Imperial Weapons Permit System

The Imperial Weapons Permit System is a legal weapon possession, accreditation and accountability system maintained by the Imperial Ministry of Justice that technically supersedes local Law Levels, falling under Imperial Law, that is typically enforced by the Imperium to a greater or lesser degree in different regions of the Imperium and with greater or lesser enthusiasm when the Imperium has a vested interest that it perceives as being threatened by individuals of malign intent attempting to gain access to heavy armaments.

Description

In general the Imperium is not overly concerned about the proliferation of small arms among its citizens, or indeed with local affairs in general, but measures have been put in place to monitor and regulate the ownership (and potential use) of powerful weapons by private citizens, lest they become a threat to Imperial interests or a potential destabilizing factor within a given region under the right circumstances. In this regard, the Imperial Ministry of Justice has at its disposal, and can fall back upon when deemed necessary, the Imperial Weapons Permit System. The Imperial Permit system is not applied uniformly across the Imperium, being applied more strictly in some regions (such as those with a reputation for unrest or insurrection against Imperial interests, as well as in the Imperial Core regions which are notionally "pacified" and close to Capital, relatively speaking), whereas in other areas they are for practical reasons hardly enforced at all (especially along Frontiers, Backwaters and Border regions that for historical reasons have often been granted extensive "home-rule" provisions due to the difficulties involved with more direct governance of territories resulting from the distances involved and the more recently settled colonial character of such regions - it all depends on the nature of the local Imperial authorities). Note that the Imperial Weapons Permit system has to do with individual or private possession; properly documented cargo is not subject to these restrictions but rather falls under interstellar and local commerce and transport regulations.

Imperial Weapons Permit restrictions supersede local law where the Imperial Ministry of Justice has jurisdiction. In essence, if a particular weapon or military item is legal on a given planet according to local law, but the user does not have an Imperial permit for it, action can still technically be taken against him or her - but only if the MoJ has a reason to become involved. If only local law enforcement is involved in an incident, there is no problem. This "loop-hole" gives the MoJ the authority to prosecute arms merchants who set up on local low-law worlds and indiscriminately sell powerful weaponry to all buyers, including off-world criminals and terrorists travelling to the world in order to "legally" acquire military-grade weapons, while still allowing the Imperium to ignore anything that is not a matter for their direct attention. The MoJ interest in such matters has to do with the potential of such "arms tourists" gaining access to powerful weaponry and damaging the trade and stability of the region, and thus the well-being of all Imperial citizens. The system of accreditation and permits was put into place to restrict the access by private citizens (and potential criminals) to military-grade weapons for this reason, and allows the Ministry of Justice to intervene with the semblance of non-interference in local affairs should the Imperium have a reason for taking an interest, and otherwise ignore those things that are of little concern to its overall stability and security. In general, the greater the threat posed to Imperial authorities and Imperial Forces by a particular weapon system, the more difficult it is to obtain a legitimate Imperial permit for its ownership and use. Conversely, the more accountable a particular individual or organization is, the easier it will be to obtain the appropriate permits with a demonstration of suitable need. Organizations (mercenary units, huscarles, corporate security units, etc.) and some high-security starships usually have a "Blanket Permit" for weapons use by its personnel under the direction of the unit's legitimate command or employer.

IMPERIAL WEAPON PERMITS: General Categories & Types

Weapon permits can be either General or Specific.

• General permits are a type of "blanket permit" that allow the ownership of any weapon in a specified category.
• Specific permits can be either a "specified type permit" that allow the ownership of any weapon of a specified type within a category, or may be issued so as to allow only the ownership of a single example of a given weapon type within a category (though multiple permits for different weapons can be issued).

Weapons and military equipment fall into five General Categories. Category 1–3 items can typically be bought over the counter anywhere they are legal. Licensing requirements exist mainly to ensure users do not accidentally injure themselves or others. Category 4 items are not normally available in the typical starport merchant's concourse. On those worlds for which there is a market, merchants generally deal in bulk-quantities suitable for sale to mercenary or military concerns. Occasionally a few random one-off items may be on sale to those with the proper accreditation in such locales. Category 5 weapons normally must be purchased from specialist dealers and sources and are subject to stringent licensing checks for accountability purposes.

Category 1: UNRESTRICTED USE

Unrestricted weapons can be purchased without any need for a license, and anyone can buy and own such weapons (generally even someone convicted of weapons-related crime) as long as they are legal where bought or it can be demonstrated that the weapon or equipment is to be transported to a locality where it is legal to own and use. Unrestricted weaponry includes most melee weapons, bows and less-lethal weaponry such as tranq-guns and stunners. In addition, light personal armor such as mesh and jack is unrestricted.

• Mesh/Jack Armors
• Melee Weapons
• Archaic Weapons
• Non-Lethal Firearms

Category 2: CIVILIAN USE

The purchaser must demonstrate the capability of "safe use" - any existing certification or weapons permit or an accreditation and safety training session on a weapons' range. No actual skill or reason for purchase is generally required, but visitors from other worlds may find the bureaucratic requirements for legal ownership time-consuming or necessitating local knowledge. Civilian smallarms include handguns such as semi-automatic pistols and revolvers, shotguns, semi-automatic rifles and carbines. Light personal armor including ballistic cloth and reinforced mesh are also within this category. Category 2 is generally considered the ‘polite preparation’ level in most localities, meaning that someone carrying weapons heavier than this will generally attract the attention of others unless they are obviously a mercenary, security guard or similar armed occupation. Explosives with a civilian application are also typically considered Category 2 items.

