As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve and change, the Licensing and Regulation Division (LRD) would like to thank our customers and stakeholders for their continued patience during this time.
To ensure we are addressing your needs efficiently and effectively as possible, we would like to remind you of the following –
Emailing applications
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we asked firearm/private security licence and registration renewal applicants to send applications via email to lrd@police.vic.gov.au. This will continue until further notice. When emailing your renewal application to us, please remember:
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Submit a single PDF attachment to the email. This will ensure we are able to process your application as quickly as possible and reduces the risk of your application becoming lost or separated.
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Only use clear and high-quality scans of your documents. Photographs of your documents will not be accepted as they cannot be easily processed.
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If you email your application, please do not submit your application via standard mail.
Applications lodged in hard copy
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Please ensure all your documents are A4 sized.
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Any smaller documents should be affixed to the first page of the application by a single staple.
Application status
We have recently included the status of current applications we are processing on the Victoria Police website for both firearms and private security. This is updated on a weekly basis and will be able to provide you with the most current information about your application. Please remember:
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Applications can take up to 28 days to process therefore we may not respond to any requests if your application was received by our office within this 28-day period.
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Private security business licence applications are more complex and require thorough review before a decision is made therefore it may take longer for us to get back to you. We appreciate your patience.
Phone service
As you know, the LRD phone lines have been temporarily suspended, however we are continuing to respond to email enquiries. We understand this can be an inconvenience however please be assured we endeavour to respond to all email enquiries as promptly as possible. Please remember:
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Sending multiple emails with the same request can congest our email system which results in longer response times.
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We encourage you to refer to the Victoria Police website – firearms and private security, in the first instance. There is information on the website which may be able to assist you in your enquiries.
Renewal payment notices
If you have been issued a renewal payment notice for a firearms or private security licence recently and have been unable to have your photo taken as a result of COVID-19 restrictions, no adverse action will be taken against your licence. Rather, we recommend you keep your payment notice safe and attend at a photo point as soon as it practicable for you to do so.
Those renewing their security licences should retain their payment notice for their own records. Please do not return this to LRD with your application.
Stage 4 restrictions
We are unable to advise if you are able to go hunting, target shooting, attend photo points or undertake security work during Stage 4 restrictions. You will need to direct Stage 4 restriction questions to the Department of Health and Human Services.
We encourage you to relay this information to both new and existing licence/registration holders in the private security and firearms industries. Again, thank you for your patience and understand during these tumultuous times. We appreciate your support.
UPDATE
The Licensing and Regulation Division (LRD) has identified an increase in the number of duplicate Permit to Acquire (PTA) applications that are being submitted. This means that applicants are either emailing their application to us and then forwarding the original via post or they are emailing, sending and contacting online dealers to lodge another application (usually within 14 days if they have not received their permits).This is causing delays in processing of applications as we need to perform additional checks to ensure that these applications are not duplicates.
It is preferred that you send your PTA applications via email or lodge it through a licensed firearm dealer via the Online Dealer System. In the event that you choose to send your PTA application via post, please ensure you do not email the same application in as well.
More information about LRD’s COVID-19 (Coronavirus) response can be found on the Victoria Police website – firearm industry news and if you have any questions, please email lrd@police.vic.gov.au.
