To obtain an NSW Firearms Licence you’ll need to complete a Safe Shooting Course, join SSAA NSW Ltd and apply for your firearms licence online through Service NSW.
On our website, there is a list of Safe Shooting Instructors who will be able to help you out. Have a look and contact one that is most convenient for you.
https://ssaansw.org.au/safe-shooting/
If you want to use SSAA NSW Ltd as your supporting club, you can join online here: https://membership.ssaa.org.au/forms/join alternatively, you could call the National Membership Office on 02 8805 3900. It takes between 2-3 weeks for your membership to be processed, then you will be issued with a letter confirming your membership. Two or so weeks after that, you will receive your membership card.
Once you have completed your Safe Shooting Course and received confirmation of your club membership, you can apply for your Firearms Licence via the online Service NSW portal: https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-firearms-licence-individual
It also has links to various FACT Sheets you may be interested in.
To obtain a NSW Firearms Licence you’ll need to complete a Safe Shooting Course, provide a document from the list bellow to support your genuine reason of Recreational Hunting and apply for your firearms licence online through Service NSW.
On our website, there is a list of Safe Shooting Instructors who will be able to help you out. Have a look and contact one that is most convenient for you.
https://ssaansw.org.au/safe-shooting/
For Recreational Hunting, there are a few ways of supporting your NSW Firearms Licence –
- If you are the owner or occupier of Rural Land
- You have a letter of permission to shoot on Rural Land
- You hold a Restricted Game Hunting Licence from the Department of Primary Industries
- Club Membership (for adults, current legislation requires a minimum of 2 in range hunting attendances per reporting year as determined by the club)
- If you wanted to use SSAA NSW as your supporting club, you can join online here: https://membership.ssaa.org.au/forms/join alternatively, you could call the National Membership Office on 02 8805 3900. It takes between 2-3 weeks for your membership to be processed, then you will be issued with a letter confirming your membership. 2 or so weeks after that, you will receive your membership card.
Once you have completed your Safe Shooting Course and received confirmation support documentation, you can apply for your Firearms Licence via the online Service NSW portal: https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-firearms-licence-individual
It also has links to various FACT Sheets you may be interested in.
You need to join a collector’s club to hold a Collectors Licence. For adults, current legislation requires you to attend at least one meeting of an approved gun collectors’ society or club of which you are a member. If you wanted to use SSAA as your supporting club, you can join online here: https://membership.ssaa.org.au/forms/join alternatively, you could call the National Membership Office on 02 8805 3900. It takes between 2-3 weeks for your membership to be processed, then you will be issued with a letter confirming your membership. 2 or so weeks after that, you will receive your membership card.
If you were unable to attend for a significant portion of the 12 months ending 30th of June for one or more of the above reasons, you should obtain documents that will support your circumstance. Do not send the documentation to SSAA NSW Ltd but retain it as the NSW Firearms Registry may request a written explanation of your non-attendance.
SSAA NSW Ltd Reporting Period runs from the 1st of July to the 30th of June the following year.
Target (Longarm) – 4 shooting attendances
For Handgun requirements, please refer directly to your pistol club.
Hunting – 2 hunting club events or attendances in a NSW Firearms Registry approved range
This participation requirement only applies if membership of an approved hunting club is the sole reason for which the licensee has established the genuine reason of recreational hunting/vermin control.
Collecting – 1 meeting attendance
One meeting of an approved collectors’ society or club of which the licensee is a member.
Mandatory attendances are part of the NSW Firearms Regulations and SSAA NSW Ltd do not have the power to offer extensions.
If you are unable to complete your minimum attendances for this reporting year, NSW Firearms Registry may contact you to ask you for a written explanation and they may take that into consideration on a case by case basis.
You’re able to attend any range in NSW, if you complete a SSAA NSW Ltd Attendance book or SSAA NSW Ltd Electronic Attendance System, then those attendances will be sent to us from the Branch or club.
If you complete the attendance somewhere else, please forward a copy of the attendance pass/receipt you receive along with your SSAA Membership number to attendances@nsw.ssaa.org.au, and we’ll enter it in manually for you.
The NSW Firearms Registry is quite specific that NSW Licence Holders need to have NSW Clubs as their Principal Reporting Club as an interstate Club falls outside of their regulatory jurisdiction for auditing and compliance requirements.
You are more than welcome to complete your attendances at an interstate range, provided that range holds approval from the Commissioner, to meet the mandatory requirements of holding a NSW Firearms Licence, however, your Principal Reporting Club should be a NSW Club.
https://www.police.nsw.gov.au/online_services/firearms/clubs/club_news
Interstate Clubs
The Firearms Regulation 2017 (NSW) allows for the NSW Firearms Registry to approve interstate clubs as principal clubs for NSW licence holders. The relevant clause was drafted with the intent to permit NSW firearms licence holders to undertake shooting activities at clubs operating near or on the borders rather than travelling long distances to a NSW club.
The NSW Police Force has no concerns about NSW licence holders joining interstate clubs as associate members or participating in activities at interstate clubs; however, if a licence holder declares an interstate club as their principal club it falls outside of our regulatory jurisdiction for auditing and compliance requirements.
Nothing stops an individual licence holder from belonging to an interstate club in addition to their principal club for ease of access to a range or competition.
If you get stuck anywhere along the way, reach out to your local SSAA Branch or don’t hesitate to contact SSAA NSW Ltd on 02 7900 1555 for assistance.