Fez Authorities Revoke Hundreds of Hunting Rifle Licenses Under Strict Law 86.21 Screening
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The Arab Post
- . November 5, 2026
- . Update: November 5, 2026 3:38 pm
The security forces in the Fez-Meknes region have decided to take a firm stance on civilian firearms in what is being called a “huge security sweep”. Fez Hunting Rifle Licenses, The Internal Affairs Division of the Wilaya of Fez-Meknes recently cancelled almost 300 hunting and sport shooting licenses in one stroke, officially removing the majority of the state’s hunters and sport shooting clubs from the lists.
This is the first time that the crackdown has been enforced in Fez in five years. The stringent application of the Morocco Law 86.21 on firearm screening, requiring very strict background checks for all civilian gun owners, is a direct cause of the decisive action.
The unexpected decision comes in the wake of the death of a man in the Ain Amir neighborhood of Saiss in Fez. The regional judicial police conducted preliminary investigations that showed a devastating murder-suicide by a 59-year-old building contractor and his 52-year-old wife as part of a divorce scandal.
Enforcing Morocco Law 86.21 Firearm Screening
The senseless Ain Amir affair led to immediate questioning of the access of civilians to guns during times of extreme personal crisis. As a result, the Fez-Meknes Internal Affairs Division undertook a thorough investigation of all the people in the region who have a firearm license on their name.
Now, a Moroccan hunting rifle license involves passing 4 absolute filters, according to legal experts. All applicants will be required first to provide a detailed application file, including a required medical and psychological fitness certificate from the public sector.
The screening process also includes comprehensive background checks with police and in-depth assessments by regional administration, as reported by FesNews Media. Importantly, any applicant or license holder with a previous police record will no longer be allowed to apply for the Wilaya.
Why Fez Hunting Rifle Licenses Revoked Matters
The new rules in the area are strict enough to consider any minor problems in the neighborhood, verbal altercation or unpaid debt, as reason for cancelling the license. The zero-tolerance security policy is designed to combat a recent social phenomenon in the Middle Ages dubbed a “silent breakdown,” in which middle-aged men who are hard up at home or financially experience severe stress.
The authorities hope to prevent further domestic tragedies by not returning the Fez hunting rifle licenses without undergoing further psychological evaluations. The Moroccan Ministry of Interior is closely monitoring these regional security policies and making sure that the actions taken locally are not only effective, but also consistent with the national public security policies.
The region’s hunting and sport shooting community has experienced a huge culture shift with the enforcement of Law No. 86.21. The actual hunting seasons and environmental quotas in 2026-2027 are still controlled by the National Agency for Water and Forests (ANEF), while the Wilaya has full administrative powers over who is considered psychologically and socially capable of holding an weapon.
Public order is a high priority for the government,” the state-run Maghreb Arabe Presse (MAP) reported. Overall, this is a very aggressive management action toward public safety. The experts at Fez are actively seeking to defuse potentially dangerous situations by removing guns from areas where a domestic dispute may turn deadly through the use of the strict framework of Law 86.21.
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