Statute Details
- Title: Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control (Arms Exhibitions — Class Licence) Order 2025
- Act Authorisation: Made under section 56 of the Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act 2021
- Legislation Type: Subsidiary legislation (SL)
- Act Code: GEWCA2021-S362-2025
- Commencement: 1 July 2025
- Current Version Status: Current version as at 27 March 2026
- SL Number: SL 362/2025
- Enacting Formula: Minister for Home Affairs
- Key Structure: Part 1 (Preliminary); Part 2 (Arms trade fair customers); Part 3 (Arms demonstration exhibitions)
- Key Sections (from extract): Section 2 (Definitions); Sections 4–5 (Trade fair customers); Sections 6–7 (Organisers of demonstration exhibitions); Sections 8–9 (Visitors)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control (Arms Exhibitions — Class Licence) Order 2025 is a regulatory instrument under Singapore’s Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act 2021 (“GEWCA”). In plain terms, it creates a “class licence” framework for certain categories of people involved in two types of events: arms trade fairs and arms demonstration exhibitions.
The Order recognises that arms-related events may involve temporary display, demonstration, and—depending on the event type—commercial activity. Rather than requiring a bespoke licence for every individual participant, the Order sets out conditions under which specified persons are treated as class licensees. This approach is designed to balance regulatory control with operational practicality for event organisers and participants.
Broadly, the Order defines what counts as an “arms demonstration exhibition” and an “arms trade fair”, then assigns class-licence status to (i) customers in the context of arms trade fairs, and (ii) organisers and employees (and separately visitors) in the context of arms demonstration exhibitions. The key legal work is in the conditions imposed on those class licensees—conditions that practitioners should read alongside the parent Act.
What Are the Key Provisions?
1. Citation, commencement, and purpose-built definitions
Section 1 provides the formal citation and commencement: the Order comes into operation on 1 July 2025. Section 2 then supplies detailed definitions that are central to determining whether an event falls within the Order’s scope. For example, the Order distinguishes between:
- “arms demonstration exhibition”: arranged or held exclusively by or on behalf of the Government at premises in Singapore, for temporary exhibition/display and/or demonstration of guns, gun parts/accessories, and explosives, but not for sale, supply by loan or hire, or trading.
- “arms trade fair”: arranged or held in the course of business, where guns/gun parts/accessories are exhibited for the purposes of sale or supply by loan or hire or trading, and where the event promotes sales and related services.
These definitions matter because the class-licence regime is event-type specific. A practitioner advising on compliance must first characterise the event correctly; misclassification can lead to applying the wrong licensing conditions.
2. “Class licence” status for arms trade fair customers
Part 2 addresses “Arms trade fair customers”. Section 4 states that an arms trade fair customer is class licensee. Section 5 then sets out conditions of the customer’s class licence. Although the extract does not reproduce the full text of sections 4–5, the legal effect is clear: customers (including prospective customers and guests of honour, as defined) are not treated as ordinary visitors; they are subject to conditions designed to ensure that their presence does not undermine the regulatory controls on firearms and explosives.
In practice, counsel should expect that the conditions will address matters such as: permitted conduct at the fair, restrictions on handling or “use” of guns/explosives, requirements for supervision or safety compliance, and possibly obligations to comply with security and safety measures. The definitions in section 2—particularly “security and safety measures, procedures and controls”—signal that the compliance regime is operational, not merely formal.
3. Organisers and employees as class licensees for arms demonstration exhibitions
Part 3 deals with arms demonstration exhibitions, split into two divisions: Division 1 — Organiser and Division 2 — Visitor.
Section 6 provides that the organiser of an arms demonstration exhibition and employees are class licensees. This is a significant compliance design choice: it places licensing responsibility not only on the organiser as the accountable party, but also on employees who are involved in the event. Section 7 then sets out the conditions of the organiser’s (and related persons’) class licence.
For practitioners, this is where the compliance burden is likely heaviest. The definitions in section 2 include “security and safety measures, procedures and controls” such as securing guns and explosives to prevent loss or unauthorised access, reinforcing barriers at shooting ranges, cordoning off demarcated areas, and deploying personnel to supervise safety and security. These defined elements indicate the types of controls that the organiser’s conditions will likely require to be implemented and maintained throughout the exhibition period.
