Australia’s firearms laws are changing rapidly, but the rules are far from uniform. This state-by-state guide breaks down the latest reforms, including gun buybacks, ownership caps, firearm reclassification, licensing changes and the different approaches being taken across Australia.

Australia is currently experiencing one of the most significant periods of firearms law reform since the National Firearms Agreement was introduced in 1996.

Following the Bondi Beach terrorist attack on 14 December 2025, National Cabinet agreed to pursue further firearms reforms across Australia. The Commonwealth subsequently legislated for a National Gun Buyback Scheme, expanded firearms background checking and introduced other measures relating to illegal firearm manufacture and national security.

What has followed, however, is not one consistent national response.

Instead, firearm owners are now facing a patchwork of reforms that vary substantially between states and territories. Some governments have introduced sweeping restrictions affecting licensed firearm owners, including numerical ownership limits, firearm reclassification and mandatory surrender arrangements. Others have rejected those measures and chosen to concentrate more heavily on criminals, prohibited persons and individuals considered a genuine public-safety risk.

That distinction is important.

Australia already has a highly regulated firearms licensing system, and many of the latest reforms will primarily affect people who have lawfully acquired, registered and stored their firearms in accordance with existing laws.

Whether imposing further restrictions on those licence holders will deliver a meaningful improvement in public safety remains a legitimate question.

So, what is actually changing in each jurisdiction?

Here is our comprehensive state-by-state breakdown.

Important: Firearms legislation is changing rapidly. This guide provides general information only and should not be relied upon as legal advice. Firearm owners should confirm current requirements with their relevant state or territory firearms registry.

In a Nutshell

State/Territory	Firearm Ownership Caps	Commonwealth Buyback	Major Changes
NSW	Yes – generally 4 or 10	Yes	Caps, reclassification, magazine limits, 2-year licences, stronger checks
ACT	Proposed – generally 5 or 10	Yes – announced 22 Aug	Caps, reclassification, restrictions on certain mechanisms, digital blueprint offences, FPOs
Victoria	No	No	Stronger background checks, citizenship requirements, trafficking penalties
Queensland	No	No	FPO reforms, stronger criminal penalties and risk controls
Western Australia	Yes	Separate WA scheme completed	Major licensing overhaul, caps, health checks and storage requirements
South Australia	No new cap announced	Not currently participating	Digital firearm blueprint laws and National Firearms Register work
Tasmania	No	Separate/proposed Tasmanian approach	Proposed reclassification, citizenship requirements, buyback and theft penalties
Northern Territory	No new cap announced	No	Firearms Amendment Act 2026, digital blueprint offences and NFR preparation

New South Wales

NSW has introduced the most extensive post-Bondi restrictions

NSW moved rapidly following the December 2025 Bondi attack, passing the Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2025 on 24 December 2025.

The legislation introduces some of the largest changes to NSW firearms regulation in decades.

For licensed firearm owners, the most significant concern is that many of the measures do not simply target criminals or people who have demonstrated that they pose a threat.

They also place new restrictions on people who have previously complied with NSW's licensing, registration, storage and genuine-reason requirements.

Firearm ownership caps

Under the new system, the number of firearms a licence holder may possess will generally be limited according to their genuine reason.

The limits are:

• Recreational hunting/vermin control and most other licence holders – maximum 4 firearms
• Primary production – maximum 10
• Occupational rural purposes – maximum 10
• Animal welfare – maximum 10
• Sport/target shooting – maximum 10, or a higher number approved by the Commissioner
• Vertebrate pest animal control – maximum 10, or a higher approved number
• Business or employment – maximum 10, or a higher approved number
• Firearms dealers and collectors – no general numerical cap

Where someone has multiple genuine reasons, the highest applicable limit will generally apply across their licence.

Restrictions on new Permit to Acquire applications that would take a person above the relevant limit have already operated since 24 December 2025.

The controversial aspect of these limits is that they apply primarily according to the number of firearms owned, rather than being based solely on an individual licence holder's conduct or demonstrated risk.

