Uzbekistan is introducing stricter penalties for repeat offenses involving the carrying of cold weapons or items that could be used as such. These updates were formalized in the Code of Administrative Responsibility following a law passed on April 17.
Under current regulations, carrying cold weapons or similar objects already carries a fine. For instance, carrying such items openly in public spaces—even for legitimate reasons like work, sports, or domestic tasks—is punishable by a fine ranging from 0.5 to 1 Base Calculating Value (BCV).
If cold weapons or potentially dangerous items are carried without a valid professional or recreational justification (such as hunting or sports), or if they are carried for self-defense, the fine increases to 1–5 BCV, and the items may be confiscated.
The new legislation adds a layer of severity for recidivism. Repeat offenders caught within the same year will now face fines of 5 to 10 BCV (approximately 2.06 million to 4.12 million soums) or up to 15 days of administrative arrest, along with the mandatory confiscation of the items.
Notably, while an initial proposal suggested a maximum of 10 days of arrest, lawmakers in the Legislative Chamber pushed for the 15-day limit during their September 2025 session, citing the significant level of public danger posed by such violations.
The Weapons Law has also been amended to reflect stricter safety standards. Individuals who have committed acts of violence against children will now be barred from obtaining a permit to purchase firearms. For those who already possess such a permit, the Ministry of Justice confirmed that internal affairs agencies will seize their weapons and ammunition for the entire duration of any active protection order.
The process for committing individuals to mandatory addiction treatment has been streamlined. The previous requirement—which stated a person must have faced administrative charges more than once within a year—has been eliminated.
During a parliamentary session in September, Ulugbek Shermatov, Chairman of the Legislative Chamber Committee, noted that these commissions may operate within district medical associations. In cases where a local addiction specialist is unavailable, one will be brought in from a neighboring district to assist.
Zarifjon Ashurov, Director of the Republican Specialized Scientific and Practical Medical Center for Mental Health, previously stated that 8500 people in Uzbekistan are currently registered at dispensaries for drug-related illnesses.
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