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Section14
The Arms Act, 1959

Refusal of licences

In force From 01 Oct 1962 Act 54 of 1959 As on 15 Oct 2026

Act 54 of 1959 Ministry Home Affairs Enacted 23 Dec 1959 In force 01 Oct 1962 Cited by 1 provision

Section 14 of the Arms Act, 1959 deals with refusal of licences. Notwithstanding anything in section 13, the licensing authority shall refuse to grant (a) a licence under section 3, section 4 or section 5 where such licence is required in respect of any prohibited arms or prohibited ammunition; The Act came into force on 01 Oct 1962.

(1) Notwithstanding anything in section 13, the licensing authority shall refuse to grant

(a) a licence under section 3, section 4 or section 5 where such licence is required in respect of any prohibited arms or prohibited ammunition;

(b) a licence in any other case under Chapter II,--

(i) where such licence is required by a person whom the licensing authority has reason to believe

(1) to be prohibited by this Act or by any other law for the time being in force from acquiring, having in his possession or carrying any arms or ammunition; or

(2) to be of unsound mind; or

(3) to be for any reason unfit for a licence under this Act; or

(ii) where the licensing authority deems it necessary for the security of the public peace or for public safety to refuse to grant such licence.

(2) The licensing authority shall not refuse to grant any licence to any person merely on the ground that such person does not own or possess sufficient property.

(3) Where the licensing authority refuses to grant a licence to any person it shall record in writing the reasons for such refusal and furnish to that person on demand a brief statement of the same unless in any case the licensing authority is of the opinion that it will not be in the public interest to furnish such statement

Section 14, The Arms Act, 1959 (Act 54 of 1959).

Cross-references

Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.

This section refers to

  1. s. 3 Licence for acquisition and possession of firearms and ammunition
  2. s. 4 Licence for acquisition and possession of arms of specified description in certain cases
  3. s. 5 Licence for manufacture, sale, etc., of arms and ammunition
  4. s. 13 Grant of licences

Referred to by 1

  1. s. 15 Duration and renewal of licence

Related judgements & precedents

These are some judgments that construed this section, and hold precedence value. They hold authority on how to read, interpret and use this section.

  1. Hardevsinh Takhubha Jadeja v. State of Gujarat

    High Court 01 Apr 2022 Binding (High Court) SCA (Guj HC); Final Order 01.04.2022

    Court's Decision & Legal Precedent

    Final Order (DATE VERIFIED 01.04.2022, order-3.pdf): quashed/remanded arms-licence refusal for failure to apply Arms Act ss.13/14 grant-and-refusal framework; directed fresh consideration in accordance with law. Arms s.4 remains empty.

    On this section: s.14 — Refusal of licences; reasoned refusal after considering s.13 factors

    Read the full order on eCourts India

The holding above is the ratio decidendi as extracted from the judgment by eCourts India, reproduced unaltered — it is a rendering of the court's reasoning, not a substitute for its words. Read the order itself before relying on it.

Questions about Section 14

What have the courts held on Section 14 of the Arms Act?

Hardevsinh Takhubha Jadeja v. State of Gujarat (01 Apr 2022) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: s.14 — Refusal of licences; reasoned refusal after considering s.13 factors.

How do I find court cases under Section 14 of the Arms Act?

In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: Arms Act 14, section 14 Arms Act, section 14 of the Arms Act. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 1 reported judgment on this section is set out on this page, beginning with Hardevsinh Takhubha Jadeja v. State of Gujarat (01 Apr 2022).

What should I read with Section 14 of the Arms Act, and has it changed?

Its own text turns on section 3 (Licence for acquisition and possession of firearms and ammunition), section 4 (Licence for acquisition and possession of arms of specified description in certain cases), section 5 (Licence for manufacture, sale, etc., of arms and ammunition), section 13 (Grant of licences), so none of them can safely be read on its own. 1 other provision in this corpus refers back to it.

When did Section 14 of the Arms Act come into force?

Section 14 of the Arms Act, cited as Arms Act 14, came into force on 01 Oct 1962, having been enacted on 23 Dec 1959. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.

Other sections of this Act

Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 15 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.