Executive Order 3243

By virtue of the authority vested in me by Section 4 of the Act of Congress, authorizing the President to make rules and regulations relative to police powers in the Canal Zone, approved August 21, 1916, I hereby establish the following order for the Canal Zone.

Section I. It shall be unlawful for any one to carry on or about his person any firearm or any dirk, dagger or other knife, manufactured or sold for the purpose of offense or defense, or any slung shot, sword-cane, or any knuckles made of metal or other hard substance.

Sec. II. The preceding section shall not apply to a person engaged in the military or naval service of the United States, or as a peace officer or officer authorized to execute judicial process of the United States or the Canal Zone, or in carrying mail or in the collection or custody of funds of the United States or the Canal Zone; nor to a member of a gun or pistol club organized for the promotion of target practice, a certified copy of the constitution and by-laws of which have been approved by the Executive Secretary of The Panama Canal and filed with the Chief of the Police and Fire Division, when such member is going to or from a target range or is engaged in practice at the target range. For the purposes of this order, a certificate of membership in the gun or pistol club shall be issued by the organization and approved by the Chief of the Police and Fire Division, which shall entitle the holder to carry firearms as is provided in this section.

Neither shall the preceding section apply to any person authorized to have or carry arms by permit granted under the terms of this order.

Sec. III. The Executive Secretary of The Panama Canal may authorize the granting of permits to have and carry arms, as follows:

1. To hunt upon the public lands of the Canal Zone or upon lands occupied by private persons, when authorized by the latter.
2. To have arms in residences, offices, business places, and plantations, and to watchmen or overseers of plantations, factories, warehouses, docks or piers. Applications for such permits shall be made to the Executive Secretary of The Panama Canal, and shall contain the full name, residence and occupation of the applicant; and if the applicant is a minor it shall not be granted without the consent of his parent or guardian; but no permit shall be granted to a minor under 15 years of age.

The Executive Secretary shall satisfy himself by due inquiry that the applicant is a proper person to have a permit to keep and carry arms; and he may grant or deny the application, as to him may seem proper.

Sec. IV. When an application is granted by the Executive Secretary for a permit to hunt, he shall endorse his approval thereon and file the application, and he shall cause a permit to be issued to the applicant upon his paying a fee of $1.

Hunting permits issued by virtue of this order will allow the holder thereof to have, carry, and use firearms in the area or areas prescribed by the Governor of The Panama Canal, and on the conditions imposed by him under such general or special rules and regulations as he may issue from time to time. And the Governor is hereby empowered to designate the area or areas of the Canal Zone in which hunting is permitted, and the class of arms that may be used in hunting in such areas; and no hunting shall be allowed outside of the areas so designated by him. And the Governor of The Panama Canal may, in such general or special rules and regulations, impose such other conditions in respect to hunting as he may deem necessary in the interests of public order, and to prevent injury to persons or property.

A permit granted under this section shall run for the fiscal year in which it is issued, and it may be revoked at any time for cause by the Executive Secretary of The Panama Canal.

Sec. V. Permits heretofore issued by authority of law, to have and use firearms, shall not be affected by this order, but such permits shall continue in force until the expiration of the period for which they were issued.

Sec. VI. Any one not authorized by this order, who carries on or about his person any of the prohibited arms mentioned in Section I of this order, or who hunts or engages in hunting without first obtaining the permit provided for in this order, or who after obtaining such permit engages in hunting in violation of the provisions of this order or any rule or regulation established by the Governor hereunder, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding twenty-five dollars or by imprisonment in jail not to exceed thirty days, or by both such fine and imprisonment, in the court's discretion.

In addition to the punishment herein prescribed for a violation of this order, the courts shall adjudge the seizure and confiscation of the arms unlawfully had, used, or carried by the offending party, and the same shall be disposed of in such manner as the Executive Secretary of The Panama Canal shall determine.

Sec. VII. Penalties for the infringement of this order shall be in addition to such punishment as may be imposed upon the offending person for any other offense that he may have committed in connection with the carrying or using of arms in violation of this order.

Sec. VIII. The Executive Order of November 7, 1913, and all other laws, orders and regulations or parts thereof in conflict with this order are hereby repealed.

Sec. IX. This Order shall take effect thirty days from and after this date.

Woodrow Wilson 

The White House,

6 March, 1920.