Q. I live interstate, can I bring my firearms into South Australia?

A. Exemption of Persons from outside the State

Regulation 50 permits persons who usually reside outside the State to use a firearm in South Australia if authorised to do so under the law of their usual place of residence. However, where their usual place of residence is outside Australia, they cannot possess or use a class C, D or H firearm for hunting.(see below)

Regulation 50(5) provides that a person has moved to South Australia, they must, within 7 days after moving, apply for registration of, and for a license to possess and use, the firearms in their possession. Provided the person complies with this requirement, they may continue to possess and use class A and B firearms, and to possess (but not use) class C, D and H firearms for a period of 3 months after moving, if they were authorised to do so under the law of their former place of residence (pending the determination of their license application in this State).

Regulation 50

Note:
Persons moving to South Australia and applying for registration of firearms are therefore, under regulation 25(2), not required to produce a 'permit to purchase' nor a firearms license issued in South Australia. They must, however, produce the firearm(s) to be registered, along with the appropriate certificate(s) of registration for the firearm(s) and their firearms license issued under the law of their usual or former place of residence at the time of making a firearms licence application.

Classes

Class ‘A’:

air rifles, air guns and paint-ball firearms; and
.22 rim fire rifles (not being self-loading rifles); and
single or double barrel shotguns (not being self-loading or pump action shotguns)

Class ‘B’:

muzzle loading firearms (not being handguns); and
revolving chamber rifles; and
centre fire rifles (not being self-loading centre fire rifles); and
break action combination shotguns and rifles; and
double barrel centre fire rifles that are not designed to hold additional rounds in a magazine; and
all other firearms (not being prescribed firearms, handguns, self-loading firearms or pump action
shotguns) that are not class A firearms.

Class ‘C’:

self-loading rim fire rifles having a magazine capacity of 10 rounds or less; and
self-loading shotguns having a magazine capacity of five rounds or less; and
pump action shotguns having a magazine capacity of five rounds or less;
but does not include revolving chamber rifles.

Class ‘D’:

self-loading rim fire rifles having a magazine capacity of more than 10 rounds; and
self-loading centre fire rifles; and
self loading shotguns having a magazine capacity of more than five rounds; and
pump action shotguns having a magazine capacity of more than five rounds;
but does not include revolving chamber rifles.

Class ‘H’:

handguns.