A person may therefore have lawfully owned, registered and securely stored firearms for many years without incident, yet still be required to reduce their collection because a new numerical limit has subsequently been imposed.

NSW Gun Buyback Scheme

The NSW and Commonwealth governments have formally agreed to commence the National Gun Buyback Scheme in NSW on 2 November 2026.

NSW will be the first state to operate the Commonwealth-backed scheme.

The cost will be shared 50:50 between the NSW and Commonwealth governments.

Around 274,000 firearms and approximately 50,000 licence holders have been estimated to potentially be affected by the reforms.

For many firearm owners, describing the program simply as a “buyback” is also somewhat misleading.

In many cases, affected firearms were legally purchased by their owners, often long before the current restrictions were proposed. Where an owner is required to surrender a firearm because the law has subsequently changed, the transaction is fundamentally different from an ordinary voluntary sale.

Phase 1 compensation

The first phase will use a fixed compensation schedule.

Firearm Type	Compensation
Revolver	$1,000
Semi-automatic handgun	$850
Double-barrel shotgun	$850
Single-barrel shotgun	$650
Rimfire rifle	$600
Centrefire rifle	$1,000
Air rifle	$450

Phase 2 is expected to begin in early 2027 and will provide a valuation pathway for eligible higher-value firearms with an indicative market value above $3,000, with compensation capped at $10,000 per firearm.

Eligible participants are expected to include people who can no longer lawfully retain firearms because:

• they exceed the new ownership caps
• their firearms have been prohibited or reclassified
• they no longer satisfy new citizenship requirements.

The NSW Government has also announced assistance for affected firearms businesses, including grants of up to $25,000 for eligible dealers and businesses.

For owners and dealers, an important question will be whether the compensation available genuinely reflects the replacement value or market value of firearms that were purchased entirely lawfully.

Firearm reclassification in NSW

Some of the most significant NSW reforms involve firearm classification.

Once the relevant provisions are proclaimed:

Straight-pull and pump-action firearms and button-release and lever-release firearms will generally move into Category C.

This includes relevant:

• rimfire rifles
• centrefire rifles
• shotguns.

Semi-automatic air rifles will move into Category B.

Firearms designed or capable of operating with linked ammunition or ammunition belts will also be prohibited.

Several of these changes have been legislated but are not yet in force, with commencement dates still to be proclaimed.

Again, this means firearms that were previously legally acquired under one classification may become substantially more restricted because the government has subsequently changed how they are categorised.

That creates obvious uncertainty for owners who made purchasing decisions based on the law that applied at the time.

Magazine capacity changes

New magazine-capacity restrictions have also been legislated.

Once commenced, the changes include:

• most Category A rimfire rifles – maximum 10 rounds
• relevant Category A shotguns – maximum 5 rounds
• Category B centrefire rifles – maximum 10 rounds
• lever-action shotguns – maximum 5 rounds.

Some of these provisions are not yet operational and will commence on dates proclaimed by the NSW Government.

There is also an obvious policy question surrounding these restrictions: whether reducing the lawful magazine capacity available to licensed shooters materially addresses criminal misuse of firearms.

Licence periods reduced to two years

From 1 July 2026, NSW ceased issuing standard five-year firearm licences.

Licences can now generally be issued for a maximum of two years.

The reforms also increase scrutiny when licence holders re-establish their genuine reason at renewal and introduce additional identity, safe-storage and terrorism-related checks.

While appropriate background checking is an accepted part of firearm licensing, reducing licence periods will also mean compliant firearm owners must undertake the renewal process considerably more frequently.

That creates additional cost and administration for both licence holders and the firearms registry.

Australian Capital Territory

ACT joins the National Gun Buyback

On 22 August 2026, the ACT became the second jurisdiction after NSW to reach an agreement to participate in the Commonwealth National Gun Buyback Scheme.

