Not so easy to own a gun or conceal a gun

A Polish Pistol

It's not as easy to legally possess a firearm in Poland as it is in the United States. However, the number of legally owned guns by citizens in Poland has nearly tripled in the past 15 years from 131,000 in 1999 to 340,000 in 2014.

The right to private gun ownership is not guaranteed by Polish law. In Poland, only licensed gun owners may lawfully acquire, possess or transfer a firearm or ammunition. In the U.S. licensing is primarily used in cases when citizens want a permit for concealed carry of a firearm, which demands formal certified training before applying for a CCW permit. 

In America, there is an abundance of certified instructors offering concealed carry classes including Inspired Shot in the Toledo area offering a course required to carry a gun in concealed fashion.

Applicants for a gun owner’s licence in Poland are required to prove genuine reason to possess a firearm, for example, hunting, target shooting, personal protection, security. The minimum age for gun ownership in Poland is 18 years

In Poland, an understanding of firearm safety and the law, tested in a theoretical and/or practical training course is require for a firearm licence. Authorities maintain a record of individual civilians licensed to acquire, possess, sell or transfer a firearm or ammunition


Licensed firearm owners in Poland are permitted to possess only ammunition suitable for the intended firearm.

Despite some of the most draconian gun laws in the European Union, over the past decade the number of firearm permits in Poland has gone up by some 30 percent.