Faq's

Applying for a Firearm Licence as an original applicant (no firearms or licence currently held)

Here are the steps involved:

1. Choose your firearm/s. This is the easy bit. Come in to our firearm showroom to check out a large variety of firearms, if we don’t have what you’re after in stock, we can usually order it in.
2. Obtain your Digital ID easiest if you load an app (MyID) on your smartphone – needs to be at least standard strength to work (does NOT require a passport) – if at standard strength  it will keep asking for you to increase your strength to access more services – you don’t necessarily need to add more ID unless you wish to.
3. Log onto the Firearms Portal  https://firearms.police.wa.gov.au/
4. Register your property – it goes on individual blocks as recorded on Landgate. Just follow the prompts which will require you to disclose what your farm does specifically, describe the land & what vermin are there. Once your farm is approved, there will be a number of written authorities (these are what replaced the old property letter system) that you can allocate digitally using that system for family & friends / professionals that you authorise to shoot on your place.
5. Written Authorities: If you don’t own land, you need to be registered to a sufficient sized land holding which requires vermin control suitable for your rifles/calibres. You may need multiple written authorities depending on what firearms/calibres you have or seeking to licence.
6. Club Support firearms: If you are club shooting or competition shooting, you will require a Club Support letter for that firearm/s and a support Association letter from SSAAWA or WAPA / WARA or whoever your Club is affiliated with.
7. Log onto TAFE and enrol in the Firearm Theory Course https://www.centralregionaltafe.wa.edu.au/courses/wapol-firearm-safety-training-course-theory
8. Seek a firearms medical  https://www.wa.gov.au/system/files/2024-12/firearms-act-reform-2024-firearms-authority-health-standards.pdf – touch base with your doctor first and see if they are willing to do it – unfortunately lots of Doctors are not doing them.
9. Commence your application – all firearms require a serviceability certificate each (valid for 3 months) and all of the above points completed before the application can be commenced.
10. Practical Firearms Assessment (safe handling): Once your application has been received by Firearms Licensing at some point you will be required to complete a practical assessment (this can be completed at Steelo’s Outdoors, please contact us to book a time.
11. Firearms Storage: You will be required to install a compliant firearms safe in accordance with the Firearms Regulations 2024. You will need to submit a Storage Statement and  photographs of it installed.  Yes we sell compliant safes, just let us know what size & Level you require.
12. WAIT for your Firearms Licence to be approved. Current waiting times are up around 6 months for Original Licence applications 🙄.

Applying for an addition to your Firearm Licence

Here are the steps involved:

Choose your firearm/s.

NEW or USED or PRIVATE PURCHASE:  Come into our firearm showroom to check out a large variety of firearms, if we don’t have what you’re after in stock, we can usually order it in. If you’re doing a private purchase the firearm requires a serviceability certificate, which we can do if the firearm comes into the store.

PREREQUISITES:

1. Obtain your Digital ID (or email licensing to do the Non Digital ID option) easiest if you load an app (MyID) on your smartphone – needs to be at least standard strength to work (does NOT require a passport) – if at standard strength it will keep asking for you to increase your strength to access more services – you don’t necessarily need to add more ID unless you wish to.
2. Log onto the Firearms Portal   https://firearms.police.wa.gov.au/
3. Register your property – it goes on individual blocks as recorded on Landgate. Just follow the prompts which will require you to disclose what your farm does specifically, describe the land & what vermin are there. Once your farm is approved, there will be a number of written authorities (these are what replaced the old property letter system) that you can allocate digitally using that system for family & friends / professionals that you authorise to shoot on your place.
4. Written Authorities: If you don’t own land, you need to be registered to a sufficient sized land holding which requires vermin control suitable for your rifles/calibres. You may need multiple written authorities depending on what firearms/calibres you have or seeking to licence.
5. Club Support firearms: If you are club shooting or competition shooting, you will require a Club Support letter for that firearm/s and a support Association letter from SSAAWA or WAPA / WARA or whoever your Club is affiliated with.

APPLICATION – At this point an application can be commenced. All firearms require a serviceability certificate each (valid for 3 months) and all of the above points completed before the application can be commenced.

STORAGE: You will require a compliant firearms safe in accordance with the Firearms Regulations 2024. Previous grandfathered safes will not be approved for any additions, so you may need to factor that cost into your addition.

WAIT for your Firearms Licence to be approved. Waiting times are lengthy at the moment🙄.

NON DIGITAL REGISTRATION ON THE PORTAL

The non-digital route doesn’t get you into the portal any quicker as currently there is no way for you to get onto the portal as an alternative method to enter has not been made yet. We have not been given an expected timeframe.

However, if you wanted to proceed this is the process:

Please note, while Licensing Services can provide an alternative means of identification to the digital MyID platform, you will still need to access the online firearms portal to manage your details.

DRIVERS LICENCE MUST BE CORRECT

Ensure your personal details (name and address) are up to date with the Department of Transport (DoT). ▪ You can amend your details by one of three ways:

1. Online using DoTDirect account Change my address. You can create an account with DoTDirect if you don’t have one already Log in and register with DoTDirect.