The Commonwealth is expected to fund 75% of the ACT's compensation and administration costs, as well as the cost of destroying surrendered firearms.

There are approximately 23,000 registered firearms held by more than 7,000 licence holders in the ACT.

The ACT Government has also confirmed that further legislative amendments are planned to support participation in both the National Firearms Register and the National Gun Buyback Scheme.

For ACT firearm owners, today's announcement is therefore significant.

It means the territory is now moving closer to the approach adopted by NSW, although the exact implementation details remain important.

Proposed ACT ownership caps

The ACT's Firearms (Public Safety) Amendment Bill 2026 proposes a numerical ownership system.

Under the proposal, a licence holder would generally be permitted to possess up to five firearms.

The limit would increase to 10 firearms for genuine reasons including:

• primary production
• vertebrate pest animal control
• occupational requirements
• sport and target shooting.

For many ACT licence holders, these proposed limits represent one of the most consequential parts of the reform package.

A numerical cap does not necessarily distinguish between someone who has safely owned firearms for decades and someone who poses an identifiable public-safety risk.

Instead, it places a predetermined limit on how many firearms a compliant person may lawfully possess.

The buyback agreement has now been announced, but the underlying Public Safety Bill remains part of an ongoing legislative process.

Owners should therefore distinguish carefully between measures that have been announced and measures that have actually commenced.

Reclassification and prohibited firearms

The ACT Government is also proposing to:

• recategorise certain firearms
• impose magazine-capacity restrictions
• restrict certain rapid-fire or rapid-cycling mechanisms
• prohibit firearms capable of operating with linked ammunition or ammunition belts
• introduce clearer definitions covering emerging firearm technologies.

As with NSW, firearm owners may consequently find themselves affected not because of anything they have done, but because a firearm that was previously legal under one category is subsequently moved into another.

Digital firearm blueprints

The ACT legislation would also create an offence for unauthorised possession of a digital blueprint capable of being used to manufacture a firearm or firearm part, including through technologies such as 3D printing.

Specific exemptions would apply to authorised manufacturers, law enforcement, justice-related purposes and approved research.

Measures directed at illicit firearm manufacture arguably have a much clearer connection to criminal firearm activity than simply placing a numerical limit on firearms already registered to licensed owners.

Firearm Prohibition Orders

Separate ACT legislation proposes a new Firearm Prohibition Order – or FPO – regime.

An FPO could prohibit a high-risk individual from acquiring, possessing or using firearms or firearm-related items.

Someone subject to an FPO could have their firearm licence and permits cancelled and be required to surrender their firearms.

The proposed legislation also gives police expanded powers to search people, vehicles, homes, storage facilities and certain other premises when enforcing an FPO.

This type of targeted approach is fundamentally different from imposing blanket restrictions across the entire licensed firearm-owning population.

Victoria

Victoria has rejected firearm ownership caps

Victoria has taken a substantially different approach.

Following a Rapid Review of Victoria's firearms laws conducted by former Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Ken Lay, the Victorian Government accepted 15 recommendations but rejected a recommendation that would have resulted in firearm ownership caps.

The Victorian Government has explicitly stated that:

Victoria will not introduce a numerical cap on the number of firearms held by licensed owners.

Victoria has also rejected participation in the Commonwealth buyback in its current form.

This is a significant contrast with NSW.

Rather than treating the number of lawfully registered firearms owned by an individual as a risk factor in itself, Victoria has chosen to focus more heavily on the suitability of the person possessing them.

Firearms Amendment Bill 2026

Victoria's Firearms Amendment Bill 2026 focuses heavily on licensing, intelligence and illegal firearms.

Major reforms include:

• stronger firearms background checking
• new citizenship requirements
• increased penalties for firearm trafficking
• expanded firearm reclassification powers
• making Victoria's Firearm Prohibition Order regime permanent.

There are still aspects of these reforms that firearm owners may reasonably question, particularly where new eligibility requirements affect otherwise compliant licence holders.

