If you purchase firearms or ammunition commercially or independently as part of a commercial enterprise, hold them for sale, take or seek out orders, transfer them to others or arrange their purchase, sale or transfer, you require a firearms trading license. If you do not have the qualification required by the Weapons Act (as a gunsmith entered in the register of craftsmen), you can prove that you have the necessary specialist knowledge by taking a specialist knowledge examination before the examination board of your federal state.

As a rule, a chamber of industry and commerce (IHK) in your federal state is responsible for conducting the firearms proficiency examination and managing the examination board for proof of proficiency in the firearms trade. The examination board is generally responsible for the entire federal state.

In the specialist knowledge examination before the examination board, you demonstrate your knowledge

• about firearms and ammunition of all kinds, if you have applied for a comprehensive firearms trading license, or
• the types of firearms and ammunition for which you have applied for a permit to trade.

The examination is usually carried out by order of the authority to which you have applied for the firearms permit and cannot be applied for separately.

In the theoretical part of the examination, you must demonstrate knowledge of the regulations governing the trade in firearms and ammunition, the acquisition and carrying of firearms and the main features of other firearms regulations.

In the practical part of the examination, you must demonstrate safe handling of the tested categories of firearms. This includes disassembling and assembling, naming essential parts and describing how they work.

In order to successfully pass the specialist examination for the trade in weapons and ammunition, you need not only theoretical but also practical knowledge. Extensive preparation is therefore recommended.

If you have applied for a permit to trade in ammunition, the handling of common ammunition and its use in the associated firearm will be tested.