Knowledge of the Firearms Control Act is compulsory for every competency. Here are practice questions with answers and the section they come from. The LicenseWatch mock test has 98 questions on the law alone.
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Start the mock testPractice questions on the Act
1. How old must you normally be to apply for your first competency certificate?
Answer: 21 years or older. You must be 21 or older when your application is received. The Registrar may allow a younger person only in limited cases with good reasons.
2. Someone was declared unfit to possess a firearm. When does that stop disqualifying them from a competency certificate?
Answer: Five years after they were declared unfit, or earlier if the declaration ends. The disqualification ends five years after the person became or was declared unfit, or when the declaration expires, whichever comes first.
3. How long is a competency certificate for possessing a firearm valid?
Answer: For the same period as the license it relates to. A competency certificate to possess a firearm is valid for the same period as the license it relates to, unless terminated or renewed.
4. A license for self-defence (section 13) may be issued for...
Answer: a handgun that is not fully automatic, or a shotgun that is not fully or semi-automatic. Section 13 covers a shotgun that is not fully or semi-automatic, or a handgun that is not fully automatic.
5. To get a section 14 restricted firearm for self-defence, what must you show?
Answer: That a section 13 firearm will not give you enough protection. You must show that a firearm under section 13 will not provide sufficient protection, with a reasonable motivation.
6. You already have a section 13 self-defence license. How many section 15 licenses may you now hold?
Answer: Three. The section 15 limit of four drops to three if you also hold a section 13 license.
7. A license for business purposes (not game ranching or hunting) is valid for...
Answer: 5 years. Business licenses are valid for five years, except for game ranching and hunting businesses, which are valid for ten years.
8. How old must the license holder be to let someone else use their firearm under supervision?
Answer: 21 or older. Section 22 requires the license holder to be 21 or older.
9. A firearm altered so that it fires more than one shot with a single pull of the trigger is...
Answer: a prohibited firearm. Altering a firearm's mechanism so that it fires more than one shot per trigger pull makes it a prohibited firearm.
10. Your license card is stolen. How soon must you report it?
Answer: Within 24 hours of finding out. The loss or theft of a license, permit or authorisation must be reported within 24 hours of discovering it.
11. How must a handgun be carried in a public place?
Answer: In a holster or similar holder on your body (or in a backpack or similar bag), completely covered, under your effective control. A handgun in public must be in a holster or similar holder designed for it and attached to the person, or in a backpack or similar bag. It must be completely covered and under your effective control.
12. Which firearms must be stored unloaded in the safe?
Answer: All firearms except those licensed for self-defence under section 13. Firearms other than section 13 self-defence firearms must be stored unloaded.
13. You buy ammunition at an accredited shooting range and fire it there. Does it count towards your 200-cartridge limit?
Answer: No, ammunition bought and discharged at an accredited range is excluded. Ammunition bought and fired at an accredited shooting range is excluded from the limit.
14. You fire a shot into the air in a suburb to celebrate New Year. Is that allowed?
Answer: No, discharging a firearm in a built-up area or public place without good reason is an offence. Discharging a firearm in a built-up area or any public place without good reason is an offence, and a bullet fired into the air comes down with enough force to kill.
15. May you sell or give your firearm to a person who isn't allowed to possess it?
Answer: No, it is an offence. Selling or giving a firearm or ammunition to someone who may not possess it under the Act is an offence.
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Frequently asked questions
What is in the Knowledge of the Firearms Control Act test?
Who may be declared competent, the different licenses and how long they last, ammunition limits, safe storage, carrying a firearm in public, offences such as pointing a firearm or handling it under the influence, firearm-free zones, and when force may be used in private defence.
How long is a firearm license valid?
Section 13 self-defence: 5 years. Section 14 restricted self-defence: 2 years. Sections 15 and 16 (occasional and dedicated hunting and sport shooting) and section 17 (private collection): 10 years.
How much ammunition may I keep?
An ordinary license holder may keep up to 200 cartridges for each licensed firearm. Dedicated hunters, dedicated sports persons and professional hunters are excluded from this limit.