General suspension of the carrying of firearms is lifted

The Government of Colombia, through the Ministry of National Defense, has lifted the general suspension of firearms carry permits throughout the national territory. The decision was recorded in Decree 1368 of 2026, signed on September 8, 2026, and published in edition 53,619 of the Official Gazette, which restores the effectiveness of current individual permits and eliminates the special authorization required during the suspension.

The regulation, signed by the Minister of Defense, Abelardo de la Espriella, and MG (R) Jorge Eduardo Mora López, repeals Decrees 2362 of 2018 and 1482 of 2025, which had extended the general suspension until December 31, 2026.

Regulatory Framework

The decree is based on Article 223 of the Political Constitution, which establishes the state monopoly over weapons, war munitions, and explosives, and on Decree Law 2535 of 1993, which set the rules and requirements for ownership and carry. Law 1119 of 2006 (Article 10) empowers the competent authorities to generally suspend the validity of permits, and Judgment C-867 of 2010 of the Constitutional Court declared that competence to be constitutional.

Scope of the Measure

The lifting of the suspension does not constitute a general authorization to carry weapons, nor does it modify the state monopoly. It only allows for the exercise of individual permits that are current and unrestricted. The Ministry of National Defense will provide military authorities with the administrative, technical, and operational guidelines to update records and information systems, distinguishing between current permits and those that are expired, suspended, canceled, or revoked.

Excluded Cases

The decree establishes that the lifting does not enable the carrying of weapons for which:

• The permit has expired.
• The permit has been individually suspended.
• The permit has been canceled or revoked.
• The weapon has been subject to seizure or a judicial or administrative measure that prevents its carry.
• There is a legal or judicial prohibition against its carry.
• The permit authorizes exclusively ownership and not carry.
• Any other circumstance provided for in the Constitution or the law exists that legitimately prevents the carry.

The Department of Control of Trade in Arms, Munitions, and Explosives and other military authorities will maintain the systems for registration, control, traceability, verification, auditing, and monitoring of permits, in accordance with Decree Law 2535 of 1993. The decree takes effect as of the day following its publication in the Official Gazette.

The decision restores the ordinary regime of legally issued permits, harmonizing the protection of life, personal integrity, and citizen security with the legal status of those who demonstrated compliance with the legal requirements before the State. Nevertheless, the authorities retain full powers to adopt new general or individual suspension measures when circumstances of national security, public security, and public order so require.

Source: Official Gazette (Colombia), edition 53,619, Tuesday, September 8, 2026, p. 3 (official reference: Decree number 1368 of 2026).