30/06/2026
Once again our friends Mark, Mel and the team HVTM Outdoors DL 409595716 are providing detailed updates on the NSW Fi****ms Legislation Update. These changes commence tomorrow, 1 July 2026.
**NSW FI****MS LEGISLATION UPDATE – Changes Commencing 1 July 2026**
Hey Team, Mel here!
Well... today caught a lot of people by surprise, ourselves included.
This afternoon the NSW Fi****ms Registry announced that a number of additional provisions under the *Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2025* will commence from **1 July 2026**.
At the same time, the **Gun Safe** portal has been taken offline while these changes are implemented. If you're currently trying to access areas of the system, that's why. We were aware the portal would be closed, but we were not provided with clear detail as to the reasons beforehand.
Here's a summary of the changes that affect the fi****ms community.
**Fi****ms Licence Terms:**
• From 1 July 2026, new fi****ms licences and renewals can only be issued for a maximum of **2 years**. The 5-year licence option has been removed.
• Existing 5-year licences remain valid until they expire.
• If you've already applied for a 5-year licence and it hasn't been finalised before 1 July, it will automatically become a 2-year licence. The Registry has advised a **$100 refund** will be processed where a 5-year application fee has already been paid.
**Permit to Acquire (PTA) changes:**
• Safe storage requirements have been strengthened. Where required, applicants will need a satisfactory safe storage inspection linked to their nominated storage address before a PTA application can be submitted. If you're transferring fi****ms to someone who resides at your address and that address has had an inspection within the last 10 years, a new inspection may not be required. You will need the relevant event number for the PTA application. The application process is expected to prompt you if an inspection is required so that you can arrange one.
• Additional terrorism-related eligibility checks will also form part of the mandatory assessment before a PTA can be issued. These checks will occur in the background as part of the application process.
One thing we'd also like to point out is that these changes don't just affect individual licence holders.
Fi****ms dealers have also lost the 5 year licence option.
Unlike personal fi****ms licences, where the overall fee has remained proportionate, dealer licences have changed from **$500 for five years to $500 for just two years.** That's a 150% increase in licensing costs for every fi****ms dealer in NSW at a time when there aren't exactly many fi****ms being sold...
We also want to clear up something we've seen this afternoon.
At **3:45pm**, an email was sent by the Fi****ms Registry to fi****ms dealers and approved clubs advising them of these implementation changes. That email was intended as direct communication between the Registry and dealers/clubs and was not intended for public distribution. The information that affects personal fi****ms licence holders is available through official channels, including the TOLA website. While everyone is free to express their views on these reforms, we think it's disappointing to see internal correspondence shared simply to stir public outrage when the relevant public information is already available through the appropriate channels.
As always, if there are practical changes that affect our customers, we'll continue to keep you informed as we work through them ourselves.
I will also be turning the commenting off on this post. We very much believe in freedom of speech however I was attacked on the last update post and was accused of deleting comments when they were simply being lost in the hundreds of comments! I unfortunately do not have time to monitor the comments as I'm busy trying to fight the new legislation.
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