Article 56 of the Saudi Weapons and Ammunition Law
المادة 56 من نظام الأسلحة والذخائر
The article allows the Minister to suspend accountability proceedings against anyone who voluntarily and promptly reports the unlicensed weapons and ammunition he has and shows readiness to hand them over before they are seized.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
يجوز للوزير إيقاف الإجراءات المتعلقة بمساءلة كل من يتطوع ويبادر بالإبلاغ عما لديه من أسلحة وذخائر غير مرخصة، ويبدي رغبته واستعداده لتسليمها قبل ضبطها لديه.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 56 explained in plain English
This article opens a door to regularizing the situation of someone who possesses unlicensed weapons or ammunition, as it allows the Minister, who is the Minister of Interior, to suspend the proceedings relating to the accountability of the person if the following conditions are all met:
- He volunteers and takes the initiative to report, meaning the report comes from him of his own will.
- The report is about the unlicensed weapons and ammunition he has.
- He expresses his wish and readiness to hand them over.
- This is before they are seized from him.
What matters is that the article uses the word "may," so suspending the proceedings is a discretionary power of the Minister and not an automatic right of everyone who hands in his weapon. Reporting after seizure also falls outside the article's scope.
This article comes after Article 55, which provides that the Law's penalties do not prejudice any heavier penalty in another law. It is followed by Article 57, which allows the Board of Grievances to suspend the execution of a prison sentence for considered reasons, unless the convicted person has returned to the same violation.
Anyone who has an unlicensed weapon and is thinking of handing it in may consult a lawyer who specializes in criminal matters to learn the appropriate method before doing so.
Practical example
Yasser found an old unlicensed rifle in his grandfather's house. Of his own accord, he reported it to the competent authorities before it was seized from him and expressed readiness to hand it over. In this case, the Minister may suspend the proceedings for holding him accountable, but that is at the Minister's discretion.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 56 of the Saudi Weapons and Ammunition Law
Will I be punished if I hand in an unlicensed weapon of my own accord?
The Minister may suspend accountability proceedings against anyone who volunteers and takes the initiative to report the unlicensed weapons and ammunition he has and shows readiness to hand them over before they are seized, and this is a discretionary power.
Does someone whose weapon has been seized benefit from this article?
No. The article requires that the report and the expression of readiness to hand over come before the weapon is seized from him.
More articles on Weapon Confiscation and Trial Procedures
- Article 48
The article provides that anyone proven to have participated in committing any violation under the Weapons and Ammunition Law is punished with the penalty set for the violation itself.
يعاقب بالعقوبة المقررة على المخالفة نفسها كل من تثبت مشاركته في ارتكاب أي مخالفة من المخالفات الواردة في هذا النظام.
- Article 49
The article applies the Weapons and Ammunition Law's penalties, except imprisonment, to institutions, companies, and any other establishment proven to have violated its provisions.
تطبق العقوبات - عدا السجن - الواردة في هذا النظام على المؤسسات أو الشركات أو أي منشأة أخرى يثبت مخالفتها لما ورد به من أحكام.
- Article 50Amended (1437 AH)
The article provides for the confiscation by judicial ruling of seized weapons, ammunition, and equipment, and of the means of transport in smuggling, and sets what happens to seized items when proceedings cannot be brought or lapse.
1- إضافة إلى العقوبات المنصوص عليها في هذا النظام، يصادر بحكم قضائي جميع ما يضبط من أسلحة وذخائر ومعدات متعلقة بها. وإذا كانت المخالفة تهريباً فتصادر وسيلة النق
- Article 51
The article requires aggravating the penalties in Articles 34, 35, and 36 if the violator is an employee of the bodies concerned with applying the Weapons and Ammunition Law.
يراعى تشديد العقوبات المقررة في المواد (الرابعة والثلاثين، والخامسة والثلاثين، والسادسة والثلاثين) من هذا النظام إذا كان مرتكب المخالفة أحد موظفي الجهات ذات الع
- Article 52
The article assigns the investigation of violations of the Weapons and Ammunition Law to the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution.
تتولى هيئة التحقيق والادعاء العام التحقيق في مخالفات أحكام هذا النظام.
- Article 53Amended (1437 AH)
The article creates a three-member committee by decision of the Minister to consider imposing the penalties in Articles 43 (except paragraph c), 44, 45, and 46, and allows a grievance against its decisions before the Administrative Court within sixty days.
تكوّن – بقرار من الوزير – لجنة من ثلاثة أعضاء يكون من بينهم واحد من المؤهلين في العلوم الشرعية أو النظامية للنظر في توقيع العقوبات المنصوص عليها في المواد (الثا
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.