The Firearms Act 1996
Hunters seeking to use and possess a firearm in NSW must hold a firearms Licence issued by the NSW Police Force Firearms Registry, that administers the Firearms Act of 1996. Interstate residents must hold an equivalent licence issued by their state authority before entering NSW with a firearm.
For recreational hunting, your firearms licence must be endorsed for the appropriate category of firearm and the relevant genuine reason.
Under this Act, firearms are designated into categories based upon their action type. Firearms used for recreational hunting and vermin control generally fall into the categories of A and B and are listed in the table below.
| Category | Type of Firearm |
|---|---|
| Category A | Air rifles, Rimfire rifle (other than self-loading), Shotgun/rimfire combinations, Shotgun (other than pump-action or self-loading) |
| Category B | Muzzle-loading firearms (other than pistols), Centrefire rifles (other than self-loading), Shotgun/centrefire combinations |
| Category C | Prohibited except for limited purposes Self-loading rimfire rifles with a magazine capacity of no more than 10 rounds, Self-loading shotguns with a magazine capacity of no more than 5 rounds, Pump-action shotguns with a magazine capacity of no more than 5 rounds |
| Category D | Prohibited except for official purposes Self-loading centrefire rifles, Self-loading rimfire rifles with a magazine capacity of more than 10 rounds, Self-loading shotguns with a magazine capacity of more than 5 rounds, Pump-action shotguns with a magazine capacity of more than 5 rounds, any firearm to which a category C licence applies |
| Category H | Handguns (including blank firing handguns) |
| Firearms dealer | Licence specifies which firearms may be possessed by the individual dealer |
| Firearms collector | Licence specifies which types of firearms may be possessed by the individual collector |
Your Firearms Licence is also restricted by the genuine reason listed on the licence.
To hunt with an appropriate category of firearm in NSW, you must have the genuine reason of Recreational hunting and vermin control.
You can also have more than one genuine reason attached to your firearms licence. Each category of firearm must also be stored and transported in accordance with the legislation.
We will cover more information relating to the use of firearms in R-Licence Category 1 — Hunting with firearms (rifles, shotguns and blackpowder firearms), in Section 2 of this course.
Commercial and professional hunters may use other categories of firearms if they are appropriately licensed and hold the relevant permits. For more information, contact the NSW Police Force Firearms Registry.
