the Interior announced on Tuesday that it has revoked all private firearm permits with immediate effect and introduced new conditions for their renewal.
Under the new measures, firearm owners must undergo a mental health assessment, drug screening, firearms handling training, and background checks before their licences are renewed.
The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, announced the directive at a press briefing in Accra on Tuesday, June 23, 2026.
He said all previously issued permits had been revoked as part of measures to strengthen the country's firearms licensing system.
"From this afternoon, all permits that have been granted to any individual holding a side arm or firearm are hereby revoked," the Minister said. "We are opening a window where everyone will have to come forward again to register, or to re-register, because we have changed the procedure."
What licence holders must now do and by when
Licence holders have approximately three months from June 23, 2026, to complete the following process. The steps must be completed in sequence. Failure at any stage means the firearm will not be returned.
Step 1: Present yourself to the Ghana Police Service.
All licence holders must report to the Ghana Police Service to begin the revalidation process. Mr Mohammed-Mubarak said the police already had the contact details and home addresses of every registered firearm holder in the country. Those who do not present themselves will be contacted and reminded. Officers will be sent to retrieve firearms from those who continue to ignore the directive.
Step 2: Undergo a mental health assessment.
The Mental Health Authority has been designated as the sole agency responsible for conducting the assessment. The exercise is intended to determine whether an applicant is mentally fit to possess a firearm.
Step 3: Submit to a drug test.
The Narcotics Control Commission, which has offices across the country, will conduct the drug test. Applicants who fail the test will not have their licences renewed.
Step 4: Complete weapons training.
Licence holders must demonstrate that they know how to handle a firearm safely.
"Many of us have the guns and we don't even know how to use them," Mr Mohammed-Mubarak said. "And sometimes, accidentally, innocent persons are either injured or killed, not because it is deliberate, but because the person handling the gun is not trained, even though he has the licence."
He said the training would be available at the Ghana Police Service's 25 regional offices. Police-approved private shooting ranges may also be authorised to provide the training.
Step 5: Pass a background check.
Mr Mohammed-Mubarak said the background check, previously the only requirement under the existing licensing system, would remain part of the process. The check, conducted by the Bureau of National Investigations and the Criminal Investigations Department, is intended to determine whether an applicant poses a threat to public safety. It is now one of several requirements for licence renewal.
Step 6: Await a decision on your reissued licence.
Approval is not automatic. Any applicant who fails one or more of the assessments will not have the firearm returned. Firearms surrendered under the recent Gun Amnesty Programme that are not approved for return will be marked for destruction.
Will holders pay again?
Mr Mohammed-Mubarak said licence holders who had already paid their 2025/2026 licensing fees would not be required to pay those fees again.
He said separate charges might apply for the new assessments, particularly the mental health and drug tests. Discussions, he added, were ongoing with the Mental Health Authority, the Narcotics Control Commission and the Ghana Police Service to keep the additional costs as low as possible.
"Our interest is not the fees. Our interest is the safety," he said.
What happens if you do not comply?
Mr Mohammed-Mubarak said the government had a database containing the contact details and registered addresses of every firearm licence holder.
Those who fail to complete the revalidation process within the three-month period will first receive reminders. Officers will then be sent to retrieve firearms from those who continue to ignore the directive. Anyone found to have deliberately concealed a firearm after that stage will face prosecution.
"We know your address. We know where you are. If you decide to hide it, then now we will march for you and the gun," he said.
All new registrations frozen
Mr Mohammed-Mubarak announced an immediate suspension of all new firearm licence applications while existing licence holders undergo the revalidation process.
He said no new licences would be issued until the revised procedures, including mental health screening, drug testing and weapons training, had been fully implemented.
