Getting a firearm licence, step by step

Getting a firearm licence takes months and several trips to your police station. It isn't hard if you do things in the right order and hand in a complete file. Here's the whole path.

The path at a glance

1. 1

   Training

   Pass the course at an accredited provider.

2. 2

   Competency

   Apply on the SAPS 517 and wait for approval.

3. 3

   Choose the licence section

   Self-defence, hunting, sport or another purpose.

4. 4

   Buy the firearm

   It stays with the seller until you're licensed.

5. 5

   Safe, documents, motivation

   Get the file complete before you go in.

6. 6

   Lodge at the DFO

   SAPS 271, fee and documents, in person.

7. 7

   Wait and track

   Your file moves through SAPS's 11 stages.

8. 8

   Collect your card

   Or appeal within 90 days if refused.

Training

Start with proficiency training at an accredited provider: a test on the Firearms Control Act plus a practical for each firearm type you want. You get a training certificate. How to choose a provider.

Competency

No licence can be issued without the relevant competency certificate (section 6(2) of the Act). You apply on the SAPS 517 at the Designated Firearms Officer (DFO) at your local police station. The DFO takes your fingerprints and interviews people who know you. SAPS's own FAQ says to apply for the licence after you have the competency. The full competency guide.

Choose the licence section

The licence section is the reason you're allowed to own the firearm. It decides how long the licence lasts, how many you can hold and what proof you need.

Section 15 allows no more than one handgun among the four. Section 16 needs a sworn statement from an accredited association that you're a registered dedicated member. Every licence type explained.

Buying the firearm

You choose the firearm before you apply: a station checklist asks for the seller's documents, and a hunting association advises attaching the purchase invoice. You don't take it home yet. Firearm owners' groups describe collecting it from the dealer only after your licence card has arrived.

Ask the seller for the paperwork your application needs. A SAPS station checklist lists the dealer's SAPS 350(a) or SAPS 534 forms, or a private seller's licence. That checklist is from 2011, so confirm the current list with your DFO.

The safe and the inspection

The regulations say a firearm not under your direct control must be locked away with its ammunition in a safe or strong-room that meets SABS standard 953-1 and 953-2 (regulation 86). The SAPS 271 asks whether you have one, which kind and whether it's mounted, and it has a section for the DFO's inspection report.

When it happens varies. The DFO may look at your safe while checking your file at the station. SAPS's FAQ also says that after your application is considered, the DFO may ask you to install an SABS-standard safe within 14 days and inspect it, and that the licence is printed after a good inspection report. Have the safe in and bolted down before you lodge.

Documents

The core list from SAPS:

• A certified copy of your ID (or permanent residence permit).
• Your original competency certificate.
• Two passport-size colour photos, neutral background, not older than three months.
• A full motivation with supporting documents.
• Proof of payment (the Z263 receipt).
• For section 16 or 17, the association's sworn statement. For an inherited firearm, the executor's letter of appointment.

A station checklist and association guides add more, such as proof of address and the seller's documents. The full documents checklist.

Your motivation

A weak motivation is one reported reason for refusals. For self-defence, the Act says you must show the need can't reasonably be met any other way (section 13(2)). "Lack of motivation" has been quoted as the refusal reason in reported court cases. For hunting and sport, SAPS lists the proof it expects, such as hunting records, club membership and results. How to write the motivation.

Lodging at the DFO

Fill in the SAPS 271 yourself in black ink and hand it in in person at the DFO for where you live. Pay the fee at the police station, in cash or by bank-guaranteed cheque, and attach the receipt. Take your originals so the DFO can certify copies.

The DFO gives you a signed SAPS 523 acknowledgement once your file is complete and your identity confirmed. A hunting association notes this isn't always handed over at the counter, so keep your payment receipt as proof. Applicant guides say SAPS sends an SMS with your reference number once the application is captured on the system.

Waiting

The Act sets no deadline. SAPS's target is 120 working days, about six months. In 2025 the Minister said the average was 120 working days, counted from capture on the system. SAPS's 2021 figures to Parliament show it often missed its target.

Licences within 120 days18,120 of 47,313 (38%)

Your file goes from the station to the provincial office, then to the Central Firearms Register (CFR) in Pretoria, and back. What each status means and how long each step takes. Put your reference number into the tracker to see where yours is now.

Approval and collecting your card

Applicant guides say the CFR sends an SMS when the licence is approved. The card is printed afterwards, and that can take a while. One tracker reports the approval can take weeks to reach your DFO after the online status changes.

• Collect the card at your DFO with your ID. You sign the SAPS 86 register when it's handed over.
• Before you leave, check the make, model, serial number, licence section and ID number on it.
• Then take the card to the dealer and collect your firearm.

A firearm owners' group says SAPS confirmed you can ask the DFO about a temporary authorisation while the card is being printed.

If it's refused

You should get a letter with written reasons. You have 90 days from the decision to appeal to the Appeal Board on the SAPS 530, and the clock doesn't wait for slow post. Sometimes a fresh, stronger application is the faster route. Refusals and appeals.

Cost summary

These are the 2025/26 gazetted fees (Government Gazette 48604, May 2023). We found no gazetted figure for 2026/27, and SAPS's web pages still show older amounts. Confirm the current fee at your DFO. Training, the firearm, the safe and association membership are extra, and their prices vary.

Common misconceptions

• "One licence covers all my firearms." No. Every firearm needs its own licence and fee.
• "A competency lasts five years." The Act sets no fixed five years. It ties a competency to the licence it relates to. Where sources differ.
• "SAPS has to decide within 120 days." That's SAPS's own target, counted from capture. The Act sets no deadline.
• "Section 16A is for collectors." It's professional hunting. Private collection is section 17.
• "The SAPS 518 is the renewal form." It's the temporary authorisation form. Renewal is the SAPS 518(a).
• "If my licence lapsed, I can never licence that firearm again." In 2022 the Constitutional Court held that a late renewal doesn't stop you applying for a new licence.

Questions