2. If you are unable to update your address online, you can complete a Change of Personal Details (C4 form). The completed form can be submitted to any Driver and Vehicle Services Centre, DoT regional office or agent, or posted to: Driver and Vehicle Services, GPO Box R1290, Perth WA 6844.

3. Lastly, you can update your details via DoT Customer Contact Centre Tel: 131156. This will require you to provide information verification.

VALIDATE IDENTITY

In order to validate your identity, please complete the Identification Certificate (attachment). Once complete, it should be presented to your local police station for endorsement, along with the relevant forms of identification. Alternatively, it can be presented to Licensing Services in Cannington for endorsement.

Once your Identification Certificate has been endorsed, Licensing Services will be able to assist you in gaining access to the portal to manage any details related to your application, licence, or property registration.

REGISTER PROPERTY (OWNER)

In order to assist you with registering your property, please provide the following information:

• Proof of landholding, including the Landgate Certificate of Title Number
• A list of the names and firearm licence numbers of those people you wish to provide with a standard hunting permission
• A list of vermin and livestock that are present on your land

REGISTER PROPERTY (MANAGER)

Please note, if you are not the owner of the property, but have the authority of the owner to manage the property registration and issuing of hunting permissions, then you will need to provide:

• Proof of landholding including the Landgate Certificate of Title Number
• A letter from the property owner (as proven with the above documents) giving you permission to manage the property registration and the issuing of hunting permissions
• A list of the names and firearm licence numbers of those people you wish to provide with a standard hunting permission
• A list of vermin and livestock that are present on the property.

LANDGATE

Visit Landgate.wa.gov.au should you require any information about your Landgate ID or certificate of title.

▪ For information on how to search for your Landgate ID, use the search function and search for “firearms”.

▪ Within the search result, click on “finding your Landgate ID, also known as Volume and Folio number” and follow the instructions.

Note: As per the instructions you are not required to pay, as the Landgate ID is visible prior to payment.

WRITTEN AUTHORITY

This is the old “property letter” which you will be required to renew every time you renew your Firearm Licence. This needs to be done on the Firearms Portal – whoever is the property owner or manager will be able to add you as a shooter on their place.

Please note:

Your personal details must be the same in myID, DoT and your firearms licence details held by WA Police Force. Any variation will return an error and prevent registration on the Portal. More information about the Firearms Act 2024 and the Firearms Regulations 2024, along with useful information sheets, can be found on www.wa.gov.au/organisation/westernaustralia-police-force/firearms-act-reform-2024

Unfortunately WA laws prohibit sending any ammunition, powder or primers via the post.

Please contact our sales staff to see if there is any arrangement we can make,

In Western Australia a Compound Bow, Recurve Bow or Long Bow can be purchased without licence.

These articles are covered under the Weapons Act as a Controlled Weapon.

The useage of them is strictly for Sport and Recreational Activities on private property, with a club, or other suitable recreational space.

If you have further questions please contact our sales staff.

Yes, we have great regulars in store an there’s every chance they are still here…. Or they may have just left the store and are heading home to you now 🙂

If you have a description and clothing they were last seen in, it will greatly assist us in identifying them and passing on your message.

Messages are free of charge to our loyal customers.

In order to renew your Firearm Licence you will need to complete a Storage Statement under the new Firearms Act / Regulations 2024 & provide that with photographs of your compliant safe in situ, installed correctly to: FirearmsProject@police.wa.gov.au

How do you know if your safe is compliant or not, or if you need to upgrade your storage? Check our other FAQ’s which contains the Storage Matrix & explains what you need for your specific situation, if you will be grandfathered or not.

You will need to register on the portal & obtain a written authority (this used to be a property letter) These are the steps you need to take:

1. Obtain your Digital ID (see our other FAQ’s if you want to do the Non digital ID option) easiest if you load an app (MyID) on your smartphone – needs to be at least standard strength to work (does NOT require a passport) – if at standard strength it will keep asking for you to increase your strength to access more services – you don’t necessarily need to add more ID unless you wish to.
2. Log onto the Firearms Portal   https://firearms.police.wa.gov.au/
3. Register your property – it goes on individual blocks as recorded on Landgate. Just follow the prompts which will require you to disclose what your farm does specifically, describe the land & what vermin are there. Once your farm is approved, there will be a number of written authorities (these are what replaced the old property letter system) that you can allocate digitally using that system for family & friends / professionals that you authorise to shoot on your place.
4. Written Authorities: If you don’t own land, you need to be registered to a sufficient sized land holding which requires vermin control suitable for your rifles/calibres. You may need multiple written authorities depending on what firearms/calibres you have or seeking to licence.
5. Club Support firearms: If you are club shooting or competition shooting, you will require a Club Support letter for that firearm/s and a support Association letter from SSAAWA or WAPA / WARA or whoever your Club is affiliated with.

Once you have completed all of the above you will be contacted by Firearms Licencing to pay your renewal. If you need to contact Licensing email is the best method:  FirearmsProject@police.wa.gov.au