Firearm licences – are you legal?
Owners need to comply with the South African Firearm Control Act.
WHETHER for sport, business purposes or self-defence, to legally possess a firearm, owners need to comply with the South African Firearm Control Act.
This act includes successfully completing firearm training with an accredited training provider, with the practical exam being completed on a shooting range accredited for training purposes.
Donald Garland and Sean King, owners of Guns Inc in Empangeni, are urging gun owners to do their homework before booking a course.
‘For a competency certificate to be valid, both the trainer and the shooting range need to be accredited,’ said Garland.
An accredited firearms training provider will display the following certificates if they are legitimate and fully compliant:
• Professional Firearms Training Council (PFTC) – training provider
• South Africa Police Service (SAPS) – training provider
• National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) – approved range
• South Africa Police Service (SAPS) – accredited range (not the same as training provider).
‘Any additional certificates cannot replace any of the above,’ Garland said.
‘For a service provider to legally provide firearms and/or ammunition for training purposes, they need to be in possession of a current SAPS dealers licence as well.’
He emphasised that all licences, depending on the type issued, need to be renewed timeously and a brief summary of the processes applicable for licence applications and renewals are listed in the shaded box.
Guns Inc is a fully accredited indoor shooting range and firearms training centre in Empangeni and any person needing more information on firearm applications, licence renewals or accredited training for personal or business purposes, is welcome to contact Sean on 035 7870087 or Donald on 083 5245799 (all hours).
New licence applications
To apply for a new firearm licence, applicants need to complete the following:
• Proficiency testing
• Knowledge of the Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000 (Unit Standard 117705)
• Theoretical and practical exams for the intended licence (ie handgun, shotgun, manual loading rifle or self-loading rifle)
• Competency Application (SAPS form)
• Application for a licence to possess a firearm (SAPS form)
• Motivation to possess a firearm.
Certified copies of the certificates for the legal test, the firearm type course, and the competency application form need to be handed in to the District Firearms Officer (DFO) at your nearest police station, who will then issue a competency certificate in due course.
A certified copy of the competency certificate, the licence application to possess a firearm (SAPS form) and the motivation as to why you need the firearm (eg sport, self-defence, business purposes) are to be submitted to the DFO, who will then grant (or turn down) your licence.
‘Some police stations will accept all the above mentioned forms at the same time, however the licence application will only be considered once the competency application has been approved.’
Renewal of firearm licences
In terms of Section 24 of the Firearms Control Act (No 60 of 2000), an application for the renewal of a license must be made to the Registrar (by handing in such application at your local DFO) at least 90 days before the date of expiry of the licence.
‘We at Guns Inc recommend that you start by collecting your renewal forms from your local DFO and whilst there, enquire as to exactly which certificates they will require from you. This may differ depending on the unit standards you originally completed and submitted. You may only need to do the legal test, saving you both time and money,’ said Garland.
