You will need this licence if you intend to possess or use a firearm. You must have a genuine reason for wanting a firearm and have a need for a particular type of firearm. You are deemed to have a genuine reason if you are:
- a member of a sport or target shooting club
- undertaking recreational hunting or vermin control
- a primary producer
- undertaking animal population control
- involved in animal welfare
- involved in a business
- working in a rural occupation
- involved in firearms collecting.
There are five categories of licence:
- Category A: Firearms that do not self-load, such as air rifles, rim fire rifles that are operated by a bolt, lever, break or slide action, shotguns that are operated by a break, bolt or lever action, etc.
- Category B: Longarms that do not self-load, such as centrefire rifles, muzzle loading firearms and shotgun / centrefire rifle combinations that are operated by a break action.
- Category C: Self-loading rim fire rifles with a magazine capacity of no more than 10 rounds, pump action shotguns with a magazine capacity of no more than 5 rounds, self-loading shotguns with a magazine capacity of no more than 5 rounds.
- Category D: Self-loading centrefire rifles, self-loading rim fire rifles with a magazine capacity of more than 10 rounds, pump action shotguns with a magazine capacity of more than 5 rounds, self-loading shotguns with a magazine capacity of more than 5 rounds, lever action shotguns with a magazine capacity of more than 5 rounds.
- Category H: Pistols, such as rimfire pistols and air pistols.
Please see the attached Licence Category and Genuine Reason Table for full details of licence categories and genuine reasons.
