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Firearms Act 1996
61Adult firearms licences—genuine reasons to possess or
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61 Adult firearms licences—genuine reasons to possess or
(1) An applicant for an adult firearms licence has a genuine reason to
possess or use a firearm if the registrar is satisfied that the applicant
intends to possess or use the firearm for 1 or more of the reasons
mentioned in table 61, column 2.
(2) The applicant must produce evidence (including evidence of a kind,
if any, mentioned in table 61, column 3) of the requirements
mentioned in column 3 in relation to the applicant’s genuine reason
if asked to do so by the registrar.
nature conservation licence—see the Nature Conservation Act 2014,
section 262.
public unleased land permit—see the Public Unleased Land
Act 2013, section 40.
reserve—see the Nature Conservation Act 2014, section 169.
Note Reserves include wilderness areas, national parks, nature reserves,
catchment areas and other areas of public land.
Table 61
item
1 sport or target
shooting
1.1 For an applicant to whom section 75 (Adult firearms
licences—special conditions for category H licences for
sport or target shooting) applies—the applicant is a
member of an approved shooting club that conducts
competitions or activities requiring the use of the
firearm for which the licence is sought.
1.2 For any other applicant—the applicant is an active
member of an approved shooting club that conducts
competitions or activities requiring the use of the
firearm for which the licence is sought.
2 recreational
hunting or
vermin control
on rural land
2.1 For recreational hunting or vermin control on rural
land—
(a) the applicant has the permission of the owner or
occupier of the land to shoot on the land; or
(b) the applicant—
(i) is an active member of an approved hunting
club; and
(ii) intends to use the firearm solely to take part
in recreational hunting activities conducted
by the club; and
item
(iii) proves that the main objects of the club are
to conduct recreational hunting activities
requiring the use of the firearm for which
the licence is sought; and
(iv) proves that the club has the permission of
the owner or occupier of the land to conduct
those activities on the land.
2.2 For vermin control in a reserve—the applicant holds a
nature conservation licence, or a public unleased land
permit, authorising the applicant to use a firearm in a
reserve to kill animals.
3 primary
production
The applicant—
(a) is a person whose occupation is the business of a
primary producer, or who is the owner, lessee or
manager of land used for primary production; and
(b) intends to use the firearm solely in relation to farming
or grazing activities (including the suppression of
vertebrate pest animals on the land concerned).
4 vertebrate pest
animal control
The applicant is—
(a) a professional contract shooter employed in controlling
vertebrate pest animals on rural land; or
(b) a person employed by or in, or authorised by, a
government agency prescribed by regulation that has
functions relating to the control or suppression of
vertebrate pest animals; or
(c) a person whose occupation is the business of a primary
producer, or who is the owner, lessee, or manager of
land used for primary production, and who is taking
part in an authorised campaign conducted by or on
behalf of a government agency to eradicate large feral
animals or animals that are affected by brucellosis or
tuberculosis.
5 business or
employment
The applicant needs to possess or use the firearm for which
the licence is sought in the conduct of the applicant’s
business or employment.
item
6 occupational
relating to rural
purposes
The applicant is employed in a rural occupation that requires
the possession or use of the firearm for which the licence is
sought.
7 animal welfare The applicant is—
(a) an officer of the Royal Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals; or
(b) a veterinary practitioner; or
(c) a person employed by or within, or authorised by, an
administrative unit with responsibility for animal
welfare; or
(d) an owner, transporter, drover or other handler of
animals who may need to destroy an animal to avoid it
suffering.
8 firearms
collection
8.1 For a licence that authorises the applicant to collect
pistols manufactured after 1946—the applicant proves
(by producing written evidence from the approved
collectors club of which the applicant is a member)
that—
(a) the applicant has been a member of the club for at
least 1 year; and
(b) the collection has a thematic structure; and
(c) the applicant researches or studies firearms; and
(d) the members of the club collect firearms of the
kind for which the licence is sought; and
(e) the licence application is supported by the club.
8.2 For a licence that authorises the applicant to collect any
other kind of firearms—
(a) the applicant is a member of an approved
collectors club; and
(b) the collection has a genuine historical or thematic
structure or a genuine commemorative or
investment value; and
item
(c) the members of the club collect firearms of the
kind for which the licence is sought; and
(d) the licence application is supported by the club.
9 heirloom
possession
The applicant wants to possess a firearm that is an heirloom.
10 paintball activity The applicant wants to possess or use a paintball marker for
paintball activities.