However, Victoria's decision not to introduce arbitrary numerical ownership limits represents a materially different policy approach to NSW.

Stronger firearm trafficking penalties

Victoria is introducing graduated penalties for unlawful possession or trafficking of multiple firearms.

The legislation distinguishes between a traffickable quantity of 2–9 firearms and a large traffickable quantity of 10 or more firearms, with serious offences involving large quantities carrying penalties of up to 15 years imprisonment.

Targeting illegal trafficking and criminal possession arguably addresses firearm-related crime much more directly than requiring licensed owners to surrender firearms purely because they possess more than a newly imposed numerical limit.

Queensland

No firearm caps and no Commonwealth buyback

Queensland has rejected both the Commonwealth gun buyback and the introduction of a broad numerical firearm ownership cap.

Instead, the Queensland Government has pursued a more targeted package of reforms aimed at criminals, prohibited individuals and people considered a serious public-safety risk.

For licensed firearm owners, this represents a substantially different philosophy from the NSW approach.

Firearm Prohibition Orders

Queensland's Firearm Prohibition Order regime allows courts – and in some circumstances the Police Commissioner – to prohibit an individual from acquiring, possessing or using firearms and firearm-related items.

Court-issued orders can generally remain in force for up to:

• 10 years for an adult
• 5 years for a child.

Further FPO-related provisions took effect on 1 July 2026.

Queensland has also strengthened penalties for a range of firearms offences and introduced additional risk-based measures following the Wieambilla shootings.

The distinction is significant.

These measures are directed primarily towards people who have been identified as posing a risk, rather than placing a blanket numerical limit on every compliant firearm owner in the state.

Western Australia

WA has already completed a major firearms overhaul

Western Australia began its firearms reforms before the latest post-Bondi changes.

The Firearms Act 2024 and Firearms Regulations 2024 commenced on 31 March 2025.

WA's reforms include:

• numerical limits on firearm ownership
• mandatory disqualifying offences and orders
• mandatory firearm safety training
• firearm authority health assessments
• new storage requirements
• a substantially redesigned firearms licensing system.

The WA reforms have been among the most controversial in Australia because they substantially expanded the regulatory burden placed on people who already held firearms licences.

WA firearm ownership limits

Different limits apply according to genuine reason and licence type.

Government material has identified limits including approximately:

• five firearms for sporting shooters
• 10 firearms for primary producers

subject to the detailed provisions applying to each licence.

As with NSW, these limits raise the broader question of why the number of registered firearms held by an otherwise fit-and-proper licence holder should itself determine whether that person can continue legally possessing their property.

Western Australian buyback

WA has already completed its own large-scale firearms buyback.

Across the various phases of the program, 83,764 firearms were surrendered, with the WA Government estimating firearm ownership in the state fell by approximately 24% over two years.

The final phase ended on 14 January 2026.

That is an enormous reduction in the number of legally held firearms in one state.

Whether that reduction ultimately produces a measurable reduction in firearm-related criminal offending will be an important test of the policy.

South Australia

No major ownership cap announced

South Australia has not followed NSW in introducing a numerical firearm ownership cap.

Although the South Australian Government initially indicated support in principle for a national response, it has not announced NSW-style limits on the number of firearms a licensed person can own.

South Australia has also not reached the type of Commonwealth buyback agreement currently in place for NSW and the ACT.

Digital firearm blueprint laws

From 19 February 2026, unauthorised possession of certain digital firearm blueprints became an offence.

The provisions cover electronic technical drawings, coding or CAD information capable of being used to manufacture:

• firearms
• firearm parts
• sound moderators
• prohibited firearm accessories
• restricted firearm mechanisms.

Once again, legislation targeting the illicit manufacture of unregistered firearms has a more direct connection to illegal firearm availability than limits imposed on firearms already recorded within the licensing system.

Tasmania

Tasmania is pursuing its own reform model

Tasmania announced a significant post-Bondi firearms reform package in February 2026.

