Argentina Lowers Age of Legal Firearm Ownership from 21 to 18

The president of Argentina, Javier Milei, signed a decree this week lowering the minimum age required to purchase a firearm from 21 to 18 years old.

The decree asserts that the minimum age required for the acquisition and possession of firearms should coincide with the age of majority established by Argentine law of 18 years old. 

Security Minister Patricia Bullrich explained on Wednesday that the decree updates local norms from 1975 that regulate firearm ownership in the country and which established a minimum age of 21, bringing it in line with 2015’s Civil Code reforms of 2015, which set the age of majority at 18.

“At 16 they have the right to vote. At 18 they can go to war, start a family or become a member of a security force. And, incredible as it may seem, at any age they can choose a sex change that will mark them for life,” Bullrich wrote in a message on social media. “So why shouldn’t 18-year-olds be legitimate users or bearers of a gun? 

“For years, no one was encouraged to make this decision. We did not hesitate. While we disarm narco-terrorist gangs and organized crime, we celebrate that good citizens can have access to weapons being Legitimate Users,” she continued. “Empty speeches are a thing of the past. In this Government, we are making the right of Argentines to protect themselves and live in freedom a reality.”

While the new decree lowers the minimum age to become a legitimate firearm owner, it does not modify the other existing requirements.

Presently, Argentine law states that individuals wishing to purchase a firearm or ammunition must first obtain a Credential of Legitimate Firearms User (CLU) upon successful verification of his or her identity, address, and criminal records, as well as pass a psychological and physical exam, among other requirements. Individuals with a valid CLU can then request a firearm carry permit by complying with additional criteria.

Sources close to the Argentine security minister explained to the newspaper La Nación on Wednesday that it was a “legal incongruity” that a person of legal adult age could not be a legitimate firearms user until reaching 21 years of age.

“A person of 18 years of age is of legal age and can now exercise his rights in equal conditions to the rest of the adults, since an obsolete limitation is eliminated,” one source said. “This measure reaffirms that the Government trusts in the maturity and responsibility of young people, promoting the safe and responsible use of weapons.”

La Nación reported that, according to official data, there are 1.6 million registered firearms in Argentina and roughly 1 million registered users. Out of that total, the newspaper explained, only 30 percent had their permits up-to-date — which effectively meant that the remaining 70 percent were illegal weapons.

As a result, the Argentine government sent to Congress a bill in May to facilitate the reregistration of legitimate users, granting them a one-year grace period to regularize their situation and amnesty for effectively breaking the Argentine Penal Code’s stipulations on the illegal possession of firearms. The Argentine security minister explained at the time that there were more than 800,000 people in a state of irregular possession.

The bill reportedly aims to introduce new modifications that will contribute to “promote and facilitate legal and legitimate access to firearms possession” such as simplifying and speeding up the required registry procedures.

Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.