Granting a licence

Applying or renewing

Payment for a licence online must be made using a credit card. If you would like to pay your licence fee by cheque or money order, please submit an application form with your supporting documentation by post.

Supporting information

To apply online, you need to have all documents that support your application saved as electronic files (.doc, .pdf or .jpg). The documents you need depend on the type of licence you want to apply for, but could be:

• R-Licence accreditation form
• proof of age and parent/guardian consent form (PDF, 92.28 KB) for a minor licence and concession
• proof of your pensioner concession
• proof of your completed Waterfowl Identification Test (WIT) if you want to hunt native game birds.

Other information you may need to have with you:

• Approved Hunting Organisation (AHO) name, your membership number and expiry date
• NSW Firearms Licence number
• Registered business name and ABN.

Concession rates

You can apply for the concession rate if you are a minor (between 12 years and 18 years) or a pensioner.

Minor concessions

If you are under 18 years of age, you need to provide proof of your age to claim the concession rate.

Proof of age can be your:

• birth certificate
• minor's firearm permit
• proof of age card.

Your parent or guardian needs to consent to you having a licence. Have them fill in and sign the consent form (PDF, 92.28 KB) and attach it to your online application.

Pensioner concessions

Our legislation limits the types of pension cards we can accept for the concession rate.

You can claim the pensioner concession rate if you hold one of the following:

• current Pensioner Concession Card issued by Centrelink
• current Pensioner Concession Card issued by the Department of Veterans' Affairs
• Commonwealth Department of Veterans' Affairs Gold Treatment Card endorsed "Totally and Permanently Incapacitated"(TPI)
• Commonwealth Department of Veterans' Affairs Gold Treatment Card endorsed "Extreme Disablement Adjustment" (EDA)
• letter from the Commonwealth Department of Veterans' Affairs stating that the person receive a disability pension of 70 per cent or higher, or an intermediate pension.

Only the person who signs the card where it reads "Signature of cardholder" is the holder of that card. If an additional person is listed on the card (usually a spouse), this relates to health care benefits and not to other exemptions/concessions available to the pensioner concession card-holder.

Senior's Cards, Health Care Cards and Repatriation Health Cards do not qualify you for a concession rate.

Processing

Applications for NSW Game Hunting Licences are processed within 20 working days (four weeks).

The 20-day processing period starts when your application is received by the Game Licensing Unit. The time frame does not include the time taken for your application to be delivered to us.

If you are missing documents or other information that we need to process your application, we will return it to you via normal postal delivery. The 20-day processing period is suspended when your application is sent back and resumes when we receive your revised application.

When we have processed and approved your application, we send it to our licence provider. The provider only prints Game Hunting Licences once a week.

The processing period ends when your licence has been sent from our licence provider.

We cannot estimate how long it will take for you will receive the licence after it is sent. Please allow extra time during peak periods.

Restrictions

We cannot issue a NSW Game Hunting Licence to a person who:

• has been found guilty of any firearms offence in the past 10 years
• has been found guilty of an offence in the past 10 years involving:
  • cruelty or harm to animals
  • personal violence
  • damage to property or unlawful entry into land
• has been found guilty of an offence for releasing game animals for the purpose of hunting
• is not a fit and proper person to hold the licence
• has been found guilty of an offence under the Forestry Act 1916 or 2012 (offences relating to hunting and the use of firearms)

Exemptions

You are not required to hold a NSW game hunting licence if you are:

1. hunting rabbits, foxes, feral goats, feral pigs, hares, feral cats or wild dogs (other than dingo) on private land.
2. hunting on any land you own or occupy. This exemption also applies to members of your household and your employees (this exemption does not apply if you are hunting native game birds).
3. hunting on any land that is owned or occupied by your employer or by a corporation that you are an officer with (this exemption does not apply if you are hunting native game birds).
4. hunting rabbits, foxes, feral goats, feral pigs, feral cats or wild dogs (other than dingo) in accordance with a duty imposed you (or on any corporation of which the person is an officer or employee) under the Local Land Services Act 2013 or the Wild Dog Destruction Act 1921 to suppress or destroy the animals (other than a person assisting any such person in the performance of that duty).
5. employed by any public or local authority (including an employee of Local Land Services) and are acting in the execution of your duties as such an employee.
6. a veterinary surgeon or other person who is acting for the purposes of killing or treating an animal in distress due to injury or illness.

Updating your contact information

Once we have granted your licence, you must advise us of any changes to your contact information within 14 days.

You can update your details by logging in to online licence holder services or by contacting the customer service team.