NSW Firearms Licence Categories A, B, C, D and H Explained
NSW firearms licences are split by category. Category A covers air rifles, rimfire rifles and most shotguns; Category B covers centre-fire rifles and muzzle-loaders; Categories C and D are tightly restricted to primary producers, clay target shooters and professional pest controllers; Category H covers pistols, reached through an approved pistol club.
Magnum Sports — NSW Firearms Dealer Licence No. 413159984. Last reviewed: 22 September 2026.
How the category system actually works
Two things decide what you can own in NSW. The first is the category, which is a statutory list of firearm types set by the Firearms Act 1996 (NSW). The second is your genuine reason, which decides which of those categories you may apply for at all.
Category A is the open door. Everything above it requires you to demonstrate a need for that particular category on top of your genuine reason, and for C and D that need has to be a strong one. Getting a licence is only half the job either way — each individual firearm still needs its own Permit to Acquire. If you have not applied for a licence yet, start with our guide to getting a NSW firearms licence.
The categories at a glance
| Category | Firearm types it covers | Genuine reasons that can unlock it |
|---|---|---|
| A | Air rifles; rimfire rifles other than self-loading; shotguns other than pump-action, lever-action or self-loading; shotgun and rimfire rifle combinations | Sport or target shooting; recreational hunting or vermin control; primary production; firearms collection |
| B | Centre-fire rifles other than self-loading; muzzle-loading firearms other than pistols; shotgun and centre-fire rifle combinations; lever-action shotguns with a magazine capacity of five rounds or fewer | Sport or target shooting; recreational hunting or vermin control; primary production; vertebrate pest animal control; firearms collection |
| C | Self-loading rimfire rifles with a magazine capacity of 10 rounds or fewer; self-loading shotguns with a magazine capacity of five rounds or fewer; pump-action shotguns with a magazine capacity of five rounds or fewer | Primary production, and clay target shooting in limited circumstances. A specific special need must be demonstrated in each case |
| D | Self-loading centre-fire rifles; self-loading rimfire rifles over 10 rounds; self-loading shotguns over five rounds; pump-action shotguns over five rounds; lever-action shotguns over five rounds; all Category C firearms | Vertebrate pest animal control, essentially on a professional or official basis. Rarely granted to private individuals |
| H | Pistols, including air pistols and blank-fire pistols | Sport or target shooting through an approved pistol club; business or employment such as licensed security; occupational requirements relating to rural purposes; animal welfare; firearms collection |
Firearms adapted for military purposes sit outside Categories C and D and are dealt with separately. Machine guns and similar are prohibited outright.
Category A: where most licences start
Category A is the broadest practical category and the one most first licences are issued in. It covers air rifles, bolt-action and lever-action rimfire rifles, break-action and bolt-action shotguns, and the shotgun and rimfire combination guns. Sport or target shooting, recreational hunting and vermin control, primary production and collection all support it.
The wording to watch is "other than self-loading". A .22 semi-automatic is not Category A in NSW, even though it is a rimfire. Browse what sits in this space in our rifles and shotguns ranges.
Category B: centre-fire rifles
Category B is where most hunting rifles live — centre-fire bolt actions and lever actions, muzzle-loaders other than pistols, and combination guns. It also picks up an oddity: lever-action shotguns. Since 1 November 2017 a lever-action shotgun with a magazine capacity of five rounds or fewer is Category B, not Category A; one holding more than five rounds is Category D.
Category B requires you to show a need for a centre-fire rifle specifically, not just a general interest. For a hunter that usually means the game you are shooting cannot be taken humanely with a rimfire. Our lever-action rifles span both A and B depending on chambering, so check the category on each product page before you apply for a permit.
Categories C and D: the restricted end
Category C and Category D exist because of the 1996 National Firearms Agreement, which removed self-loading and pump-action long arms from general civilian ownership. NSW implemented that by leaving the firearms lawful but making the licence nearly unavailable.
Category C is realistically limited to two groups: primary producers who can demonstrate a need on land they own, lease or manage, and clay target shooters shooting in disciplines that require a self-loading or pump-action shotgun, through a club affiliated with the Australian Clay Target Association or another approved body. Category C clay target shooters have to compete a minimum number of times each compliance period to keep it.
