Arms Act, 1959 · Chapter II: Acquisition, Possession, Manufacture, Sale, Import, Export and Transport of Arms and Ammunition
Section 4: Licence for acquisition and possession of arms of specified description in certain cases
If the Central Government is of opinion that having regard to the circumstances prevailing in any area it is necessary or expedient in the public interest that the acquisition, possession or carrying of arms other than firearms should also be regulated, it may, by notification in the Official Gazette, direct that this section shall apply to the area specified in the notification, and thereupon no person shall acquire, have in his possession or carry in that area arms of such class or description as may be specified in that notification unless he holds in this behalf a licence issued in accordance with the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder.
Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 15 October 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.
Supreme Court judgments citing the section 4
- Osama Shahid v. State Govt. of NCT of Delhi
- Ravi Mandal v. State of Uttarakhand
- Avinash Jain v. Central Bureau of Investigation
- Ajai Alias Ajju Etc. Etc. v. The State of Uttar
- Khema @ Khem Chandra Etc. v. State of Uttar Pradesh
- Abhishek v. State of Maharashtra & Ors
- Jaikam Khan v. The State of Uttar Pradesh
- Bhoopendra Singh v. The State of Rajasthan
- Rakesh and Another v. State of U.P. and Another
- Romila Thapar and Ors. v. Union of India and Ors.
- State of U.P. v. Om Prakash
- Mustkeem @ Sirajudeen v. State of Rajasthan
- Ramesh v. State of Rajasthan
- Mahtab Singh & Anr. v. State of U.P.
- State of Maharashtra Etc. v. Dhanendra Shriram Bhurle Etc.
- State of U.P. v. Punni and Ors.
- S.K. Shukla and Ors. v. State of U.P. and Ors
- State of Punjab v. Harnek Singh
- Neel & Nirenjan Majumdar v. The State of West Bengal