Permit To Acquire A Firearm
To contact the Firearms Registry Permits to Acquire Unit email: frpta@police.nsw.gov.au.
If you wish to acquire a firearm on your licence or permit, you must first make application to the NSW Firearms Registry for a permit to acquire the firearm.
The purchase or disposal of any firearm must be conducted by a licensed NSW Firearms Dealer.
The following provides Information on obtaining a Permit to Acquire (PTA) for longarms or handguns.
What requirements must be met to obtain a Permit to Acquire?
You must hold a current NSW firearms licence or permit to make application for a Permit to Acquire a firearm.
DO NOT send a PTA application until your firearms licence has been issued and received by you from the RTA.
You may only acquire a particular type of firearm if you hold the corresponding category of licence for that firearm. For example, you must hold a category A licence to acquire a category A type firearm.
A separate PTA application form must be completed for each firearm and you must have 'good reason' for acquiring the firearm.
For initial PTA's, there is a mandatory 28 day waiting period from receipt of your application before your Permit to Acquire can be issued. For second and subsequent PTA's there is no waiting period if you currently have a firearm of the same type registered to you, or you have had a firearm of the same type registered to you in the 90 days prior to receipt of the permit to acquire application at the Firearms Registry.
A PTA remains in force until the firearm is acquired or for 90 days, after which time it will expire.
How do I obtain a Permit to Acquire application?
You can request PTA applications from our Internet site, or phone or email the Firearms Registry to obtain your P562 'Application for a Permit to Acquire a Firearm - Longarm' or P563 'Application for a Permit to Acquire a Handgun' forms.
The application forms will be posted to you and upon completion must be returned to the Firearms Registry for processing. Remember, you may only make application for one firearm per application form.
When the PTA is issued it will be posted to you and you may then acquire your firearm on presentation of the issued PTA to your firearms dealer.
How much does a PTA cost?
Each Permit to Acquire costs $30.00.
There are certain exemptions for fees for a PTA for pensioners and primary producers. Please see the Schedule of Fees or the P562 or P563 FACT sheets for information on fee exemptions.
Purchase of firearms within NSW
All firearms transactions, both purchase and disposal, must be witnessed by a licensed NSW Firearms Dealer. The dealer will send the completed paperwork to the Firearms Registry.
If there is no licensed Firearms Dealer within 100km of the residential address of both the buyer and the seller, the transaction may be witnessed by an authorised police officer.
Purchase of firearms from Interstate or Overseas
If the firearm is to be purchased from Interstate or Overseas, you will still require a permit to acquire the firearm. In addition you will need to locate a NSW Firearms Dealer to arrange for the transfer of the firearm from Interstate or overseas to the NSW Firearms Dealer.
Once the firearm is received, the Dealer will undertake necessary steps to register the firearm in NSW and transfer the ownership of the firearm to the holder of the Permit to Acquire a Firearm.
Request a Permit to Acquire application form (via website).
FORM P562 (sample) - Application for a Permit to Acquire a Firearm - Longarm
FACT Sheet - Permit to Acquire - Longarm P562 Form
FORM P563 (sample) - Application for a Permit to Acquire a Firearm - Handgun
FACT Sheet - Permit to Acquire - Handgun P563 Form
FACT Sheet - Firearms Types
FACT Sheet - Things declared not to be firearms
FACT Sheet - Imitation Firearms
PDF - Licence Categories and Genuine Reason Table
FACT Sheet - Information on Obtaining a Firearms Licence in NSW
FACT Sheet - Fee Schedule
