The Austrian Parliament has voted to tighten the country’s gun laws following the June school massacre in Graz, where ten people were killed.
After months of debate, lawmakers approved raising the minimum age requirement for firearm ownership starting in 2026:
- Handguns: from 21 to 25 years
- Hunting rifles: from 18 to 21 years
In addition, gun owners will be required to undergo clinical and psychological evaluations both when applying for a license and again five years later.
Exceptions will apply to licensed hunters and sport shooters, who must still complete “strict training.”
The far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) was the only party to vote against the changes, arguing the focus should be on combating illegal firearms. The Green Party supported the amendments but criticized them as “not strict enough” and objected to the number of exceptions included.
Austria, a country of 9.2 million people, has more than 1.5 million registered firearms owned by about 370,000 citizens.
The law comes after a 19-year-old former student attacked his school in Graz on June 10. Armed with a shotgun and Glock pistol, he killed nine students aged 14 to 17 and a teacher before taking his own life. Investigations later revealed he had obtained his firearms license in May after passing a psychological evaluation, despite having previously been deemed “unfit” for military service due to failing similar tests.
