SAPS Directive clarifies that:
• Firearm owners in possession of a firearm for which the licence has expired will not be criminalized
• Firearm owners may apply for new licences without having to hand in their firearms to the Police for the duration of the application process
• Firearm owners must present the firearm for inspection and validation, together with copies of the expired licence to the designated firearms officer (DFO) at the nearest police station
• The DFO will issue a verification certificate where after the firearm owner may take his/her firearm home to store in an approved safe as per the Firearms Control Act
• The application for a license renewal on a lapsed firearm is the same as the application for a new firearm, including a valid competency certificate
• The directive also clarifies the handling of firearms from a deceased estate.
Read the full directive here: SAPS DIRECTIVES NEW LICENCE AGAINST LAPSED LICENCE
