Before you apply

Firearms licence holders need a special endorsement to possess and use a pistol. Check what the endorsement allows you to do, who can apply and what you need to provide in your application.

Firearms Registry requirements
When you need an endorsement
Who is eligible to apply for an endorsement
How long a pistol target shooting endorsement lasts
How much it costs
Information you need to provide in your application
Information your club must provide
When you have an endorsement, you are eligible to apply for a permit

Firearms Registry requirements

If you’re applying for or reapplying for a firearms licence or endorsement, you must register all items in your possession within 30 days of submission, including any items for which you hold a permit.

When you need an endorsement

To participate in pistol target shooting you must have an endorsement to possess pistols in your capacity as a member of an incorporated pistol club, that holds a certificate of approval issued by the Chief Executive.

Who is eligible to apply for an endorsement

To apply, you must:  

be aged 16 or over  
be a member of an incorporated pistol club that holds a certificate of approval issued by the Arms Officer 
have a New Zealand firearms licence, or be applying for one.

How long a pistol target shooting endorsement lasts

An endorsement lasts until: 

your firearms licence expires or is surrendered or revoked 
your endorsement is surrendered or revoked 
if you stop being a member of an incorporated pistol club that holds a certificate of approval issued by the Arms Officer, you need to tell us.

Your endorsement will be revoked as you no longer meet the criteria.

How much it costs

Application fees:

apply for an endorsement – $204
apply for other endorsements at the same time, you only pay $204 in total.

This endorsement fee is in addition to a firearms licence application fee.

Endorsement application fee reminder (two options - pay once)

There are two options to pay your endorsement application fee, but you should only pay once:

• online through MyFirearms, OR
• at a NZ Post shop.

The easiest way to pay is through MyFirearms as part of an online endorsement application (Please note a 1.9% surcharge applies to card payments).

If you are not applying through MyFirearms, pay your application fee at a NZ Post shop.

Fees include GST, cover the cost of processing your application, and are not refundable, regardless of the outcome of your application.

Information you need to provide in your application

When you apply for an endorsement, you need to provide the following information: 

your firearms licence number 
your reasons for wanting to own and use pistols 
the details of your pistol club 
your personal background – for example, how long you have been a member of the club 
referee details 
security arrangements.

If it’s the first time you’re applying for this endorsement, you must also include evidence you have completed your club’s pistol safety training course. This includes passing the club’s training examination on safe use and possession of pistols and your obligations as a pistol target shooting endorsement holder.

You may have to answer the same questions in this application as when you applied for a firearms licence. We ask these questions again to make sure we have the latest information when we review your application. 

Referee details

Your endorsement referee must:

be aged 20 or over
be a new referee – not someone you have already used in your firearms licence application
know you well
be a club member (Secretary, President, committee member or trainer etc.) who has personally participated in your induction and training and observed your shooting a pistol in events on the club range. This person must provide a completed Confirmation and Recommendation form (FRM29NP) and comment on your safety at the club, competence, attitude to security and obligations. This person will complete the Club and National Association Confirmation and Recommendation form with your club.

Your endorsement referee must not be:

your relative, spouse, or partner, or a former spouse or partner from the past 5 years
your employee
employed by Firearms Safety and Education New Zealand
employed by New Zealand Police
living at the same address as you.

Security arrangements

For guidance on security for endorsed firearms, visit Storage and transportation of firearms and ammunition

Your security arrangements will be inspected.

If you do not have secure storage yet, you will not be allowed to take possession of the items until you have installed endorsement level security.

A photo – if you are applying only for an endorsement

If you are only applying for an endorsement, and not a licence, you must provide a photo.

You must supply a recent, good quality digital photograph that is a good likeness of yourself. A scanned copy of a photograph will not be accepted.

The photograph must meet the minimum requirements. Passport photos from commercial outlets will typically meet these requirements.

This means the photograph must:

have been taken within the last 12 months
be a full front view of your face – chin to forehead and both sides of your face
show head and shoulders, with the head filling most of the photograph
be of you without a hat or head covering (except where your religion requires you to wear a hat or head covering)
have a plain, light-coloured background
be in colour and in focus
be in portrait format (with a 4:3 aspect ratio)
be in JPG or JPEG format
be between 25KB and 10MB
be between 900 and 4500 pixels wide and 1200 and 6000 pixels high.

We will not accept photographs that do not meet these standards.

Information your club must provide

Your club must complete their portion of the Club and National Association Confirmation and Recommendation form. Your application will not be processed until Firearms Safety and Education New Zealand receives this completed form.

Ask your club to complete the form:

FRM29NP - Club and National Association confirmation and recommendation
If your club is affiliated with Pistol New Zealand, the club must send the form to them:

Pistol New Zealand website
Pistol New Zealand verify the information and send Firearms Safety and Education NZ the completed form.

Note: If your club is not affiliated with Pistol New Zealand, your club will send the form directly to Firearms Safety and Education New Zealand.

When you have an endorsement, you are eligible to apply for a permit

Once you have the endorsement, you are eligible to apply for permits to acquire pistols, pistol carbine conversion kits, pistol parts or large capacity pistol magazines for pistol target shooting.