Phase two of the Minns Labor Government's firearms reforms takes effect today with the changes intended to strengthen oversight, reduce risk and help keep the community safe.
Following the antisemitic terror attack at Bondi Beach in which 15 innocent people were killed, the NSW Government passed the Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2025 - which include the toughest firearms reforms in a generation.
Regulations are being implemented in stages, allowing the NSW Firearms Registry to effectively operationalise the reform and licenced firearms owners the opportunity to become compliant with requirements.
From today, changes that apply include:
Firearm licence terms
Licences can only be issued for a maximum of two years, a reduction from five years.
A five-year licence term will no longer be available when submitting a firearms application, for both new applications and renewals.
Firearm licences issued prior to this date remain valid until expiry.
Strengthened identify proofing processes
Identity verification is mandatory before an application can proceed, formalising existing processes.
This applies to licence and permit applications, including renewals.
Amended permit to acquire provisions in place:
A Permit to Acquire (PTA) firearms will not be issued until a person can demonstrate they meet safe storage requirements.
A PTA will not be issued unless the Commissioner is satisfied the applicant has never been investigated by a Commonwealth or State law enforcement or intelligence agency for terrorism-related offences and is not residing or associating with a person who has been investigated for terrorism-related offences.
Streamlining decision-making functions
An internal administrative change to delegate certain decisions involving criminal intelligence to a an Assistant Commissioner or above.
The Government is investing $42.8 million over ten years into the NSW Gun Registry, including additional staff and system upgrades to support the implementation of these reforms.
These changes build on a suite of reforms from the Minns Labor Government designed to protect the community, prevent intimidation and allow NSW Police to focus on keeping people safe, including:
- Investing $94.3 million for an Australian-first specialist armed response command, with 250 police officers, 28 civilian staff, rapid-response vehicles and a 24/7 operations centre.
- Investing $26.9 million for 30 additional police multicultural liaison officers.
- Banning the display of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) and Hizb ut-Tahrir symbols in NSW.
Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley said:
"First and foremost, these changes are about public safety. Owning a firearm is a privilege, not a right.
"The Minns Labor Government acted decisively after 15 people were killed at Bondi. We're increasing oversight, reducing risk and will ultimately reduce the number of firearms in the community.
"A phased commencement of regulations means the NSW Police can implement the changes effectively while reducing the burden on responsible, law-abiding firearm owners.
"We're ensuring police have the resources and technology to improve the system with a $42 million investment into the capability and resources of the Firearms Registry."
