QLD man wants a gun license

[AbsoluteNovice]

Hello, i am a 38 year old man from Brisbane. I am interested in getting my gun license as it looks like a fascinating hobby and there are numerous ranges near my location. My question is how hard is it to get a legal license in QLD in 2024? What are the main hurdles etc? Ideally i would like to be greenlit to shoot at ranges and hunt on occasion and be legally allowed to keep a firearm at my house. Is this a reality in Brisbane in 2024? Thankyou

[bladeracer]

Hello, i am a 38 year old man from Brisbane. I am interested in getting my gun license as it looks like a fascinating hobby and there are numerous ranges near my location. My question is how hard is it to get a legal license in QLD in 2024? What are the main hurdles etc? Ideally i would like to be greenlit to shoot at ranges and hunt on occasion and be legally allowed to keep a firearm at my house. Is this a reality in Brisbane in 2024? Thankyou

Not at all difficult in all states. Hunting is your biggest difficulty in Qld as you don't have public land open to hunting. You will have to either pay to hunt on private property (somewhere like Inland Hunting) or make contacts with landowners that will allow you to hunt on their properties. Or you can travel to NSW and hunt public land under an R licence, or down to Victoria and hunt public land with no additional licence.

Yes, all firearm licence holders keep their firearms at home, including handguns (handguns can _only_ be used at approved pistol clubs, nowhere else). You will require a safe that complies with the secure storage requirements.

Licencing generally begins with completing a firearm safety course, then you can make an application for a licence. Talk to your nearest gun shop or rifle/shotgun/pistol club and they should be able to direct you through everything. I think in Qld you do require membership of a shooting and/or hunting club to maintain a licence.

[alexjones]

Not to sound like a smart ass but you said you want "a legal licence". Is this opposed to an ilegal licence?


It is not hard to get a licence it is just a lengthy process. So long as you have no criminal(domestic violence, drugs, crime etc etc), or mental history(depression) you should get it.

You need a genuine reason. To obtain this genuine reason you either have to join a club or have private land or have permission to shoot on private land.

Then you need to do a safety course.

Then you submit your application to the police.

It can take 6 months to get the licence approved.

[yoshie]

Most of the ranges close to you run firearms safety courses, that's your first step. The people running the course will give you the all the information you need to get started.

[Oldbloke]

Most of the ranges close to you run firearms safety courses, that's your first step. The people running the course will give you the all the information you need to get started.

Can we pls have a like button?

[Larry]

Most of the ranges close to you run firearms safety courses, that's your first step. The people running the course will give you the all the information you need to get started.

Can we pls have a like button?

[AbsoluteNovice]

Thanks for the information guys. Yes, i was concerned about a history of depression (20 years on SSRI's) may be used against me,even though i could easily get something from my doctor stating that i am of sound mind. It's a shame as i have a disability and shooting seems like it would be a natural hobby for some that cannot participate in other pyschical sports and hobbies.

[bladeracer]

Thanks for the information guys. Yes, i was concerned about a history of depression (20 years on SSRI's) may be used against me,even though i could easily get something from my doctor stating that i am of sound mind. It's a shame as i have a disability and shooting seems like it would be a natural hobby for some that cannot participate in other physical sports and hobbies.

Depression isn't generally a barrier, provided it's controlled and you have the support of your doctor.

[deye243]

Thanks for the information guys. Yes, i was concerned about a history of depression (20 years on SSRI's) may be used against me,even though i could easily get something from my doctor stating that i am of sound mind. It's a shame as i have a disability and shooting seems like it would be a natural hobby for some that cannot participate in other pyschical sports and hobbies.

I know several that shoot and it is the only thing that keeps them sane.

[geoff]

There are many people safely and proudly shooting recreationally on SSRI's or with a history of perhaps some even more complex mental health issues in most Australian states. It may be something which you have to address during the licensing process, but it sounds like you will have that under control.

Shooting is a fantastic hobby for those who may not be able to participate in traditional sports - I can think of a particularly successful pistol shooter in a wheelchair, for example, and benchrest rifle shooting is accessible to near on anyone who can pull a trigger.

Welcome to the club