The government is transforming ANMaC, and a renewed National Firearms Registry is returning.

In a new measure framed within the ambitious process of State reform and reorganization, the national government ordered the reinstatement of the historic National Firearms Registry (RENAR) and moved forward with the complete restructuring of the National Agency for Controlled Materials (ANMaC), returning to the State full control over one of the most sensitive areas in terms of security: the control and oversight of firearms, ammunition, and explosives.

The decision was formalized through Decree 445/2025, published this Tuesday in the Official Gazette, which establishes an essential structural shift: ANMaC will cease to be a decentralized agency with economic autonomy and will operate as a deconcentrated entity under the direct authority of the Ministry of Security led by Patricia Bullrich.

"The aim is to optimize its operation and facilitate coordination with national security policies, while maintaining the agency's technical expertise for the administration of sensitive databases," the presidential decree states.

The measure—which also involves the dissolution of the Fund for the Promotion of Armed Violence Prevention Policies (FPVA)—represents a key step in the policy of reducing public spending and eliminating duplicated or ideologically biased structures. From now on, the funding for preventive policies will be absorbed by the Ministry itself, avoiding intermediaries and ensuring efficiency.

Additionally, the second article of the decree amendedLaw 27.192, formally reinstating RENAR as a deconcentrated agency under the National Ministry of Security. The Registry will be responsible for the implementation, control, and oversight of the National Firearms and Explosives Law No. 20,429 and its supplementary regulations, as well as collaborating in the development of criminal policies and armed violence prevention policies.

The government also authorized the Security portfolio to set fees and charges for the administrative and technical services provided by the new agency, with the commitment that the rates will be equitable.

In organizational matters, the Ministry was instructed to submit to the National Executive Branch a proposal to adapt the structure of RENAR and its regulatory framework, in line with the new administrative logic. Meanwhile, it was guaranteed that all ANMaC personnel will retain their employment status and that the current organizational units will remain in place until the final transition.

However, any future modification in the staffing, relocation, or restructuring will be under the supervision of the State Transformation and Public Function Secretariat, ensuring strict oversight of the achievement of efficiency objectives.

The decision was preceded by another measure adopted two weeks ago by the agency, headed by Juan Pablo Allan, when administrative reforms were announced for commercial, collective, and sports firearms users. Among the changes, the following stand out:

The elimination of the annual fee that had to be paid to maintain user status.

The extension of the re-registration period from 1 to 5 years, reducing bureaucracy and economic burdens on legitimate users.

The simplification of the process for manufacturers, dealers, armored vehicle inspectors, reloaders, and shooting entities.

Before this reform, users were required to re-register every year and pay a fixed fee, even if the conditions of their records did not change. With the new scheme, the expiration will now be every five years, although the obligation to notify any change in registered data within 30 days remains in effect.