National Firearms Register consultation

Overview

On 3 February 2023, National Cabinet tasked Police Ministers to report back to National Cabinet in mid-2023 with options to implement a National Firearms Register.

The primary objective of a register would be to preserve community and police safety, by ensuring police have the timely and accurate information necessary to assess the firearms risk an individual poses, and protect the community from harm.

A register could also have a range of other benefits, including:

• reducing illicit diversion of firearms
• facilitating the effective administration of licensing regimes
• reducing duplication between jurisdictions and associated regulatory impost on the firearms community.

Why we are consulting

We have released a consultation paper to obtain public input on the key capabilities and benefits a register could provide for law enforcement, government regulators, and the public. This input will inform the development of register models for National Cabinet consideration.

• National Firearms Register – Public Consultation Paper [PDF 211KB]
• National Firearms Register – Public Consultation Paper [DOCX 86KB]

Your Submission

The Attorney-General’s Department is collecting your personal information in this consultation process for the purpose of assisting with the development of a National Firearms Register.

We may publish your submission, unless you request for it to remain confidential, or if we consider (for any reason) that it should not be published. We may redact parts of published submissions, as appropriate. Before making a submission, we encourage you to read the department’s privacy policy and consultation privacy policy.

Please be aware that, in providing your submission, you consent to your submission and the information you provide being shared with other government agencies for the purpose of assisting with the development of a National Firearms Register.