Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella has ended a nearly 11-year nationwide suspension on firearm-carry permits, restoring the right of eligible permit holders to carry their registered weapons outside their homes.
De La Espriella signed Decree 1368 on September 8, 2026, with the measure taking effect on September 9.
The decree does not introduce permitless carrying. Existing licensing requirements and restrictions remain in force, limiting the change to people with valid firearm permits who are otherwise legally authorised to carry.
De La Espriella, who made the policy reversal a campaign pledge, said the government should focus its security efforts on criminals carrying illegal weapons rather than imposing a blanket restriction on law-abiding permit holders.
Security forces seized 15,700 firearms between January 1 and September 3, 2026, including 14,179 linked to criminal activity, according to government figures.
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Authorities said 980 were associated with FARC dissident groups, 551 with the Clan del Golfo and 339 with the National Liberation Army (ELN).
The decision has faced opposition from Senator Ariel Ávila, who warned that greater civilian firearm carrying could create security risks and increase the possibility of legally held weapons reaching criminal groups.
The policy dates to December 23, 2015, when then-President Juan Manuel Santos signed Decree 2515, initially suspending firearm-carry permits from December 24, 2015, to January 31, 2016, as a temporary security measure.
Successive administrations, including those of Iván Duque and Gustavo Petro, repeatedly renewed the restriction, keeping it in place for almost 11 years.
The reversal could affect about 700,000 valid permit holders, according to Colombian media reports.
De La Espriella’s move restores the operation of qualifying permits while leaving Colombia’s broader firearm licensing and regulatory framework intact.