Gun law in Kazakhstan
Citizens of Kazakhstan, aged 21 or older, are legally allowed to acquire limited types of civilian weapons such as rifles (permitted for hunting) or long guns (for self-defense purposes), provided they obtain permission from their local internal affairs bodies.[3] Until the mid-19th century, the right to keep and bear arms was viewed as an obligation in the Kazakh Khanate, as described in Alexey Levshin's written work, Description of Kirghiz-Kaisak or Kirghiz-Cossack hordes and steppes (1832).[6] Bukeikhanov advocated for the voluntary military conscription of Kazakhs as a means to defend their ancestral territories and the right to self-government through armed populace resistance in "the near future".According to the Criminal Code of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic adopted in 1959 (Article 202, amended in 1974 and 1982), it was illegal for Kazakhstanis to carry, store, acquire, manufacture, or sell firearms (except for smooth-bore hunting weapons), ammunition, or explosives without a legal permit.[15][16][17][18] Subsequently, a bill with the aim of countering terrorism was signed by President Nursultan Nazarbayev on 22 December 2016, which tightened restrictions on the circulation and storage of firearms, including a ban on rubber bullet pistols.This process is conducted their local internal affairs bodies after obtaining permission, which issue permits for the legal acquisition of civilian firearms, gas pistols, revolvers, and electric weapons.235-V "On Administrative Infractions", the violation of regulations regarding the possession and use of civilian and service weapons in Kazakhstan may typically result in fines and potential license or permit suspension or revocation.