NSW will participate in the National Gun Buyback Scheme from 2 November 2026
New South Wales will be the first state to commence the Commonwealth Government’s National Gun Buyback Scheme, with both governments agreeing to share the costs of the buyback 50:50.
The Buyback Scheme will be implemented in phases in New South Wales, with Phase 1 commencing 2 November 2026. It will provide compensation for eligible firearms affected by firearm limits and classification changes introduced under the Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2025, and ammunition.
The NSW Government will provide further information on eligibility, compensation arrangements and participation in due course, on this webpage and through direct contact with licensed firearm owners.
Phase 1 of the NSW Buyback Scheme will include a fixed price schedule for individual licence holders, who are above the new legal limit for their licence, to return their firearms in exchange for fair compensation.
| Gun type | Gun sub-type | Payment under the Buyback Scheme |
| Handgun | Revolver | $1,000 |
| Semi-automatic | $850 | |
| Shotgun | Double barrel | $850 |
| Single barrel | $650 | |
| Rifle | Rimfire | $600 |
| Centrefire | $1,000 | |
| Air rifle | $450 |
Phase 2 of the NSW Buyback Scheme, commencing in early 2027, will provide a pathway to compensation, for a fee, for eligible higher-value firearms with an indicative market value above $3,000, capped at $10,000 per firearm.
NSW Government firearm reforms
Following the antisemitic terrorist attack at Bondi Beach on 14 December 2025, the NSW Government introduced the Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2025 which includes the toughest firearm reforms in a generation.
Key elements of the reforms include capping and restricting the number and type of firearms a person can own, strengthening checks on people seeking to own firearms and reducing the licence period from five years to two.
These firearms reforms strengthen oversight, reduce risk and help keep the community safe.
The Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2025 will:
- Prohibit firearms which can use belt fed ammunition, and exclude them from licence categories C and D.
- Classify straight pull/pump action firearms and button/lever release firearms as category C firearms.
- Classify semi-automatic air guns as category B firearms.
- Impose magazine capacity limits of 5 or 10 rounds for relevant category A firearms, and 10 rounds for centre-fire rifles (other than self-loading) under category B firearms.
These provisions are not yet in force and will commence on proclamation on date/s to be determined.
The NSW Government is also investing more than $42.8 million over 10 years into the NSW Firearms Registry, including additional staff and system upgrades to support the implementation of these reforms and the Buyback Scheme.
The Buyback Scheme is informed by the Interim Report of the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion’s recommendations to prioritise efforts to finalise and implement an updated and nationally consistent National Firearms Agreement (Recommendation 13) and Buyback Scheme (Recommendation 14).
Industry support
The Buyback Scheme in NSW will also provide financial assistance for businesses and industry to adjust to the reforms.
This industry support package will launch alongside Phase 1 of the Buyback Scheme on 2 November 2026.
It will include:
- Up to $25,000 in business support grants for eligible businesses and dealers
- One-off licence fee relief for eligible gun dealers in NSW, worth $500 over two years per dealer.
- Advisory support for all gun dealers and businesses in NSW.
More information about support for dealers and businesses will be released in the coming weeks.
The NSW Small Business Commission will host a roundtable to provide information to eligible businesses and dealers about the industry support grants and other support available. As part of the roundtable, the Commission will engage with small businesses to understand the impact of this change and their needs for support during the transition.
Frequently asked questions
Who can participate in Phase 1 commencing 2 November 2026:
- Licence and permit holders whose firearms can no longer be held because:
- the firearms are prohibited or reclassified,
- the number of firearms they own are above the new limits (the 4- or 10-gun limits)
- they do not meet the Australian citizenship requirement (exceptions apply)
More details on Phase 2 of the Buyback Scheme will be announced in due course.
The National Gun Buyback Scheme will be delivered in NSW across phases.
The Scheme will commence on 2 November 2026 and is expected to initially run for 12 months. During the first phase, compensation will be available through a fixed price schedule for eligible firearms affected by the new ownership limits and firearm classification changes, and ammunition.
Commencing in early 2027, the second phase will provide a pathway for compensation, for a fee, for eligible higher-value firearms with an indicative market value above $3,000 with payments capped at $10,000 per firearm. It will also involve further support for affected industry.
Further information on eligibility, participation, compensation arrangements and on Phase 2 of the scheme will be published in due course.
The NSW Government will provide further information on eligibility, compensation arrangements and participation in due course.
The NSW Government will provide further information on eligibility, compensation arrangements and participation in due course.
NSW Police Force website has information about the current Amnesty.
Yes. Phase 1 of the National Gun Buyback Scheme will provide a flat fee to licence holders for ammunition surrendered alongside eligible firearms. Further information will be provided in due course.
The Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2025 will:
- Prohibit firearms which can use belt fed ammunition, and exclude them from Categories C and D.
- Classify straight pull/pump action firearms and button/lever release firearms as Category C firearms.
- Classify semi-automatic air guns as a Category B firearms.