Importantly, the Tasmanian Government said it would not introduce a general numerical cap on firearm ownership.

Its proposed reform package instead included:

• stronger penalties for firearm theft and possession of stolen firearms
• increased intelligence sharing and background checking
• acceleration of the National Firearms Register
• Australian citizenship becoming the default requirement for firearm licensing, subject to exemptions
• reclassification of certain firearms
• compensation for affected firearms dealers
• a Tasmanian firearm buyback.

Proposed reclassification

Tasmania has proposed moving certain:

• straight-pull firearms
• button-release firearms
• lever-release/self-ejecting centrefire firearms
• relevant shotguns

into the more restrictive Category C licensing framework.

For owners of those firearms, reclassification remains highly consequential.

A firearm may have been legally purchased, registered and used for an accepted genuine reason, only for the government to subsequently determine that the same firearm should fall within a substantially more restrictive category.

Tasmanian buyback proposal

Tasmania's original proposal included compensation at 1.5 times the value of firearms affected by reclassification.

The government also proposed a broader voluntary buyback at market value for other legally held firearms owners wished to surrender.

This proposed compensation model is notably different from a simple fixed-price schedule and arguably provides greater recognition of the financial loss experienced by an owner required to surrender legally acquired property.

Some elements remain dependent on the final legislative process and Commonwealth funding negotiations.

Northern Territory

NT has rejected participation in the Commonwealth buyback

The Northern Territory has not agreed to participate financially in the Commonwealth National Gun Buyback Scheme.

Both major sides of Territory politics have expressed opposition to the current model.

However, the NT has still introduced firearms reforms.

Firearms Amendment Act 2026

The Northern Territory passed the Firearms Amendment Act 2026, which received assent on 28 May 2026 and commenced on 30 June 2026.

The Act makes amendments relating to:

• firearms licensing
• licence conditions and periods
• permits
• ammunition
• firearm modification
• notification requirements
• interstate competition licences
• digital blueprints for firearms.

The NT is also preparing its records for inclusion in the National Firearms Register.

What is the National Firearms Register?

Separate from the buyback, one of the most important national reforms is the development of the National Firearms Register – NFR.

National Cabinet originally agreed to establish the register in December 2023.

Rather than replacing every state firearms registry with one Commonwealth licensing body, the system is intended to connect firearm ownership, registration and licensing information between jurisdictions.

It is designed to give law-enforcement agencies more timely information about:

• registered firearms
• firearm owners
• licences
• firearm movements and lifecycle information.

The system is currently expected to become operational nationally around mid-2028.

For legitimate firearm owners, improved accuracy and information sharing between registries is arguably one of the less contentious national reforms – particularly if it addresses administrative inconsistencies without creating unnecessary additional restrictions for compliant licence holders.

Is There Actually a National Gun Buyback?

Technically, yes – but the term can give the impression that every state has agreed to the same system.

They have not.

As of 22 August 2026:

NSW – participating

The NSW scheme begins on 2 November 2026.

ACT – participating

The ACT reached an agreement with the Commonwealth on 22 August 2026.

Western Australia – separate scheme already completed

WA completed its own extensive buyback in January 2026.

Victoria – not participating

Victoria has rejected broad ownership caps and the Commonwealth buyback.

Queensland – not participating

Queensland has rejected the Commonwealth scheme and broad ownership caps.

South Australia – no current NSW-style program

SA has not introduced an equivalent ownership-cap regime or reached a comparable Commonwealth buyback agreement.

Tasmania – separate reforms under development

Tasmania has proposed its own compensation and buyback arrangements.

Northern Territory – not participating in the current Commonwealth model

The Territory has rejected financial participation in the scheme.

Australia therefore does not currently have one uniform set of new firearms laws.

Which States Have Taken the Most Restrictive Approach?

For ordinary recreational shooters, hunters and primary producers, NSW and Western Australia have introduced the most far-reaching restrictions.

WA has already implemented an extensively redesigned licensing framework.

