If you have a current licence you may complete an Application for a Permit To Acquire a Firearm and lodge this form with Service Tasmania along with the prescribed fee. Your application will then be assessed by Firearms Services to ensure you:
- have a current firearms licence for the category of firearm you wish to acquire
- are a fit and proper person
- have provided sufficient reason and need to acquire the firearm
- are able to meet the storage and safety requirements relating to that firearm.
Depending on the category of firearm you wish to acquire and your reasons and need for it, there are other requirements you must satisfy before your application will be approved. For instance if you wish to acquire a pistol for sport/target shooting, you must have held a Category H licence and been a member of an approved pistol shooting club for at least 6 months.
For all other situations, there is at least a 28-day waiting period before you can obtain your first firearm or if you do not currently have any registered firearms in your possession. In such cases an Application for a Permit To Acquire a Firearm cannot be approved until at least 28 days from the date the application is lodged. If you already have a registered firearm your application can be granted after sufficient time to consider your application has expired. In normal circumstances this would be not less than 14 days (refer section 61 Firearms Act, 1996).
Please note these timeframes reflect the minimum waiting period as legislatively mandated. While Firearms Services make every effort to minimise delays in processing applications, during peak workload periods there may be delays experienced from time to time.
For more information, see Information Sheet 40 – Permit to Acquire Firearms and for firearms categories go to Categories of Firearms Licenses.