Due to cyberattack, governor signs executive order extending validity of gun licenses

Gov. Jenniffer González Colón

By The Star Staff

Gov. Jenniffer González Colón has signed Executive Order 2025-46, which extends the validity of all gun licenses issued under Act No. 168-2019 (Weapons Law) that have expired since May 25, 2025.

The measure seeks to protect citizens with expired licenses from legal repercussions while addressing the service disruption caused by a cyberattack.

The order will remain in effect until the superintendent of police certifies that the interconnection with the National Crime Information Center has been reestablished, background checks can be conducted, and the affected licenses have been properly evaluated and renewed, in accordance with legal requirements.

Secretary of State Rosachely Rivera Santana and Associate Superintendent of Police Col. Diana Crispín were present when the governor signed the order.

The executive order responds to a request from the Corporation for the Defense of Gun License Holders (CODEPOLA), which raised concerns about the impact of several cyberattacks on the island Department of Justice’s digital system last May. The attacks disrupted the issuance of criminal record certificates, which are essential for renewing gun licenses.

CODEPOLA President Ariel Torres Meléndez warned that hundreds of citizens, both members and non-members, have been left with expired or soon-to-expire licenses and are unable to complete the renewal process, despite having complied with the law. Torres emphasized that those affected are in an “uncertain and vulnerable legal position,” and called for an automatic extension similar to the one granted during the COVID-19 pandemic.