reg 1Objectives

The objectives of these Regulations are to prescribe—

(a)

devices that do not fall within the definition of firearms; and

(b)

requirements applying to the suppression of pest animals using category C longarms; and

(c)

requirements for target shooting on private land; and

(d)

the particulars to be entered on the register of transactions kept by licensed firearms dealers; and

(e)

the maximum fee that may be charged by licensed firearms dealers acting as agents in firearms transactions; and

(f)

the particulars to be entered on the register kept by licensed firearms collectors; and

(g)

fees for the issue and renewal of licences and for permits and for the issue of duplicate licences under the Act; and

(h)

fees for applications to the Committee for the review of decisions made by the Chief Commissioner; and

(i)

waivers, reductions and refunds of fees; and

(j)

the manner in which searches without warrant under the Act are to be conducted and the particulars to be included in records of those searches; and

(k)

offences in respect of which infringement notices may be issued; and

(l)

matters necessary or expedient to be prescribed for giving effect to the Act.

reg 2Authorising provision

These Regulations are made under section 191 of the Firearms Act 1996.

reg 3Commencement

These Regulations come into operation on 20 August 2018.

Reg. 4 substituted by S.R. No. 125/2024 reg. 5.

reg 4Definitions

In these Regulations—

FPO reference number, in relation to a firearm prohibition order, means a unique number or code that identifies that particular order;

President has the same meaning as in the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005;

the Act means the Firearms Act 1996.

reg 5Revocations

The following Regulations are revoked—

(a)

Firearms Regulations 2008^[1];

(b)

Firearms Amendment Regulations 2012^[2].

reg 6Exempt devices

For the purposes of paragraph (j) of the definition of firearm in section 3(1) of the Act, the following classes of device are prescribed—

(a)

any device which is designed to throw a net to catch animals (commonly known as a cannon net);

(b)

any device that is designed to launch a projectile attached to a line, for the purposes of establishing a line to a branch or other part of a tree (commonly known as a line thrower or line launcher);

(c)

a device that is designed to fire retrievable projectiles, such as bait or balls, for the purpose of training gun dogs;

(d)

any cannon or field gun, by whatever name known, which has been constructed as a piece of military ordinance and which has a calibre in excess of 25 millimetres and—

(i)

which is rendered permanently inoperable; or

(ii)

for which fixed ammunition is not commercially available;

(e)

any compressed-air or gas-powered device with a calibre no greater than 7 millimetres and a maximum muzzle velocity no greater than 50 metres per second that is designed to be mounted on a radio-controlled model warship and when used in model warship activities.

reg 7Prescribed items

For the purposes of sections 5, 57, 112A, 119, 134, 149, 151, 153, 153A and 153C of the Act, a prescribed item is a device commonly known as a handgun chassis kit or carbine conversion kit, being an accessory which can be attached to a general category handgun to alter its appearance to resemble a machine gun or longarm, whether or not the functionality of the handgun is also altered.

reg 8Conduct of sport or target shooting activity on private property other than an approved shooting range

(1)

For the purposes of items 1(5A)(b) and (c), 2(2)(c)(ii) and (iii) and 4(2A)(b) and (c) of Schedule 2 to the Act, the following provisions apply to the carrying out or conducting of an activity—

(a)

a police officer, at the police station which is reasonably believed to be nearest to the activity, must be notified 48 hours in advance that the activity is to take place if—

(i)

more than 5 persons take part in the activity; and

(ii)

the activity is carried on continuously for more than 3 hours;

Reg. 8(1)(b) substituted by S.R. No. 58/2022 reg. 5.

(b)

a person taking part in the activity must not discharge a firearm in the course of the activity unless—

(i)

the firearm is a shotgun discharged at a moving clay target; or

(ii)

the firearm is discharged at a target which has in place, within 20 metres behind it, a backstop which is capable of stopping any projectile which passes through or beyond the target;

(c)

a person taking part in the activity must not discharge a firearm in the course of the activity within—

(i)

250 metres of a dwelling, being a dwelling which is not on the land on which the activity takes place, unless permission has been granted by the occupier of the land on which the dwelling is situated; or

(ii)

100 metres of a road, within the meaning of the Road Safety Act 1986;

(d)

a person taking part in the activity, when discharging a firearm in the course of the activity, must be stationary;

(e)

the activity must not take place between the hours of sunset and sunrise;

(f)

the activity must not be advertised or formally organised or formally scheduled;

(g)

a person taking part in the activity must not give or receive direct or indirect financial benefit to or from any other person as payment for taking part in the activity;

(h)

a person taking part in the activity must not consume or be under the influence of intoxicating liquor or a drug during the course of the activity.

(2)

A notification under subregulation (1)(a) must include—

(a)

the name, address and contact telephone number of the person making the notification; and

(b)

the land on which the activity is to take place; and

(c)

the day on which the activity is to take place; and

(d)

the nature of the activity.

reg 9Requirements for activities for the suppression of pest animals if category C longarms are used

For the purposes of item 2(1)(b)(i) of Schedule 2 to the Act, an activity is conducted in accordance with the regulations if the licence holder does not discharge a firearm in the course of an activity within—

(a)

(b)

100 metres of a road, within the meaning of the Road Safety Act 1986.

reg 10Particulars to be entered on firearms dealers register

The prescribed particulars to be entered in the register of transactions kept by a licensed firearms dealer under section 87 of the Act are—

(a)

in the case of a firearm coming into the possession of the dealer, the particulars set out in item 1 of Schedule 1; and

(b)

in the case of a firearm going out of the possession of the dealer, the particulars set out in item 2 of Schedule 1; and

(c)

in the case of a firearm in respect of which the dealer is acting as an agent for the person acquiring the firearm, the particulars set out in item 3 of Schedule 1; and

(d)

in the case of a firearm in respect of which the dealer is acting as an agent for the person disposing of the firearm, the particulars set out in item 4 of Schedule 1.

reg 11Maximum fee for licensed firearms dealer acting as agent

For the purposes of section 97 of the Act, the prescribed amount is 1·74 fee units.

reg 12Particulars to be entered on firearms collectors register

The prescribed particulars to be entered in the register kept by a holder of a firearms collectors licence under section 24 of the Act are—

(a)

in the case of a firearm held at the time of obtaining the licence, the particulars set out in item 1 of Schedule 2; and

(b)

in the case of a firearm coming into the possession of the collector, the particulars set out in item 2 of Schedule 2; and

(c)

in the case of a firearm going out of the possession of the collector, the particulars set out in item 3 of Schedule 2.

Firearms Regulations 2018

About this Act