Guatemala Government Services

DIGECAM (Dirección General de Control de Armas y Municiones) is the directorate of MINDEF (Ministry of National Defense) that regulates the trade, possession, carry, import and registration of firearms and ammunition in Guatemala. Operates under Decree 15-2009 — Firearms and Ammunition Law (LAM) and its Regulation (Government Agreement 85-2011).

Quick rule: Possession (tenencia) = firearm at home (Q60). Carry (portación) = firearm on the street (~Q590 to start: Q400 evaluation + Q190 for the first year; Q190 per year at renewal; valid 1 to 3 years at the holder’s choice, Art. 72 LAM). Importing from USA = YES it’s possible but with prior license (Q10) + documentation. Theft or loss = notify the PNC or MP + copy to DIGECAM as soon as possible (Art. 66 LAM, no deadline in hours; free).

DIGECAM sub-portals

Most-searched DIGECAM trámites

For individuals (B2C)

For businesses (B2B)

Legal Framework — Decree 15-2009 (Firearms and Ammunition Law)

LAM Regulation: Government Agreement 85-2011 details administrative procedures, forms, infrastructure required for gun shops, and operation of the SIDIGECAM system.

Before any DIGECAM trámite — checklist

Where carry is restricted in practice

Important correction: the Firearms and Ammunition Law (Decreto 15-2009) does not contain an article listing prohibited carry locations. Many Guatemalan firearms guides — including an earlier version of this page — cite “Art. 95” for such a list; Art. 95 actually governs the authorization of shooting instructors. We removed that citation rather than repeat it.

What the law does regulate is the manner of carrying, and it applies everywhere:

Commonly restricted in practice (venue rules and private-property rights, not a LAM article): courts and judicial buildings, government offices, banks and financial institutions, schools and universities, hospitals, stadiums and public sporting events, bars and nightclubs, and voting centers on election days. These venues routinely refuse entry with a firearm or require you to check it at the door, and property owners may set their own rules. Check the rules of the specific place — and note that entering an area where firearms are barred may engage the Penal Code or electoral rules rather than the LAM.

Permitted vs prohibited firearms for civilians

Correction: Guatemala’s civil-use catalogue is not defined by caliber ceilings. LAM Art. 9 permits revolvers and semi-automatic pistols of any caliber; the only dimensional limit in the article is a 24-inch maximum barrel on shotguns. There is no “.50 caliber” threshold and no 30-round magazine cap anywhere in the statute — earlier versions of this page carried both, and neither exists in the law.

Note: holding 3 or more unregistered civil or sporting firearms is itself the crime of illegal deposit under Art. 115 (5-8 years, non-commutable) — separate from whether the model is permitted.

Diaspora — Guatemalans in the USA

If you’re returning to Guatemala with a firearm legally bought in the USA

Common pitfalls:

• Bringing a firearm in without a prior license, or without declaring it at customs = seizure + 5 to 8 years’ non-commutable prison (LAM Art. 99). If it is more than two firearms, or war-class, the penalty rises to 8-12 years
• Bringing an item prohibited by Art. 82 (automatic firearm or conversion mechanism, suppressor, unserialized firearm, war-grade ammunition) = permanent seizure plus prosecution; holding war-class firearms is illegal deposit under Art. 116, 10-15 years, non-commutable
• Magazines are judged against the firearm’s own as-manufactured capacity (Art. 82(i)) — not against a fixed round count

If your carry license expired while in the USA

If you left with a license that has since expired, two LAM rules matter. Under Art. 76, once you file the renewal, your expired license plus the sealed copy of the application works as a provisional license for a maximum of 45 days while DIGECAM resolves. Under Art. 132, carrying on a license expired 30 days or less is a falta — a Q1,500-3,000 fine, with the firearm and license held for a judge — not a crime; carrying on one expired longer than that falls under Art. 123 instead.

The LAM sets no cut-off after which you lose the right to renew rather than reapply. Earlier versions of this page stated a 90-day window; we could not locate it in the statute and have removed it. Confirm your own case with DIGECAM (PBX +502 2299-9797) before travelling.

DIGECAM penalties summary

Failure to report a theft is not a listed offence. Art. 66 requires notice to the PNC or the MP plus a copy to DIGECAM, but sets no deadline in hours and no fine. An earlier version of this page listed a “Q500-2,000 fine for not reporting within 24h”; no such provision exists in the LAM. The real exposure is evidentiary — an unreported firearm that turns up at a crime scene is still registered to you.

DIGECAM contact

More Guatemala state resources

• MINGOB Guatemala — criminal and police records (DIGECAM license requirement), PNC complaint (for theft reports)
• RENAP — valid DPI (main requirement)
• SAT Guatemala — NIT (for dealer companies) + import IVA
• MINEX Guatemala — apostille of US documents for returnees
• MINECO Guatemala — Mercantile Registry (prior step for gun shops)
• Trámites Guatemala — complete directory