Guam Gun Laws: ID Card, Registration, and Concealed Carry

Guam’s gun laws require every firearm owner to hold a Firearms Identification Card issued by the Guam Police Department and to individually register every firearm they own. The territory operates on a shall-issue basis under Title 10, Chapter 60 of the Guam Code Annotated, meaning GPD must approve an application from anyone who meets the statutory criteria. Federal firearms law applies on top of these local rules, and Guam adds restrictions you won’t see everywhere on the mainland, including a ban on armor-piercing pistol ammunition and a 12-inch cap on handgun barrel length.

Who Qualifies for a Firearms Identification Card

Under 10 GCA § 60108, GPD will deny a Firearms Identification Card to anyone who falls into any of these categories:¹

Under 18 years old.
Not a U.S. citizen. Non-citizens can only receive temporary permits for use at approved target ranges or authorized sporting events.
Convicted of any felony in any U.S. court. This is a permanent disqualifier.
Currently charged with a felony by information or indictment.
Adjudicated incompetent or committed to a mental institution.
Convicted under the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act or of a misdemeanor involving personal injury or firearm use. The Chief of Police may waive this if the offense occurred more than ten years ago and you would not endanger public safety.
Diagnosed with a physical or mental condition the Chief of Police determines would affect safe firearm use, unless a physician certifies otherwise.

Possessing a firearm without the required card is a felony carrying a mandatory minimum of three years in prison and a $1,000 fine.²

Applying for the ID Card

You apply through the GPD Records and Identification Section. Bring one of the following identity combinations:³

Certified birth certificate, photo ID, and Social Security card, or
Valid U.S. passport and Social Security card, or
Naturalization certificate and Social Security card.

The application asks for physical descriptors, residential history, employer information, and any military service or specialized training.

A non-concealed Firearms Identification Card involves three separate payments:⁴

$47 for the FBI background check, paid upfront as a money order or cashier’s check made out to the Superior Court of Guam. No other payment form is accepted.
$34 for fingerprinting, paid when your fingerprint cards are completed at the GPD Records and ID Section.
$43 application fee, paid only after your FBI results come back approved.

The FBI check takes roughly 10 business days.³ If your application is not denied, the statute requires the card to issue within 30 days of filing.¹ The card is valid for three years, and a $9 late fee applies if you miss the renewal window.⁵

Registering Each Firearm

The ID card is only step one. Under 10 GCA § 60110, every firearm you buy, receive as a gift, or otherwise permanently acquire must be registered with GPD within three working days. You cannot register a firearm unless you present a current, valid ID card at the time of registration.⁶

Registration happens at the GPD Armory, where you bring the firearm itself, your ID card, and proof of ownership. The registration fee is approximately $40 per firearm, plus a $9 inspection fee. Owning an unregistered firearm carries a minimum one year in prison and a $1,000 fine.²

Private Sales and Transfers

When a firearm changes hands between two private individuals, the new owner must obtain a fresh registration showing both the prior owner’s and the new owner’s information. The seller has to verify that the buyer holds a valid ID card authorizing possession of that type of firearm.⁶ Both parties must appear at the GPD Armory in person, and the current owner must indicate the transfer in the presence of authorized Armory personnel.

Bringing Firearms from Off-Island

If you are relocating to Guam, your firearms go through customs at A.B. Won Pat International Airport, where agents record the make, model, and serial number of each weapon. You must already hold a valid Guam Firearms Identification Card to complete registration, so start the application as early as possible during your move.⁵

To register an imported firearm you need a bill of sale, bill of lading from your movers, certificate of ownership, or notarized documentation describing the firearm, along with the customs declaration form, your ID card, and the safety inspection form from the GPD Armory. The registration fee is roughly $49 per firearm when it was purchased off-island. Military personnel staying on base initially must store firearms in the base armory and transport them under escort from the front gate.⁵

Concealed Carry

Guam issues concealed carry licenses under 10 GCA § 60109.1 as a shall-issue endorsement on your existing Firearms Identification Card, valid for three years.⁷ Beyond the standard ID card requirements, applicants must:

Be at least 21 years old.
Demonstrate competence through an approved in-person safety course or documented military training. Internet or correspondence courses do not qualify.
Show they desire a legal means of self-defense.
Have no substance abuse commitment, controlled-substance conviction, or domestic violence injunction within the lookback periods the statute specifies.

The application fee is $103, though it may be prorated if you already hold a non-concealed card.⁸ The fingerprinting fee of up to $20 is waived if your prints are already on file. GPD must issue or deny the license within 90 days of receiving a completed application. Carrying concealed without a license is a felony with a minimum three-year sentence and $1,000 fine.²

Two boundaries worth knowing. A concealed carry license does not authorize open carry of a handgun; the statute states this expressly, and Guam has no separate open carry permit. Guam also does not honor concealed carry permits from any U.S. state, and reciprocity for Guam-issued licenses elsewhere is very limited.

