All you need to apply for your firearm

You may be thinking about getting a firearm but what are some of the things you need to check off before you will be allowed to own a gun? Firstly you must obtain a firearm licence from the police. Every firearm you possess needs to be licensed.

You need to:

– Have an original Firearm Competency Certificate

– Be 21 years or older (18- to 21-year-olds have special requirements)

– Have a South African ID

Potential firearm owners must undergo the prescribed training at an accredited training institution successfully and obtain a training proficiency certificate. You must pass the prescribed test to prove your knowledge of the Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000 as well as the prescribed training and practical test regarding the safe and efficient handling of a firearm. This is done at an accredited training provider.

Warrant Officer Dave Stanton, Honeydew Police communications officer said on the receipt of the training certificate from an accredited training provider or the Safety and Security Sector Education and Training Authority (Sasseta), you must apply for a competency certificate at the police station The SAPS 517 form needs to be completed. He said the application along with the following documents need to be submitted to the designated firearms officer in the area you reside in.

• Your official identity document

• Your original training certificate issued by an accredited training provider (Sasseta)

• Two unobscured passport-size colour photographs (with a neutral background) that are not older than three months

• Any other supporting documents.

After you have obtained a competency certificate, you must complete the relevant sections of the SAPS 271 form (Application for a licence to possess a firearm).

You then need to submit the completed SAPD 271 form to the designated firearms officer in your area with your:

– Original ID

– Original competency certificate

– Letter of appointment as executor (if the firearm was inherited)

– Two passport-size colour photographs that are not older than three months

You also need to motivate your application and submit documents in support of your application. According to Stanton, the designated firearms officer will take a full set of your fingerprints on the SAPS 91 (a) form (only for a competency certificate), issue you with a remittance advice SAPD 523 (a), and direct you to the financial office at the police station to pay the prescribed fee.

You will be issued with a receipt (Z263) as proof of the payment, which you must submit to the DFO to ensure that the processing of the application will continue. A signed acknowledgement of receipt will be issued as proof that an application has been submitted.

After the successful consideration of your application, the designated firearms officer will ask you to within 14 days, obtain and install a firearm safe that meets the standards set by the South African Bureau of Standards. An inspection of your premises will then be carried out to ascertain what you have met the requirements for a safe.

Upon receipt of the successful report about the safe inspection, your licence will be printed and sent to the designated firearms officer to be handed to you against a signature on the SAPS 86 register.

Costs that will be incurred during this process are:

• Licence to possess a firearm – R154

• Competency Certificate – R77

• Renewal of license – R77

• Renewal of competency – R77

A licence to possess a firearm for self-defence is valid for five years.

For further information please visit SAPS@gov.co.za.

Please also note that Honeydew Police Financial Services which accepts payments for firearm licences, fingerprints and police clearances will be closed to the public on March 31 due to the end of the financial year.