Firearms Licensing in Victoria: Categories, Genuine Reasons and Storage (2026)

Victoria licenses firearms under its own category structure, separate from the NSW A/B/C/D/H model, with a closed list of approved reasons for each category. Personal protection does not appear on any of those lists.

Jurisdiction scope: This page addresses firearms licensing under the law of Victoria only, verified 21 July 2026. It is general legal information, not legal advice about a specific licence application. Victoria's category structure is specific to this state and differs from NSW's; readers should not assume a category letter means the same thing in both states. Firearms licence applications in Victoria are assessed by Victoria Police.

Victoria's Own Category Structure

Unlike New South Wales' single A/B/C/D/H scheme, Victoria's Firearms Act 1996 sets out a longarm category system running from category A through E, at ss 9-16B, plus a separate structure for handgun licences. The Chief Commissioner "may licence a person to possess, carry or use registered category A longarms for the reason specified in the licence," and the same structure applies to category B under s 9(1)-(2), with s 9(3) and (4) also limiting how many category C and D longarms a licence may cover: generally no more than one rifle and one shotgun, although more than one category C shotgun may be licensed for clay target shooting if the Chief Commissioner is satisfied of a genuine need. This is a materially different structure from NSW's, and a reader should not assume that, for example, a Victorian category C longarm licence covers the same firearms or purposes as a NSW category C licence; the two states' category letters are not interchangeable.

Genuine Reasons: A Closed List, Never Including Self-Defence

Victoria does not use a single genuine-reason provision the way NSW does; instead, each licence category has its own closed list of approved reasons under a dedicated section. For a category A or B longarm, s 10(1) limits approved reasons to: sport or target shooting; hunting; primary production; the occupation of security guard or prison guard; and an official, commercial or prescribed purpose, or a purpose authorised by an Act or regulations. For a category C longarm, s 11(1) narrows the list further, to primary production, professional hunting, clay target shooting, an official, commercial or prescribed purpose, or holding a category C shotgun for a junior licence holder's clay target shooting, and separately requires the applicant to demonstrate "a genuine need to possess, carry or use a category C firearm which relates to the applicant's reason for requiring the licence and which cannot be satisfied by a category A or B firearm or by other means." None of these lists, for any category, includes personal protection, and the same is true of the equivalent lists governing categories D and E and handgun licences. Section 1(a)(i) of the Act goes further, describing a licensing system that "does not allow for self defence to be used as a reason for obtaining a licence to possess, carry or use a firearm."

Storage Requirements by Category

Firearms Act 1996 (Vic) s 121 sets the storage manner by reference to Schedule 4 of the Act. A firearm held under a longarm licence for a category A or B longarm must be stored "in the manner provided for in item 1 of Schedule 4," or an equally secure alternative approved by the Chief Commissioner, with a penalty of 60 penalty units (about $12,546 at the $209.10 penalty unit value that applies from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027) or 12 months' imprisonment for non-compliance. A firearm held under a handgun licence for a general-category handgun, or a longarm licence for a category C or D longarm, must be stored "in the manner provided for in item 2 of Schedule 4," or an equally secure alternative, with a higher penalty of 120 penalty units (about $25,092 at the same 2026-27 value) or 2 years' imprisonment. The same category-linked structure applies to stored cartridge ammunition. Full comparison with NSW's storage rule is in firearm storage laws in Australia.

The Same Exclusion Extends to Other Weapons in Victoria

Victoria is one of several Australian jurisdictions, alongside Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania, that extend the self-defence exclusion beyond firearms into general weapons law. Control of Weapons Act 1990 (Vic) s 6(3) defines the lawful excuses available for possessing a controlled weapon (a category that includes most knives) to include a lawful occupation, sport or the legitimate collection of weapons, "but does not include for the purpose of self-defence." Machetes are now classed as prohibited weapons rather than controlled weapons under s 3(1), so the stricter prohibited-weapon rules apply to them. A Victorian resident cannot rely on either the Firearms Act or the Control of Weapons Act to establish a lawful basis to possess a weapon, firearm or otherwise, for personal protection. Full detail on knife-specific law in Victoria is in knife laws in Australia.

Genuine Need Is Assessed by Victoria Police, Not Self-Certified

The genuine-reason and genuine-need tests described above are assessed by Victoria Police against the applicant's actual circumstances, not accepted on the applicant's say-so. An application must be supported by evidence appropriate to the reason claimed, current club membership for sport or target shooting, land ownership or occupation for primary production, or documented professional engagement for professional hunting. This page describes the statutory structure those assessments are made against; it does not describe how to prepare a specific application or how to present a specific applicant's circumstances to satisfy the test, which is a matter between the applicant and Victoria Police.

Why a Category C Application Requires More Than a Category A or B One

Section 11(1)(b) adds a requirement that does not appear in the category A or B test at s 10: the applicant must show "a genuine need to possess, carry or use a category C firearm which relates to the applicant's reason for requiring the licence and which cannot be satisfied by a category A or B firearm or by other means." This is a materially higher bar than simply falling within one of the approved reasons. A primary producer, for example, may be able to show primary production is their genuine reason under s 10 for a category A or B licence relatively straightforwardly, but obtaining a category C licence for the same underlying purpose requires the additional step of demonstrating that a category A or B firearm genuinely cannot do the job. This layered structure, a closed list of reasons plus an escalating necessity test for the more capable firearm categories, is part of how Victoria keeps its higher-capacity categories genuinely restricted in practice, not only on paper.

See the full 8-jurisdiction comparison on why self-defence is never a genuine reason for a firearms licence and the Australia weapons law hub. For neighbouring jurisdictions, see firearms licensing in New South Wales and knife laws in Australia.

This page provides general legal information about firearms licensing under the law of Victoria, verified 21 July 2026. It is not legal advice about a specific licence application, and it does not describe how to satisfy a genuine-reason test for any individual reader. Firearms licence applications in Victoria are assessed by Victoria Police. For advice about a specific application or charge, consult a legal practitioner admitted in Victoria.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Victoria use the same A/B/C/D/H firearms categories as NSW?

No. Victoria runs its own longarm category system, A through E, plus separate handgun categories, under Firearms Act 1996 (Vic) ss 9-16B. The category letters are not interchangeable with NSW's system.

Can I get a Victorian firearms licence for self-defence?

No. The approved reasons for every Victorian firearms licence category, set out in ss 10-16A, do not include personal protection, and s 1 of the Firearms Act 1996 states that self defence cannot be used as a reason for obtaining a firearms licence.

What is required for a Victorian category C longarm licence?

The applicant must show the licence is required for primary production, professional hunting, clay target shooting, an official, commercial or prescribed purpose, or holding a category C shotgun for a junior licence holder's clay target shooting, and must additionally demonstrate a genuine need that cannot be satisfied by a category A or B firearm.

What is the storage penalty for a Victorian handgun?

120 penalty units (about $25,092 at the $209.10 penalty unit value from 1 July 2026) or 2 years' imprisonment for a general-category handgun, or a category C or D longarm, under Firearms Act 1996 (Vic) s 121. A category A or B longarm carries a lower penalty of 60 penalty units (about $12,546) or 12 months.

Can I carry a knife in Victoria for self-defence if I can't get a firearm for it?

No. Control of Weapons Act 1990 (Vic) s 6(3) expressly excludes self-defence from the lawful excuses available for carrying a controlled weapon, which includes most knives.

Why does a Victorian category C licence require more than showing a genuine reason?

Section 11(1)(b) adds a further requirement that the applicant show a genuine need for a category C firearm specifically, one that cannot be met by a category A or B firearm. This is an additional, higher bar on top of the closed list of approved reasons.