Where You Cannot Carry

Even with a valid license, 10 GCA § 60109.1(l) prohibits concealed carry in:¹

Jails, prisons, and detention facilities.
Courthouses and courtrooms, though judges may authorize exceptions in their own courtrooms.
I Liheslaturan Guåhan, the Guam Legislature building.
Private property or businesses where the owner has posted a firearms prohibition.
Any location where federal law prohibits firearms.

Knowingly violating a location restriction is a misdemeanor. You also cannot carry while at or above a .08% blood alcohol level or while impaired by a controlled substance.²

The Guam Gun-Free School Zone Act of 2004 separately makes it illegal to bring or possess a loaded firearm on the grounds of any public or private school from early childhood through grade 12, or on the property of any university or college, including student housing and research buildings. College campuses allow only one exception: written permission from the institution’s president or equivalent authority.⁹

Prohibited Weapons and Ammunition

Under 10 GCA § 60102 you cannot manufacture, possess, buy, sell, or transfer any of the following:¹

Machine guns and automatic rifles (any firearm that fires more than one round per trigger pull).
Silencers and mufflers.
Rifles with a barrel shorter than 16 inches.
Shotguns with a barrel shorter than 18 inches.
Revolvers or pistols with a barrel longer than 12 inches.

That last item is the one that catches people off guard, because Guam’s 12-inch cap on handgun barrel length effectively bans certain long-barreled competition or hunting pistols. Violations carry a mandatory minimum of three years in prison and a $1,000 fine with no eligibility for probation, parole, or work release until the sentence is served. First-time offenders without a prior felony may receive up to two years instead, with the possibility of parole.⁷

Guam also bans “restricted bullets,” defined as ammunition that can penetrate body armor when fired from a pistol or revolver with a five-inch or shorter barrel. Importing, manufacturing, selling, possessing, or carrying restricted bullets outside the Chief of Police’s regulations is a third-degree felony.¹ You cannot buy any ammunition without a valid Firearms Identification Card; dealers must verify your card before completing a sale. Guam does not impose a magazine capacity limit.

Safe Storage Is Required

Guam requires firearms to be stored in a secure, locked cabinet or closet or secured with a trigger lock. Licensed dealers must give every buyer a written warning about this requirement, and every gun shop must post the warning at the purchase counter.¹

If a minor gains access to your firearm, you can avoid liability only if the gun was stored in a locked cabinet or secured with a trigger lock, or if the minor obtained it through unlawful entry into your home. The duty applies to every gun owner, whether or not children live in the household.

Self-Defense at Home

Under 9 GCA § 7.84, Guam permits the use of force in self-defense when you reasonably believe it is immediately necessary to protect yourself against unlawful force. Deadly force is justified only when you believe it is necessary to prevent death, serious bodily harm, kidnapping, or sexual assault by force.¹⁰

Guam law imposes a general duty to retreat when you can do so safely, with one significant exception: you have no duty to retreat from your home, workplace, or vehicle. 9 GCA § 7.112 goes further and creates a legal presumption that you acted out of reasonable fear of death or serious injury if someone unlawfully and forcefully enters your home, business, or occupied vehicle. The presumption shifts the burden to the prosecution rather than requiring you to prove your fear was reasonable.¹⁰

The presumption does not apply if the intruder had a legal right to be on the property, if you were engaged in criminal activity at the time, or if the person entering was a law enforcement officer acting in an official capacity who identified themselves. A person who uses justified defensive force under these provisions is immune from both criminal prosecution and civil liability.¹⁰

Penalties at a Glance

Guam’s firearms penalties are steep, and the statute limits judicial discretion for repeat offenders:²

Possessing a firearm without an ID card: felony, minimum three years and $1,000 fine, no probation, parole, or work release until served.
Carrying concealed without a license: felony, same three-year minimum and $1,000 fine, same restrictions on early release.
Owning an unregistered firearm: minimum one year and $1,000 fine.
Possessing a prohibited weapon: felony, minimum three years and $1,000 fine, no early release.
Violating concealed carry location restrictions: misdemeanor.
Other violations not penalized elsewhere in the chapter: misdemeanor.

First-time offenders with no prior felony may receive up to two years instead of the mandatory minimums, with eligibility for probation and parole. That flexibility disappears if you have any prior felony on your record.²

1
Guam Police Department. Guam Code 10 GCA Chapter 60 – Firearms
2
Justia. 10 GCA Health and Safety Chapter 60 Firearms
3
Guam Police Department. FAQs – Section: Records and ID Section
4
Guam Police Department. Guam Police Department – Firearm Identification Card Application
5
Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. Weapons
6
Justia. 10 GCA Health and Safety Chapter 60 Firearms
7
Justia. Guam Code Title 10, Division 3, Chapter 60 – Firearms
8
Guam Police Department. Applications and Reports
9
Justia. Guam Code Title 9, Chapter 71 – The Guam Gun-Free School Zone Act of 2004
10
Justia. Guam Code Title 9, Chapter 7 – Exemptions and Defenses