Concealable Firearms Licence
General Information
A concealable firearms licence is issued for the use of Category H weapons (Handguns).
A concealable firearms licence may only be issued for the following genuine reasons:
a) sports or target shooting
b) primary production
c) some other occupational genuine reasons
NOTE: This type of licence DOES NOT authorise the possession or use of handguns for recreational shooting (i.e. hunting)
Collectors can also possess category H firearms for the sole purpose of collecting. A collector’s licence is required to collect these types of firearms.
Legislative changes implementing national firearm agreements relating to handguns were introduced on 01 July 2003, affecting sporting target shooters, collectors and dealers. The legislation does not disadvantage sporting shooters who compete in Olympic or Commonwealth Games accredited events. The laws also do not apply to primary producers and people who have a handgun for occupational purposes such as security officers.
For sports and target shooters, the legislation:
- Bans high calibre handguns (above .38" or 9mm) for sporting shooters except for accredited events;
- Bans short-barrelled handguns (under 12 cm for semi-automatics and under 10 cm for a revolver or single shot handgun) for sporting shooters;
- Bans magazines above 10 shot capacity for sporting shooters;
- Prohibits possession of magazines without a licence;
- Requires clubs and new shooters to operate under a new scheme of membership and graduated access to handguns; and
- Requires sporting shooters to participate in a minimum number of competitions per year.
Last Updated: 09/12/2008