Applying for ‘Temporary Exemptions’ & ‘Minor’s Permits’ in NSW

Juniors must be aged 12 to 17 and have the consent of a parent or guardian to participate.

Temporary Membership Exemptions

A junior who does not already have a Minor’s Permit must have a ‘Temporary Exemption’ approved by the NSW Firearms Registry before they can handle a firearm and ammunition. A Temporary Exemption is valid only on the firing range.
If a Junior’s parent or guardian brings a rifle & ammunition for their child's use, it is to be taken to the Junior Range Officer by the licensed adult, not by the Junior.
The ‘Temporary Exemption’ is free but only lasts for 3 months from the date of your first shoot. A parent or guardian must accompany the Junior to the Range to complete the Exemption Application and Parental Consent forms. Both of these forms are available at the Range and must be witnessed & signed by a Range Officer.
You should allow at least two, and preferably three, weeks to complete the process of obtaining an Exemption. This will allow enough time for the Firearms Registry to process the application, notify the Range if it’s approved or not, and for the Range to contact the Junior and advise them of the result. Note: the Registry does not contact the Junior or parent directly.
We strongly recommend that you contact the NSW Firearms Registry for a ‘Minor’s Permit’ Application form and ‘Firearms Safety Awareness’ handbook as soon as possible after your ‘Temporary Exemption’ is Approved. It could easily take 3 months from requesting the Application form to receiving the approved ‘Minor’s Permit’.

Minor’s Training Permit

A Minor’s Permit allows juniors to use firearms & ammunition but only under the direct supervision of a licensed adult. Juniors cannot own or buy firearms or ammunition.
As it often takes 3 months from requesting the Application form to receiving the Minor’s Permit we strongly recommend that you start the process of getting a Minor’s Permit immediately.

1. Ring the NSW Firearms Registry on 1300 362 562 and ask them to mail you a ‘Minor’s Permit’ Application form and a copy of the ‘Firearms Safety Awareness’ handbook. The form and handbook are free and you should receive them within a week.

2. When you receive the ‘Firearm Safety’ handbook read it very carefully. It contains the information you will need to pass the ‘Safety Awareness Test’. But more importantly, it contains the basic rules that make shooting one of the safest sports.

3. When you feel comfortable with what you’ve learned from the handbook, it’s time to sit the ‘Safety Awareness Test’. Contact St Marys Range on phone 02 9623 4300 or the ‘Firearm Safety & Training Council’ on 02 9486 3077 to locate a Safety Officer near you who can conduct the test.

4. The ‘Safety Awareness Test’ will cost $33. It consists of 10 simple multiple choice questions based on information in the ‘Firearms Safety’ handbook.

5. Take both your unsigned ‘Minor’s Permit’ application form and Safety Awareness handbook with you to the test. Assuming you pass, you will be given your ‘Firearms Safety Awareness Certificate’ and at the same time the tester can witness the completion of your ‘Minor’s Permit’ application form.

6. Take photocopies for your records, but mail the originals of the ‘Minor’s Permit’ application form and the ‘Safety Awareness’ certificate together with the $75 application fee to:
   NSW Firearms Registry
   Locked Bag 1
   MURWILLUMBAH
   NSW  2484

7. The ‘Minor’s Permit’ application takes at least 6-8 weeks to process. If you have been shooting with a ‘Temporary Exemption’, you will need to send the application about a month after you first shot to be able to continue shooting without a break when the Exemption expires.