Firearms Act—Licence applications
510. Hon Dr Steve Thomasto theminister representing the Minister for Police:
I refer to the difficult firearms licensing and registration portal associated with the Firearms Act 2024.
(1) As at 12 August 2025 for all gun categories, how many gun licence applications have been:
(a) received by WA police?
(b) determined or finalised by WA police?
(c) granted by WA police; and
(d) rejected by WA police?
(2) How many received gun licence applications are awaiting determination?
Hon Matthew Swinbourn replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.
The following answer has been provided by the Minister for Police.
(1) The Western Australia Police Force (WAPF) advise that "applications" are referred to as either adding a firearm to an existing firearm licence or creating a new firearms licence. The transitioning of a firearms licence and the firearms on that licence from the 1973 act to the 2024 act is not an application, as such do not appear in these numbers.
(a) There were 700 from 31 March to 12 August 2025.
(b) There were 977, which includes applications received, but not processed, prior to the portal going live on 31 March 2025.
(c) There were 93, which includes applications received, but not processed, prior to the portal going live on 31 March 2025.
(d) There were 46, which includes applications received, but not processed, prior to the portal going live on 31 March 2025.
(2) There were 1,421, from 31 March to 12 August 2025, which includes new firearms being added to an existing licence, being transferred or co-licensed to another firearms licence holder or creating a new firearms licence.
