Firearm Licence Renewals – Application process for the renewal of a licence to possess a firearm

The Firearms Control Act, 2000, aims to ensure that a person is competent to possess a firearm.

• You must successfully complete the prescribed test to prove your knowledge of the Act at an accredited training provider. On receipt of the training certificate from an accredited training provider or SASSETA (Safety and Security SETA), apply to the South African Police Service for a competency certificate.
• You may simultaneously apply for the renewal of your different existing firearm licence(s). The following renewal periods, according to birth dates, are applicable:

• Take the following documentation with you to the Designated Firearms Officer (DFO) at the police station nearest to where you live:
  • your official identity document.
• The original:
  • firearm licence(s), permit or authorisation for firearm(s) you wish to renew
  • training certificate obtained from an accredited training provider
  • competency certificate (if already issued).
• Four unobscured passport-size colour photographs, not older than three months (two photographs are required for all the firearm licences you wish to renew and two for the application for a competency certificate).
• Complete the relevant sections of forms Application for a Competency Certificate, SAPS 517 and Application for Renewal of Licence(s) SAPS 517(e)
• Complete Application for Renewal of Licence(s), Annexure “A” form, which is available at the police station, for each firearm licence you wish to renew. The Designated Firearms Officer (DFO) will take a full set of fingerprints for the competency certificate application.
• The DFO will issue you with a remittance advice SAPS 523(a) and direct you to the financial office at the police station to pay the applicable fees of R70 for the competency certificate and R70 for each firearm licence you wish to renew. The payment must be made by means of cash or a bank-guaranteed cheque. You will be issued with an expenditure receipt (Z263) as proof of the payment. Submit the Z263 to the DFO for further processing of your application.
• You will receive a signed acknowledgement of receipt (SAPS 523) as proof that you submitted the respective applications for the renewal of your firearm licence(s).

(Documents are provided in PDF format. To open PDF documents, you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader 4 or higher installed on your computer.)

Firearms Control Act, 2000 (Act 60 of 2000)

• You must successfully complete the prescribed test to prove your knowledge of the Act at an accredited training provider. On receipt of the training certificate from an accredited training provider or SASSETA (Safety and Security SETA), apply to the South African Police Service for a competency certificate.
• You may simultaneously apply for the renewal of your different existing firearm licence(s). The following renewal periods, according to birth dates, are applicable:

• Take the following documentation with you to the Designated Firearms Officer (DFO) at the police station nearest to where you live:
  • your official identity document.
• The original:
  • firearm licence(s), permit or authorisation for firearm(s) you wish to renew
  • training certificate obtained from an accredited training provider
  • competency certificate (if already issued).
• Four unobscured passport-size colour photographs, not older than three months (two photographs are required for all the firearm licences you wish to renew and two for the application for a competency certificate).
• Complete the relevant sections of forms Application for a Competency Certificate, SAPS 517 and Application for Renewal of Licence(s) SAPS 517(e)
• Complete Application for Renewal of Licence(s), Annexure “A” form, which is available at the police station, for each firearm licence you wish to renew. The Designated Firearms Officer (DFO) will take a full set of fingerprints for the competency certificate application.
• The DFO will issue you with a remittance advice SAPS 523(a) and direct you to the financial office at the police station to pay the applicable fees of R70 for the competency certificate and R70 for each firearm licence you wish to renew. The payment must be made by means of cash or a bank-guaranteed cheque. You will be issued with an expenditure receipt (Z263) as proof of the payment. Submit the Z263 to the DFO for further processing of your application.
• You will receive a signed acknowledgement of receipt (SAPS 523) as proof that you submitted the respective applications for the renewal of your firearm licence(s).

• Competency certificate: R70
• Each licence: R70

(Forms are provided in PDF format. To open PDF documents, you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader 4 or higher installed on your computer.)

• Application for a Competency Certificate, SAPS 517
• Application for Renewal of Licence(s) SAPS 517(e)
• Annexure to Application for Renewal of Licence(s), Annexure “A”

National Firearms Call Centre: 012-353 6111