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SAPS firearm forms: which one do you need?
The wrong form is one of the quickest ways to have an application sent back. Here is every form a private owner or a business is likely to need, what it is for, and when to use it.
Licences
| Form | What it is for | When |
|---|---|---|
| SAPS 271 | Application for a new firearm licence | Every new firearm, under the section that fits (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19 or 20). More |
| SAPS 518(a) | Renewal of a firearm licence | At least 90 days before the licence expires. More |
| SAPS 538 | Safe certificate (Regulation 86(8)) | Many DFOs want one per renewed firearm, behind its annexure |
Competency
| Form | What it is for | When |
|---|---|---|
| SAPS 517 | Application for a first competency certificate | After your training, before your first licence. More |
| SAPS 517(a) | Further competency | Adding a firearm type (for example a rifle to a handgun competency) |
| SAPS 517(g) | Renewal of a competency certificate | With the licence renewal, at least 90 days before expiry. More |
Changes, appeals and travel
| Form | What it is for | When |
|---|---|---|
| SAPS 521(b) | Change of address | When you move. More |
| SAPS 521(c) | Change of circumstances | When something on your licence or competency record changes |
| SAPS 530 | Notice of appeal | Within 90 days of a refusal. More |
| SAPS 520 | Import or export permit, including temporary | Taking a firearm out of the country, or bringing one in. More |
Where to get the forms
The Designated Firearms Officer (DFO) at your police station has the current forms, and so do the hunting and sport-shooting associations. Make sure you have the current edition: the SAPS 271 exists in a 2004 and a 2012 edition with different layouts, and DFOs notice.
Or let us fill them in
Firearm License Pro South Africa fills in the SAPS 271, 517, 517(a), 517(g), 518(a), 521(b), 521(c), 530 and the 538 for you, from a profile you fill in once, and builds the full pack with your motivation letter and a checklist of your documents. Every pack is checked page by page before you print it, the way a DFO reads it.
This is general information about South African firearm law and SAPS procedure, not legal advice, and we are not SAPS. Where your situation is unusual, a past conviction, a pending case, a firearm inherited from a deceased estate, speak to a firearms attorney.
Frequently asked questions
Which SAPS form is used for a new firearm licence?
The SAPS 271, for every new firearm, under the section of the Firearms Control Act that fits your reason for owning it.
Which form renews a firearm licence?
The SAPS 518(a), handed in at least 90 days before the licence expires.
Which form do I use for competency?
The SAPS 517 for a first competency, the SAPS 517(a) to add a firearm type, and the SAPS 517(g) to renew.
Which form do I use when I move house?
The SAPS 521(b), change of address. Other changes to your record go on the SAPS 521(c).
How do I appeal a refused firearm licence?
With the SAPS 530 notice of appeal, within 90 days of the refusal.
Let us prepare it for you
Firearm License Pro SA builds your complete SAPS-ready application from the details on your profile, the correct SAPS form, a motivation letter written for your section, and a checklist of the supporting documents you need for any SAPS firearm application. You check it, print it, and hand it in.
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