The government has passed a new law which grants extensions to existing firearms licence holders whose renewals have been delayed by this year’s COVID-19 lockdown. This is similar to the extensions granted for previous lockdowns.
The extensions apply to licence holders with expiring firearms or dealer licences (and their respective endorsements and conditions), if renewal dates land in the following situations:
- Those who had applied for a licence renewal between 25 September 2020 and on or before 16 August 2021, and the application was not resolved before this date. These licence holders can legally continue to possess, procure, or use a firearm or ammunition for up to 12 months after the original expiry date, or until the licence application is determined by Police.
- Those who have a licence renewal date between 17 August 2021 and 30th November 2021. These licence holders are given an additional four months from the date of licence expiry to apply for a licence renewal. Then they will be granted an extension of 12 months, from the original expiry date of their licence, or until the licence application is determined by Police.
Further information is available on the Police website here.
