Paintball marker permit
When you need a paintball marker permit, eligibility requirements, and how to apply.
When a paintball marker permit is needed
Paintball is a sport where teams or individual players compete by shooting paint-filled pellets from a paintball marker (also known as a paintball gun).
In NSW, you need a permit to own a paintball marker.
A paintball marker permit allows you to purchase and own one or more paintball markers in NSW.
This permit does not allow you to use the paintball marker outside of an authorised venue. If you wish to use a paintball marker at a place other than an authorised venue, you must obtain authorisation from NSW Fair Trading.
If you wish to use your own paintball marker at an authorised venue, you must show your paintball marker permit to the owner or an employee of the venue.
If you purchase and possess a paintball marker that is also an imitation firearm, you will need to hold both a paintball marker permit and an imitation firearm permit. For more information on imitation firearm permits, please visit the NSW Police Force website.
Significant penalties apply for possessing a paintball marker without a permit or for using a marker outside an authorised venue.
Apply for a paintball marker permit
You can apply for a 1, 3 or 5 year permit.
You do not need a permit just to play paintball, or if you are staying in NSW for less than 3 months and hold a current, equivalent permit from another state or territory.
Apply for a paintball marker permit
Players under 18 years old
Provided they have written consent from a parent or guardian, any child aged 12 years and over can play paintball at an authorised venue, using the paintball markers supplied by that venue.
People under the age of 18 cannot own a paintball marker.
Safety training
The NSW paintball marker safety training course addresses the safe use of paintball markers and the safe conduct of activities associated with paintball markers.
You must have completed the NSW Paintball Marker Safety Training course if you are:
- applying for a Paintball Marker Permit, or
- a new employee supervising paintball games at an authorised venue unless holding a Paintball Marker Permit.
Existing supervisors who have previously completed the NSW Police General Firearms Course for Long Arms (as per legislative requirements) prior to 1 December 2021 do not need to complete the NSW paintball marker safety training course.
If your permit has expired for more than 90 days, your previous General Firearms Course for Long Arms will not be accepted and you will need to complete the NSW Paintball Marker Safety Training course.
To complete the NSW paintball marker safety training course, you can visit TAFE NSW.
If you're visiting a venue, you don’t need to complete an approved training course. However, the venue may provide you with a safety induction.
'Fit and proper' person
NSW Fair Trading will perform checks (including financial and police checks) to determine whether you are a suitable person to hold a permit.
For example, this means you:
- have not been convicted of a relevant offence in the last 10 years under the Paintball Act 2018, the regulations, or another Act administered by the Minister responsible for NSW Fair Trading
- are not a mentally incapacitated person
- are not an undischarged bankrupt (including a body corporate or a director of a body corporate)
- are not a member of, or regularly associate with, members of a declared criminal organisation.
Suspended or cancelled permits
Disciplinary action can include suspension or cancellation of a permit, issuing a notice to show cause, giving cautions, imposing conditions on a permit, or disqualifying someone from holding a permit. This may happen in several circumstances, including when a permit holder has:
- failed to follow a condition of a permit
- engaged in improper or unethical conduct which indicated the holder is unfit to hold a permit
- not complied with the Paintball Act 2018 and Paintball Regulation 2024.
Ask a question
If you need help with your application or have a question, please call 13 32 20.