Firearms Act 1996 (TAS)

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Firearms Act 1996

An Act to provide for the regulation, registration and control of firearms

[Royal Assent 30 August 1996]

Whereas –

(a) following the tragic events which occurred at Port Arthur on 28 April 1996, the three political parties represented in the Parliament, namely the Australian Labor Party, the Liberal Party of Australia and the Tasmanian Greens, have agreed together that the laws relating to the control of firearms in Tasmania should be consistent with the laws applying in other States and Territories of the Commonwealth of Australia; and (b) the Australasian Police Ministers’ Council has adopted a set of resolutions specifying common standards which are to be applied in all States and Territories, and those three parties have agreed to support the implementation of those standards in Tasmania,

Be it enacted by His Excellency the Governor of Tasmania, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council and House of Assembly, in Parliament assembled, as follows:

PART 1Preliminary1Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Firearms Act 1996. 2CommencementThe provisions of this Act commence on a day to be proclaimed. 3InterpretationIn this Act – air pistol means a pistol that propels, or is capable of propelling, a projectile by means of compressed gas or air; air rifle means a firearm that propels, or is capable of propelling, a projectile by means of compressed gas or air; ammunition means – (a) anything consisting of a cartridge case fitted with a primer and a projectile; or (b) anything consisting of a cartridge case fitted with primer material and containing both a propelling charge and a projectile; or (c) any blankfire cartridge, airgun pellet, training cartridge or gas cartridge; or (d) any explosive component of ammunition; or (da) [Section 3 Amended by No. 14 of 2015, s. 4, Applied:04 Nov 2015] paintball pellets as defined in section 99B; or (e) any other prescribed article; approved means approved by the Commissioner; approved firearms safety course means an accredited course relating to the safe possession and use of firearms as approved by the Commissioner; [Section 3 Amended by No. 30 of 2003, s. 4, Applied:01 Jul 2003] barrel length means – (a) in the case of a revolver, the distance from the muzzle of the barrel to the breach end immediately in front of the cylinder; and (b) in any other case, the distance from the muzzle of the barrel to the point of the breach face (which includes the chamber); Category A firearms licence means a licence referred to in section 14; Category B firearms licence means a licence referred to in section 15; Category C firearms licence means a licence referred to in section 16; Category D firearms licence means a licence referred to in section 17; Category H firearms licence means a licence referred to in section 18; certificate of registration means the certificate of registration referred to in section 78; Commissioner means the Commissioner of Police; corresponding, in…

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.