ACT Policing have confirmed a significant increase in the number of firearms applicants each month since December, with approximately 137 to 188 applications a month now coming across their desks – up an average of 50 per month compared to before ownership limits were announced.
As part of planned changes to the capital territory’s firearms laws, essentially following NSW’s lead, licence holders will be subject to WA-style limits of 5 or 10 guns (depending on use) on how many guns they own, and moving lever-release and straight-pull firearms to Category C or Category D.
It is understood that, as of March 31, there were only 51 people in the ACT with a Category C licence, and only 5 with a Category D licence.
ACT Policing Firearms Superintendent Richard Breinergave gave evidence on 21 April at the Inquiry into Legislation on proposed firearms reform being held by the ACT Legislative Assembly Standing Committee on Legal Affairs, saying the ACT Firearms Registry had seen an increase in licence applications from the partners and spouses of current licence holders since firearms laws were tightened after the Bondi terrorist attacks in December.
Supt Breiner said the licence application numbers they were receiving each month since December 2025 represented a significant increase over the usual figures, but noted Permit to Acquire applications had not commensurately increased – suggesting the new licences were from people planning to become listed as the owners of firearms currently held by people they are related to or live with.
“Interestingly, the Permit To Acquire [applications for] obtaining a firearm alongside those licences [are] not going up at all, so that would indicate to us that we’re looking at people obtaining licences for firearms that are already in circulation,” he said.
Supt Breiner also pointed out that the Genuine Reason requirements for obtaining firearm PTAs remained in effect, meaning people applying for PTAs for partner or family member firearms deemed ‘excess’ under the new laws would still need to justify why they needed them to the Firearms Registry.
“You can’t just obtain the licence and suddenly have those firearms acquitted to your licence,” he said.
Unlike NSW, the ACT has at least given responsible firearms users the courtesy of taking evidence from them as part of the legislative process, with shooting organisations including SSAA National, SSAA ACT, the National Rifle Association of Australia and the Canberra Rifle Club providing evidence at the hearings, joined by representatives from NSW Farmers, the ACT Rural Landholders Association of Farmers and ACT Rural Pest Services.
Other entities at the organisations giving evidence at the hearings included the Allanah & Madeline Foundation, Gun Control Australia, the Australia Institute, the ACT Ombudsman and the ACT Human Rights Commission.
The Committee is due to present its report by 24 May.
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