- Impose magazine capacity limits of 5 or 10 rounds for relevant category A firearms, and 10 rounds for centre-fire rifles (other than self-loading) under category B firearms.
These provisions are not yet in force and will commence on proclamation on date/s to be determined.
The Amendment Act will limit the number of firearms that can be possessed and used by a licensee as follows:
- for a licensee who possesses or uses firearms for the genuine reason of sport/target shooting, vertebrate pest animal control or business or employment—no more than 10 firearms, or the number of firearms approved by the Commissioner in accordance with the regulations (whichever is greater),
- for a licensee who possesses and uses firearms for the genuine reason of primary production, occupational requirements relating to rural purposes or animal welfare – no more than 10 firearms,
- no more than 10 firearms for a person who is a member of a class of persons prescribed by the regulations,
- otherwise a limit of 4 firearms.
The single highest number applying to the licence holder (from the list above) is the licensee’s limit across all categories and all genuine reasons.
There is no limitation for a firearms dealer licence or firearms collector licence.
| Genuine reason for firearms licence | Firearms limit |
| Sport/target shooting | 10, or number approved by the Commissioner, whichever is greater |
| Vertebrate pest animal control | |
| Business or employment | |
| Primary production | 10 |
| Occupational requirements relating to rural purposes | |
| Animal welfare | |
| Other (i.e. recreational hunting/vermin control) | 4 |
| Other licence holders | |
| Firearms collector | No limit |
| Firearms dealer | No limit |
Category A
Currently, for category A firearms, there are no magazine capacity limits in place. Once commenced, the Amendment Act will insert the following magazine capacity limits - in bold below:
Firearms to which the licence applies:
- air rifles (other than self-loading)with a magazine capacity of no more than 10 rounds
- rimfire rifles (other than self-loading, pump action, straight pull, button/lever release) with a magazine capacity of no more than 10 rounds
- shotguns (other than pump action, straight pull, button/lever release, lever action or self-loading) with a magazine capacity of no more than 5 rounds
- shotgun/rimfire rifle combinations that do not have a magazine
- shotgun/rimfire rifle combinations with a magazine capacity of no more than 5 rounds.
Category B
Currently, for category B firearms, only lever action shotguns have a magazine capacity limit. Once commenced, the Amendment Act will:
- Insert a magazine capacity limit to centre-fire rifles (other than self-loading) – in bold below, and
- Reclassify semi-automatic air guns as category B firearms – in bold below:
Firearms to which the licence applies:
- muzzle-loading firearms (other than pistols)
- centre-fire rifles (other than self-loading) with a magazine capacity of no more than 10 rounds
- shotgun/centre-fire rifle combinations
- lever action shotguns with a magazine capacity of no more than 5 rounds
- semi-automatic air guns.
Category C
Currently, category C firearms have magazine capacity limits in place as shown below. There are no changes to category C firearm magazine capacity limits under the Amendment Act.
Once commenced, the Amendment Act will reclassify straight pull/pump action firearms and button/lever release firearms as category C firearms - in bold below:
Firearms to which the licence applies:
- straight pull/pump action firearms (rimfire rifles, centre-fire rifles and shotguns)
- button/lever release firearms (rimfire rifles, centre-fire rifles and shotguns)
- self-loading rimfire rifles with a magazine capacity of no more than 10 rounds
- self-loading shotguns with a magazine capacity of no more than 5 rounds
- pump action shotguns with a magazine capacity of no more than 5 rounds.
Schedule 1 Prohibited Firearms
The Amendment Act will prohibit firearms which can use belt or link ammunition sources and exclude them from licence categories C and D.
Schedule 1 Prohibited Firearms
Item 19 Any firearm that can use any of the following ammunition sources outside of a detachable or fixed magazine—
(a) a link ammunition source,
(b) a belt ammunition source,
(c) an ammunition source that is similar to a link or belt ammunition source.
Following the deadly antisemitic terrorist attack at Bondi Beach on 14 December 2025, National Cabinet agreed to strengthen gun laws across Australia to help keep communities safe. The NSW Government passed the Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2025 on 24 December 2025, which includes stronger firearm ownership limits, firearm classification changes and enhanced licensing requirements.
The National Gun Buyback Scheme is integral in the implementation of these reforms by providing compensation for affected firearm owners along with financial assistance for affected businesses and industry.
The National Gun Buyback Scheme supports NSW's strengthened firearms laws by reducing the number of affected firearms in circulation and supporting the implementation of new ownership limits and firearm classification changes. The NSW Government estimates that up to 274,000 registered firearms may be affected by these reforms.
Following the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, the Australian Government introduced new firearm reforms and a national buyback scheme that removed more than 700,000 firearms from circulation. Evidence examining those reforms found that there were 13 mass shootings in the 18 years before the reforms and none in the two decades afterwards. The reforms were also associated with accelerated declines in firearm deaths, particularly firearm suicides. While many factors can influence these outcomes, the evidence suggests that stronger firearm controls can improve community safety.