FREE PROCEDURE - URGENT: 24 hours

You will need before starting:

  1. Valid DPI (national ID) of the holder
  2. Firearm data: brand, model, caliber, serial number
  3. Possession Card number and/or Carry License number
  4. Place, date, and description of the theft or loss
  5. PNC police report number (if already filed)
  6. Internet access or smartphone

TL;DR: If your registered firearm is stolen, robbed, or lost, you must notify DIGECAM within 24 hours of discovery. It is FREE, done online at https://digecam.mil.gt/tramites and does NOT require an appointment. The certificate you receive is your only legal protection if the firearm appears later in another crime. In parallel, file a PNC police report. Your legal obligation arises from Article 67 of the Firearms and Ammunition Law (Decree 15-2009).

What is the theft, robbery, or loss notice?

The DIGECAM notice is the official notification that the legal holder of a firearm must file when it is stolen, robbed, lost, or destroyed. Its function is to:

  1. Release the holder from liability if the firearm appears in a subsequent crime.
  2. Activate the database of reported firearms so PNC and MP can identify the firearm if seized.
  3. Leave regulatory record that the holder fulfilled the obligation under LAM Art. 67.

The notice is FREE and MANDATORY within 24 hours of discovery. There are no exceptions for travel, hospitalization, or other cause: if you cannot file it personally, a family member with your DPI can do it online.

It is different from:

Requirements

  • Valid DPI (national ID) of the firearm holder
  • Complete firearm data:
    • Brand (example: Glock, Smith & Wesson, Beretta, Bersa)
    • Model
    • Caliber (9mm, .38, .380, .22, etc.)
    • Complete serial number (CRITICAL)
  • Individual Possession Card number (prior DIGECAM registration)
  • Carry License number (if applicable)
  • Incident details:
    • Exact location (address, zone, department)
    • Approximate date and time
    • Circumstances (street robbery, home burglary, lost in taxi, etc.)
  • PNC police report number (if already filed; recommended same day)
  • Internet access (computer, phone) or a family member who can submit the form on your behalf

Don’t have the exact firearm data? Some holders do not remember the serial number. Go to DIGECAM or check your Possession Card or Carry License saved at home. If you don’t have those either, file the notice with available data and indicate you will provide the missing data within 48 hours. The important thing is to not miss the 24-hour deadline.

Step-by-step

  1. Activate the timer when you notice the incident. You have exactly 24 hours. If you discover the theft at night, file the notice online during that same shift.

  2. Gather the firearm data. Find your Possession Card (DIGECAM) or Carry License where brand, model, caliber, and serial number appear. If you cannot find them, write down what you remember: the notice can be expanded later.

  3. File a PNC police report in parallel. Go to the nearest substation or to the Public Ministry. Detail the incident, the firearm data, and request a stamped certificate with case number. If you are going to file the DIGECAM notice first, that is fine: the PNC report can be done afterward, but ideally the same day. See also Criminal Complaint at MP.

  4. Enter the DIGECAM portal. In your browser go to https://digecam.mil.gt/tramites and select “Theft, Robbery or Loss Notice of Firearm”. The system works 24/7. If the option does not appear, type it in the internal search bar.

  5. Fill out the online form. Holder data (DPI, name, phone, email), firearm data (brand, model, caliber, serial number), incident type (theft / robbery / loss / destruction), place, date, time, narrative description, PNC report number (if you have it; if not, write “pending”).

  6. Submit and download the certificate. Upon confirmation, the system generates a PDF certificate with:

    • Sequential notice number
    • Exact date and time of submission (digital stamp)
    • Summary of firearm data
    • Verification QR code

    Download it, save it, and keep it available. It is your only proof of compliance with Art. 67.

  7. Complete the PNC police report. If you filed the DIGECAM notice first, return to PNC with the DIGECAM notice number and the stamped certificate. Your file is complete: criminal report + regulatory notice.

  8. Keep both documents for 5 years. DIGECAM notice and PNC report. If the firearm appears in another crime at any point, they are your only legal defense.

