Procedures for issuing licenses to purchase support instruments in Vietnam from January 01, 2025

Procedures for issuing licenses to purchase support instruments in Vietnam (Internet image)

Concept of support instruments

According to Clause 11, Article 2 of the Law on Management and Use of Weapons, Explosive Materials, and support instruments 2024, support instruments are devices or service animals used to execute public duties, perform protective tasks to restrict, prevent individuals with illegal behavior from resisting or escaping; protect public duty executors, those performing protective tasks or signal emergencies, including:

- Electric guns, gas guns, toxic guns, anesthetic guns, magnetic guns, laser guns, nets; flare guns; plastic bullet guns, explosive bullet guns, rubber bullet guns, tear gas guns, signal and command flare guns, marking guns, and bullets used for these guns; gas sprays, toxic sprays, anesthetic sprays, itching sprays; smoke grenades, tear gas grenades, explosive pellets; electric batons, rubber batons, metal batons; handcuffs, spike strips, spiked wires; bulletproof vests; electric gloves, knife-catching gloves; shields, bulletproof helmets; sound suppression devices; interrogation chairs for special subjects as listed by the Minister of Public Security;

- Service animals trained to be used for national security protection requirements, ensuring public order and safety as listed by the Minister of Public Security;

- Other tools with similar features and effects as the above-mentioned support instruments, not listed by the Minister of Public Security.

Procedures for issuing licenses to purchase support instruments in Vietnam

The procedures for issuing licenses to purchase support instruments in Vietnam are stipulated in the Law on Management and Use of Weapons, Explosive Materials, and support instruments 2024 as follows:

(1) Organizations and enterprises not under the management of the Ministry of National Defense permitted to produce and trade support instruments must submit a written request when purchasing support instruments, clearly stating the name, address of the purchasing organization or enterprise, the name, and address of the selling organization or enterprise; reasons; quantity, type, and brand of support instruments; full name, personal identification number or passport number of the legal representative.

(2) The written request can be submitted on the National Public Service Portal, the administrative procedure settlement information system of the Ministry of Public Security, or sent by postal service to the competent public security agency as stipulated by the Minister of Public Security; in case of direct submission, the written request should include the full name, personal identification number, or passport number of the contacting person.

(3) Within 03 working days from the date of receiving the written request, the competent public security agency should issue the permit to purchase support instruments; if not, a written response with clear reasons must be provided.

The permit to purchase support instruments is valid for 30 days.

The procedure for issuing a permit to purchase support instruments for organizations and enterprises under the Ministry of National Defense allowed to produce and trade support instruments is regulated by the Minister of National Defense.

Entities equipped with support instruments in Vietnam

Entities equipped with support instruments in Vietnam, as stipulated in Article 52 of the Law on Management and Use of Weapons, Explosive Materials, and support instruments 2024, include:

- The People’s Army;

- The Militia and Self-Defense Forces;

- The Coast Guard;

- The People's Public Security;

- Cipher;

- The Investigation Agency of the Supreme People's Procuracy;

- The Civil Enforcement Agency;

- Rangers, specialized forest protection forces, fisheries inspection, forces directly performing specialized fisheries inspection tasks;

- Customs at border gates, specialized anti-smuggling customs forces, anti-drug crime forces;

- The inspection team of the Market Management Force;

- Aviation security, forces directly performing specialized transportation inspection tasks;

- Protection forces of agencies, organizations, enterprises; enterprises providing protection services;

- Forces participating in local security and order maintenance;

- Clubs, training, sports facilities with activity licenses;

- Drug rehabilitation facilities;

- Other entities needing support instruments based on the nature, requirements, and tasks decided by the Minister of Public Security.

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