NSW is now introducing:

• ownership caps
• firearm reclassification
• new magazine limits
• two-year licence periods
• expanded background checking
• citizenship requirements
• a large-scale buyback.

The ACT may move considerably closer to the NSW model if its proposed legislation passes substantially unchanged.

By comparison, Victoria and Queensland have rejected broad numerical ownership caps and have focused more heavily on criminals, prohibited persons, intelligence gathering and individual licensing suitability.

That difference deserves attention.

There is a fundamental policy distinction between restricting someone because evidence suggests they pose a risk and restricting an entire class of licensed firearm owners regardless of their individual history or behaviour.

The Question Governments Still Need to Answer

Every government has an obligation to protect the community.

Firearms owners should expect meaningful licensing requirements, safe-storage laws, background checks and strong penalties for people who illegally possess, manufacture or traffic firearms.

But restrictions should also be evidence-based and proportionate to the risk they are intended to address.

The central question surrounding many of the current reforms is therefore relatively simple:

Will requiring long-term, law-abiding firearm owners to surrender legally acquired and registered firearms actually make Australians safer?

Governments introducing ownership caps and reclassification schemes should be able to demonstrate why a person who has satisfied the fit-and-proper-person test, holds a legitimate genuine reason, complies with safe-storage requirements and has no history of firearm misuse becomes a greater risk simply because they possess five firearms rather than four, or eleven rather than ten.

Likewise, where a particular firearm was legal to purchase yesterday but becomes restricted tomorrow, owners are entitled to ask what evidence demonstrates that the firearm itself has suddenly created an unacceptable public-safety risk.

Those questions are not opposition to sensible firearms regulation.

They are questions about whether regulation is targeted, proportionate and supported by evidence.

What Should Australian Firearm Owners Do Now?

The most important thing for firearm owners is to understand that announced, legislated and commenced are three different things.

Some reforms are already operational.

Others have passed parliament but require proclamation before they commence.

Others remain proposals or bills.

Firearm owners should:

1. Check the firearms registry for their own state or territory.
2. Do not assume laws announced in another state apply to you.
3. Check commencement dates carefully before acting on media reports.
4. Keep licence and firearm registration information current.
5. Retain records of firearm purchases and their value.
6. Watch for official correspondence regarding buyback and transitional arrangements.
7. Seek appropriate legal or registry advice where the status of a particular firearm is unclear.

It may also be sensible for affected owners to retain purchase invoices, photographs, serial-number records and evidence of the condition and market value of firearms that could become subject to compensation arrangements.

The Bottom Line

Australia is going through its biggest period of firearms reform in decades, but there is no single national approach.

NSW has adopted one of the most restrictive models, including numerical ownership caps, reclassification, magazine restrictions and a large-scale buyback affecting legally held firearms.

The ACT has now agreed to participate in the Commonwealth buyback and is considering its own substantial package of restrictions.

Western Australia has already imposed extensive ownership and licensing reforms and completed a buyback involving more than 83,000 firearms.

Victoria and Queensland have taken a noticeably different approach, rejecting broad numerical caps and the Commonwealth buyback while concentrating more heavily on criminals, prohibited persons and individual risk.

That difference matters.

There is broad community support for keeping firearms away from criminals, violent offenders and people who pose a genuine danger to others.

The much more difficult question is whether that objective is advanced by imposing increasingly restrictive rules on people who have already gone through Australia's licensing system and continued to comply with the law.

Licensed firearm owners are among the most heavily regulated members of the Australian community. They undergo background checks, must establish a genuine reason, register their firearms, comply with strict storage laws and remain subject to ongoing police scrutiny.

If governments intend to remove legally acquired property or substantially restrict the rights of those licence holders, they should be expected to provide strong evidence that those measures are necessary, proportionate and likely to improve public safety.

The Scope Warehouse will continue posting guides as legislation, commencement dates and buyback arrangements are confirmed.

Last updated 22 August 2026. This article provides general information only and is not legal advice.

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