Under current law, the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) is responsible for administering firearms exams. However, the PPA lacks enough shooting ranges to meet demand. This shortage leads to long wait times and limited exam availability, especially outside major cities.

Most PPA shooting ranges are used primarily for police firearm training, leaving limited time for civilian testing. Depending on location and demand, the exams are offered as infrequently as once a week or once every two months.

"This structure does not offer enough flexibility for conducting or completing the firearms handling test within the statutory application processing period," the Ministry of the Interior states in its draft proposal to amend the Weapons Act.

According to the ministry, the PPA's resource strain also affects the quality of the exams.

The new law aims to improve the accessibility and scheduling flexibility of the practical firearms exam, while maintaining strict safety and quality standards.

"To achieve this, a legal basis must be established that allows for the delegation of the firearms handling test to private legal entities under an administrative agreement, provided they hold the necessary license," the draft notes.

Prosecutor's Office: Benefit unclear, risks and costs up

The Prosecutor's Office does not support the proposal to delegate firearms handling exams to private entities.

"The benefits and goals of this change are unclear and not explained in the draft proposal," the office stated.

If the aim is to improve the availability of firearms exams in terms of time and geography, the Prosecutor's Office argues this can be achieved within the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) by hiring more personnel or building additional shooting ranges. While this would increase initial state spending, the cost could be offset by raising the state fee for the firearms handling test.

The office also pointed out that if private companies hire instructors and build new shooting ranges, the cost of taking the exam would inevitably rise for applicants. "It is clear that private legal entities do not operate out of charity but for business purposes," the statement added.

Delegating the exams would also increase the government's administrative burden.

"Delegating firearms handling tests would impose supervision duties, quality control and other responsibilities that significantly raise the state's administrative workload. Meanwhile, the cost to firearm owners would increase as they'd also be covering the private companies' profit margins," the Prosecutor's Office wrote.

Additionally, the office warned of potential corruption risks tied to privately administered exams.

It also criticized the draft for lacking comparisons with neighboring countries.

"While the draft includes international comparisons for other issues, it is puzzling that there is no analysis of how Estonia's neighbors conduct their firearms handling tests," the Prosecutor's Office noted.

Thousands of exams a year

The Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) currently administers firearms exams in major county centers: Tallinn, Pärnu, Tartu, Jõhvi, Narva, Paide, Haapsalu, Rakvere and Kuressaare.

Of these, only Tallinn, Rakvere and Tartu have PPA-operated shooting ranges for conducting the firearms handling test. In other locations, the PPA must rent a range from a private company or partner agency when possible. If no such facility is available, applicants must travel elsewhere to complete the exam.

From 2024 to 2027, the PPA expects to administer an average of 3,200 firearms handling tests per year.

In 2024, the PPA received 679 initial firearms license applications and 4,748 renewal requests. In the first eight months of 2025, 486 new license applications and 2,863 renewal requests were submitted.

As of now, 23,429 individuals and 72 legal entities in Estonia hold valid firearms licenses. Private individuals collectively own 55,914 firearms.

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