Cost and timing

ItemDetail
CostQ0 (FREE) - no payment
Legal deadline24 hours from discovery (Art. 67 LAM)
Procedure timeImmediate (5-10 minutes online)
Modality100% online, no appointment
ResultPDF certificate with digital stamp and QR code
ValidityIndefinite (permanent registration in DIGECAM)
Penalty for non-complianceQ500-Q2,000 + presumption of illegal use

Common errors

Waiting for the PNC report to file the DIGECAM notice

The PNC report can take hours or days to process. The DIGECAM notice has a 24-hour deadline. File the DIGECAM notice first (it is immediate) and then the PNC report. In the DIGECAM form, where it asks for the report number, write “pending”; you can expand it later.

Paying a broker to file the notice

IT IS FREE. There is no payment slip at DIGECAM for this procedure. If a broker or intermediary charges you, it is fraud. The form is public, accessible, and simple. If you need help, call the DIGECAM call center (number at https://digecam.mil.gt) or ask a family member to fill the form for you.

Forgetting to save the digital certificate

The PDF certificate is your only proof of compliance. If your computer or phone breaks without you having downloaded and backed it up, you cannot demonstrate that you met the deadline. Download it, save it in email or cloud, and print a physical copy for your personal file.

Falsely reporting a theft or loss

Reporting a fake theft to evade liability (for example, after selling the firearm without a contract or using it in something you don’t want to declare) constitutes misappropriation (Penal Code Art. 264) with prison 1-3 years, and possibly ideological forgery (Art. 322). DIGECAM and PNC cross-check data: if the scheme is discovered, the offense is much greater than the original.

Not including serial number in the notice

The serial number is the CRITICAL data. Without it, DIGECAM cannot add the firearm to the wanted database, and PNC cannot identify it if seized. If you don’t remember it, look in your Possession Card, Carry License, or request it at DIGECAM office citing your DPI.

The Firearms and Ammunition Law (Decree 15-2009), particularly Article 67, establishes:

  • Article 67 (LAM): Every person, individual or corporate, owner or possessor of a firearm, must give notice to DIGECAM within 24 hours following discovery of the theft, robbery, or loss of the firearm or its license. Non-compliance is sanctioned with a fine of Q500-Q2,000 and presumption of illegal use.

  • Article 122 (LAM): If the stolen firearm appears later in a crime and the holder did not file timely notice, holder liability for illegal use is presumed: prison 4-6 years.

  • Article 65 (LAM): The holder must guarantee safe storage of firearms at the residence. A theft resulting from negligent storage (firearm in plain sight, no safe, left in vehicle) may carry additional administrative sanction.

  • Penal Code Art. 264 (misappropriation): If the notice is false (the holder sold the firearm without a contract and reports theft), it constitutes a criminal offense with prison 1-3 years.

  • Penal Code Art. 322 (ideological forgery): Falsely filling the notice form constitutes an additional offense with prison 2-6 years.

Penalties

InfractionSanctionLegal basis
Failing to file notice within 24 hoursFine Q500-Q2,000 + presumption of illegal useLAM Art. 67 + 122
If the firearm appears in a crime and there is no timely noticePrison 4-6 years (presumed liability)LAM Art. 122
Falsely reporting a theftPrison 1-3 yearsPenal Code Art. 264
Falsifying data on the formPrison 2-6 yearsPenal Code Art. 322
Negligent storage that facilitates the theftAdditional administrative sanctionLAM Art. 65
Not updating the notice when the firearm is recoveredAdministrative sanctionLAM Regulations Art. 39

Parallel flow: PNC police report and replacement

The DIGECAM notice is the first step. Then these procedures follow depending on the case:

StepProcedureCostWhereResult
1 (URGENT 24h)DIGECAM noticeFreehttps://digecam.mil.gt/tramitesRegulatory certificate
2 (same day)PNC police reportFreePNC substation or MP prosecutorCriminal certificate with case number
3 (afterward)DIGECAM License ReplacementQ190Appointment at DIGECAM officeNew Carry License
4 (afterward)Remove firearm from the licenseQ190Appointment at DIGECAM officeLicense with firearm removed

Important: the PNC police report and the DIGECAM notice are independent. PNC investigates the criminal offense of the theft; DIGECAM manages the regulatory registry. Comply with both. Your full legal protection requires both documents.