Australia has nationally coordinated but state‑run gun laws that are among the strictest in the world. Owning or using a firearm is treated as a regulated privilege, not a constitutional right, and self‑defence is not accepted as a reason to have a gun.
Core national rules
After the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, governments agreed to the National Firearms Agreement (NFA), which still underpins Australian gun law. The NFA requires uniform standards for licensing, registration, firearm categories and bans on most semi‑automatic rifles and shotguns.
Under this framework, every firearm must be individually registered to a licensed owner, and transfers must go through authorised channels. States and territories implement these rules through their own Firearms Acts and regulations, which can add extra restrictions.
Getting a gun licence
To possess or use any firearm, a person must hold a valid firearms licence or permit issued by the relevant state or territory. Applicants must generally be at least 18, complete safety training, pass background checks, and show they are a “fit and proper person” (no disqualifying criminal, domestic violence, or serious mental health history).
A key requirement is demonstrating a “genuine reason” for owning a firearm, such as sport/target shooting, hunting, primary production, occupational use, or collecting. Personal protection or self‑defence is explicitly excluded as a valid reason under the NFA and in state practice.
Firearm categories
Australian law classifies guns into categories with different levels of restriction. The main long‑standing categories include:
- Category A/B: lower‑risk longarms such as some rimfire rifles, break‑action shotguns and standard centrefire rifles, generally available to licensed shooters with genuine reasons.
- Category C/D: more restricted semi‑automatic and certain high‑capacity firearms, usually limited to specific occupational users and not ordinary recreational shooters.
Handguns fall under Category H and are tightly controlled for club target shooting and certain work purposes, with calibre, barrel‑length and use‑attendance rules. There are also restricted categories (often called Category R or similar) for fully automatic and military‑grade weapons, which are effectively prohibited outside very narrow official contexts.
Storage, checks and offences
Licensees must comply with secure storage standards, such as keeping firearms unloaded, locked in compliant safes, and storing ammunition separately, with police able to inspect storage. There are also mandatory waiting periods (commonly 28 days) between licence approval or permit and acquiring a firearm to allow full vetting.
People with certain criminal, violence, drug, terrorism, organised crime or weapons histories are barred from licences, and serious unauthorised possession or trafficking offences carry substantial fines and prison terms. States can revoke existing licences for reasons including domestic violence orders or concerning mental‑health information, and thousands of licences are cancelled across the country over time for these reasons.
Recent developments and state differences
While the NFA sets a baseline, states differ and some have tightened further in recent years. Western Australia, for example, introduced major reforms taking effect in March 2025, including strict caps on how many guns an individual can own, bans on certain lever‑release firearms, tighter magazine limits, and new licensing and health‑check requirements.
Nationally, there is ongoing debate about issues such as high‑volume individual ownership, 3D‑printed guns, and the adequacy of checks on hunting‑permission letters and licence renewals. Despite these debates, the core model remains: mandatory licensing and registration, narrow genuine reasons, and a public‑safety focus that strongly restricts civilian access to high‑risk firearms.