4. Visitors as class licensees for arms demonstration exhibitions
Section 8 provides that an arms demonstration exhibition visitor is class licensee. Section 9 sets out the conditions of the visitor’s class licence. The Order’s definitions also clarify who qualifies as a visitor: an individual lawfully attending in person at the premises where the exhibition is arranged or held, whether or not the visitor undertakes any target shooting activity.
This structure suggests that visitors may be permitted to attend and, depending on the event’s arrangements, may be allowed to participate in target shooting activity. The definition of “use” includes both firing a gun and holding a gun so as to cause a reasonable belief that it will be fired, and for simulated ammunition/inert projectiles, discharging or firing the explosive. Accordingly, visitor conditions likely address permissible participation, supervision requirements, and prohibitions on unauthorised handling or conduct.
5. Event period concepts and the compliance timeline
The Order defines “exhibition period” for demonstration exhibitions and “trade fair period” for trade fairs. These periods start and end based on publicity material, and they include lead-in/lead-out activities and social events connected with the event. This is legally important: conditions attached to class licences may apply throughout the entire period, not only during the main display or shooting sessions. Practitioners should therefore advise clients to ensure that safety and security controls are maintained from the earliest publicity-referenced start time through the end of the stated period.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Order is structured in three main parts:
- Part 1: Preliminary
- Section 1 — Citation and commencement.
- Section 2 — Definitions (including key terms for event classification and compliance concepts).
- Section 3 — Application (not fully reproduced in the extract, but typically clarifies the scope of who/what the Order covers).
- Part 2: Arms Trade Fair Customers
- Section 4 — Customer is a class licensee.
- Section 5 — Conditions of the customer’s class licence.
- Part 3: Arms Demonstration Exhibitions
- Division 1 — Organiser
- Section 6 — Organiser and employees are class licensees.
- Section 7 — Conditions of organiser’s class licence.
- Division 2 — Visitor
- Section 8 — Visitor is a class licensee.
- Section 9 — Conditions of visitor’s class licence.
- Division 1 — Organiser
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The Order applies to specific categories of persons connected to arms-related events, but only where the event fits the statutory definitions. For arms trade fairs, it applies to customers (including prospective customers and guests of honour). For arms demonstration exhibitions, it applies to the organiser and employees, and separately to visitors.
Importantly, the Order’s definitions indicate that “arms demonstration exhibitions” are arranged or held exclusively by or on behalf of the Government. That means private entities cannot simply label their event as a “demonstration exhibition” to fall within the demonstration-exhibition class licence regime. Conversely, “arms trade fairs” are arranged in the course of business and involve promotion and/or sale/supply by loan or hire/trading. Practitioners should therefore treat event classification as a threshold compliance question.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
This Order is important because it operationalises the GEWCA licensing framework for a high-risk category of activity: events involving guns, gun parts/accessories, and explosives (including simulated ammunition or inert projectiles). By creating class licences for defined groups, the Order provides a structured compliance pathway while still imposing conditions that reflect safety and security priorities.
From an enforcement and risk perspective, the defined concepts—such as “security and safety measures, procedures and controls” and the expansive definition of “use”—suggest that the regulator is concerned not only with actual firing of weapons but also with possession, handling, and perceived readiness. The inclusion of holding a gun in a way that creates a reasonable belief it will be fired is particularly relevant for event settings where demonstrations may involve staged handling.
For practitioners advising organisers, exhibitors, or participants, the practical impact is that compliance must be managed at multiple levels:
- Event design and classification (trade fair vs demonstration exhibition).
- Role-based compliance (organiser/employees vs visitors vs trade fair customers).
- Time-based compliance (conditions likely apply throughout the defined exhibition/trade fair period, including lead-in/out and social events).
- Safety and security controls (as defined in section 2 and likely embedded in the conditions in sections 5, 7, and 9).
Because the Order is subsidiary legislation made under the GEWCA, it should be read together with the parent Act’s licensing offences, enforcement powers, and any general duties. A lawyer should therefore treat this Order as both (i) a standalone compliance checklist for class licence conditions and (ii) a piece of a broader regulatory matrix.
Related Legislation
- Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act 2021 (GEWCA 2021) — including section 56 (authorising power for this Order) and related provisions referenced in the Order (e.g., references to section 88(2) of the Act in the definition of “simulated ammunition or inert projectile”).
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control (Arms Exhibitions — Class Licence) Order 2025 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.