• Reinforced Mesh Armors
• Light Ballistic Cloth Armors
• Semi-automatic Pistols / Revolvers
• Semi-automatic Weapons
• Shotguns

• LIGHT STARSHIP WEAPONS:

» Beam / Mining Lasers

» Sandcasters

Category 3: PARAMILITARY USE

Since paramilitary weapons can cause large numbers of casualties if used indiscriminately, purchasers must usually demonstrate "a suitable need" as well as the ability to demonstrate both "safe use" and actual skill with the weapon (the latter is generally covered by occupations such as security personnel, skip tracer, licensed mercenary, bodyguard, etc, and includes those who employ them as well). References from employers and/or employment by an accountable person or body (starship captain, corporation, port authority etc) is usually desirable. Category 3 items include light automatics such as assault rifles and submachineguns, laser weapons and heavier personal armor such as flak. More powerful starship weapons such as pulse lasers and conventional missiles are considered Category 3 items. Note that all Imperial Services personnel with an honorable discharge from service automatically have a General Category 3 permit for weapons and armor, unless revoked for cause.

• Heavy Ballistic Cloth Armors
• Snub/Gyrojet/Accelerator Weapons
• Light Laser Weapons
• Light Automatic Weapons

» SMG/PDW

» Assault Rifle/Autorifle

• STARSHIP WEAPONS:

» Pulse Lasers

» Conventional Missiles

Category 4: MILITARY USE

Military weapons are treated much as Category 3 (Paramilitary) weapons, but they are generally more tightly restricted as they pose a significant threat to both law enforcers and civilians. Service as an accredited mercenary or similar employment is usually required. Even in locales where a weapon is legal, vendors will normally still require licensing to be in place for accountability purposes. Category 4 equipment includes heavier or more sophisticated personal weapons such as advanced combat rifles, gauss weapons, grenades and mid-tech support weapons such as general-purpose machineguns, anti-tank rockets and grenades. Combat armor is a Category 4 item, as are most heavy starship weapons such as torpedoes, fusion/plasma gun barbettes, and particle accelerator barbettes, and obtaining these systems can be difficult for civilian operators. Note: Imperial Service personnel leaving the service with a "Weapon" benefit are assigned a permit for its use and ownership.

• ACR-Series Weapons
• Combat Gyrojet/ACR-Series Weapons
• Gauss Weapons
• Support Weapons
• Military Grade Electronics
• Electronic Warfare Equipment
• Combat Armor
• Light Military Combat Vehicles (APCs, Combat sleds, et al)

• HEAVY STARSHIP WEAPONS:

» Torpedoes

» Plasma/Fusion Guns

» Particle Accelerator Barbettes/Small Bay

Category 5: RESTRICTED MILITARY USE

Category 5 items are normally only sold to accredited mercenary units, government clients and similarly accountable bodies. Category 5 items include Man-portable plasma and fusion weapons, heavy support weapons, heavy military combat vehicles and battle dress. Nuclear mining explosives, where they are permitted at all, would be a Category 5 item, as are very heavy starship weapons such as large bay and main-weapon particle accelerator guns and weapons designed to attack ground targets.

• Battle Dress
• Man-portable Plasma/Fusion Guns
• Heavy Military Combat Vehicles (Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFV), Grav Tanks)

• VERY HEAVY STARSHIP WEAPONS:

» Starship Grade PA Guns (Main Weapon/Large Bay)

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PROHIBITED (GOVERNMENT ONLY)

These items are subject to a blanket prohibition across all civilized worlds. Special permits are required to possess them (which are hardly ever granted to individuals) and stiff penalties are in place for those who break these laws. In the Third Imperium, even governments are subject to these laws and must account for all prohibited items. The Imperial Bureaucracy conducts random audits to ensure compliance.

• Large Scale EMP Weapons
• NBC Weapons
• Nuclear Weapons
• Antimatter Weapons & (Power Systems ??)

• VERY HEAVY STARSHIP WEAPONS:

» Starship Grade Meson Guns (Spinal / Main Weapon)

» Starship Grade PA Guns (Spinal Mount)

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History & Background

The Imperial Ministry of Justice developed the Imperial Weapon Permit system primarily as a means to project "legitimacy" when it desired to intervene in local affairs with the authority to prosecute individuals whom it deemed to be working counter to its own larger-scale interest, such as arms merchants who set up on local low-law worlds in order to engage in arms profiteering to all with the credits to pay, including off-world criminals and terrorists travelling to the world in order to "legally" acquire military-grade weapons. The Permit system allows the Imperium the appearance of legitimacy in intervening in heavy-weapons related clandestine activities while studiously ignoring anything that is not considered to be a matter for their direct attention that can be left as a matter for local concerns. The MoJ interest in such matters had to do with the potential of such "arms tourists" gaining access to powerful weaponry and damaging the trade and stability of a region, and thus the local commerce, profits, and by extension, the well-being of all Imperial citizens. The system of accreditation and permits was put into place to restrict the access by private citizens (and potential criminals) to military-grade weapons for this reason, and allows the Ministry of Justice to intervene with the semblance of non-interference in local affairs should the Imperium have a reason for taking an interest, and otherwise ignore those things that are of little concern to its overall stability and security.

References

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Mongoose Publishing or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• This Library Data Entry is a harmonization of material from the following sources:
• Martin Dougherty. Personal Weapons of Charted Space (QuikLink Interactive, 2002), .
• Matthew Sprange. Traveller Companion (Mongoose Publishing, 2018), .
• Matthew Sprange. Central Supply Catalogue (Mongoose Publishing, 2016), .