Category D is tighter again. In practice it is a professional licence for vertebrate pest animal control, held by people doing that work on an official or commercial footing. A recreational hunter will not be granted one.
Both carry the higher storage standard: a locked steel safe bolted to the structure of the premises, with ammunition secured separately.
Category H: pistols and the club pathway
Category H covers pistols, including air pistols and blank-fire pistols. The main civilian route is sport or target shooting, and that route runs entirely through an approved pistol club.
A first-time applicant is issued a Probationary Pistol Licence for 12 months. For the first six months you can only possess and use club pistols at approved club premises, under the supervision of a full Category H holder, and you cannot acquire a pistol at all. After completing the Pistol Safety Training Course you can be granted up to two permits to acquire in the second six months, for a centrefire pistol, a rimfire pistol of .22 calibre or smaller, an air pistol of .177 or smaller, or a black powder pistol — but not a centrefire and a rimfire at the same time.
Participation requirements are the real ongoing obligation. Under Part 10 of the Firearms Regulation 2017, a Category H target shooter holding one type of pistol must complete at least six shooting activities a year, all of them competitive matches; eight activities for two types; twelve for three types, with at least six competitive matches in each case. Miss them and your genuine reason is at risk. Our pistols range is restricted to licence holders and every sale runs through a permit.
What changes in the next round of reforms
The Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2025 legislated a set of reclassifications that had not commenced at the time of writing. They will start on proclamation, on a date still to be determined:
- Straight-pull and pump-action firearms of all types — including rifles, which are currently Category A or B depending on chambering — move to Category C.
- Button-release and lever-release firearms move to Category C.
- Semi-automatic air guns move to Category B.
- Belt-fed and link-ammunition firearms become prohibited.
- New magazine capacity limits apply within Categories A and B.
Because Category C is not generally available, the practical effect on a straight-pull or pump-action rifle owner is that the firearm becomes one most licence holders cannot hold. The national buyback opens in NSW on 2 November 2026 with a fixed-price schedule, followed by a second phase in early 2027 for higher-value firearms. Check the NSW Government buyback page for the current status before you act on anything here — the commencement date is the detail most likely to have moved.
One change that is already in force: since 24 December 2025 there are caps on how many firearms a licence holder may possess. Recreational hunting and vermin control is capped at four. Sport or target shooting, vertebrate pest animal control, business or employment, primary production, rural occupation and animal welfare are capped at ten, or a higher number approved by the Commissioner. Dealers and collectors are not capped.
Common questions
What is the difference between Category A and Category B in NSW?
Category A covers air rifles, non-self-loading rimfire rifles and shotguns that are not pump-action, lever-action or self-loading. Category B covers non-self-loading centre-fire rifles, muzzle-loaders other than pistols, combination guns, and lever-action shotguns holding five rounds or fewer. Category B also requires you to show a need for a centre-fire rifle.
What category is a lever-action shotgun in NSW?
A lever-action shotgun with a magazine capacity of five rounds or fewer is Category B. One with a magazine capacity of more than five rounds is Category D. This has been the position since 1 November 2017.
Can an ordinary person get a Category C or D licence in NSW?
Rarely. Category C is limited to primary producers with a demonstrated need and to clay target shooters in specific disciplines through an approved club. Category D is effectively a professional licence for vertebrate pest animal control. Both require a documented special need beyond a general genuine reason.
Are straight-pull and pump-action rifles now Category C in NSW?
They are legislated to move to Category C, but at the time of writing those provisions had not commenced. They start on proclamation on a date yet to be determined. Check the NSW Government gun buyback page or the NSW Police Firearms Registry for the current status.
How do I get a pistol licence in NSW?
Join an approved pistol club, complete their safe handling course, and apply for a Category H licence with sport or target shooting as your genuine reason. You will be issued a 12-month Probationary Pistol Licence first, with no acquisition permitted in the first six months and up to two permits available in the second six months.
Does one licence cover several categories?
Yes. A single NSW firearms licence can carry more than one category and more than one genuine reason, and you can add a category later for a fee. Each addition has to be justified on its own terms, and each individual firearm still needs its own Permit to Acquire.
Disclaimer
This information is general information, not legal advice, collated from various online sources by an LLM assistant. In all cases refer to the NSW Firearms Registry for any legal or ownership matters. E&OE.