Court rejects Tirol doctor’s bid for firearms permit

A court has rejected a Tirol doctor’s appeal after authorities denied her application for a firearms permit, citing letters they said indicated links to the “state denier” scene, ORF reported.

The doctor had applied for a permit covering two firearms she wanted to use for sport shooting. The Kufstein district authority refused the application because of five letters she sent to officials between 2023 and 2024.

Security authorities said the letters pointed to a connection with people who reject the legitimacy of the Austrian state and its legal system. The doctor said an acquaintance she had met at association events had drafted the “nonsensical” texts. He had presented himself as legally knowledgeable and offered to help her and, in some cases, her son with legal matters. She said she had not realised the association was linked to the scene.

The Tirol State Administrative Court rejected her appeal in late September. It said the letters had been signed by the doctor, making her responsible for their contents. The court also noted that authorities assess not only whether an applicant has a criminal record but whether they can be expected to handle firearms responsibly.

The doctor argued that she had committed no crime and that questionable wording alone was not enough to establish a specific risk involving firearms. The court said the assessment considers a person’s past conduct, attitude and character, and that a strict standard applies because firearms possession can affect public safety.

The State Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counterterrorism concluded that the letters clearly indicated the doctor was either part of, or close to, the scene. It said issuing a firearms permit to someone with such links could endanger public safety or order.

Tirol State Administrative Court president Klaus Wallnöfer described Austria’s firearms law as comparatively liberal, but said permits operate within a controlled framework in which weapons are registered and monitored. He said cases involving alleged links to the state denier scene are relatively rare at the court.