A recent Stock & Land article (paywall) highlighting lengthy firearms licensing delays has drawn attention to an issue that SSAA Victoria has been raising for some time.
To its credit, Victoria Police Licensing and Regulation Division (LRD) is transparent about its processing times. As at 27 July 2026, LRD advises it is processing:
| Application Type | Processing Applications Submitted |
| New Firearm Licence Applications | 18 March 2026 |
| Firearm Licence Renewal Applications | 27 May 2026 |
| Online Permit to Acquire | 13 July 2026 |
| Manual Permit to Acquire | 13 July 2026 |
| Import Permits | 13 July 2026 |
Those delays are plainly unacceptable.
The encouraging part is that we know Victoria Police can do much better. There have been periods in recent years where applications were processed far more quickly. This is not an inherent failure of the licensing system or of the Licensing and Regulation Division itself. It is a resourcing problem.
Our understanding is that LRD is currently operating at around 50 per cent of the staffing levels required to provide an efficient service, with no realistic prospect of that improving in the short to medium term. The staff deserve credit for continuing to perform a critical public safety function under those circumstances.
Unfortunately, the Victorian Government’s response to the Stock & Land article misses the point. The Government stated:
“This year’s budget delivers more than $38 million to strengthen Victoria’s firearms licensing framework, including upgrades to licensing systems that will deliver more modern and efficient processes for Victoria Police.”
While technically accurate, it is largely irrelevant to the issue being discussed. That funding is directed primarily towards implementing the National Firearms Register and associated information technology projects. Those investments may eventually deliver some efficiency gains, but they will not address the cause of today’s delays.
The current delays are the result of insufficient staffing.
Equally disappointing was the Victorian Farmers Federation’s proposed solution. Rather than calling for a properly resourced licensing system that delivers timely outcomes for everyone, the VFF has argued that farmers should simply receive priority processing because firearms are important to their business. That is a remarkably narrow and self-interested position.
Firearms are undoubtedly essential tools for many primary producers. They are also essential for professional pest controllers, commercial wildlife controllers, firearms instructors, security personnel, authorised conservation volunteers and many other Victorians. Recreational hunters, competitive shooters and collectors are equally entitled to expect that applications they have lodged, and fees they have paid, will be processed within a reasonable timeframe.
The answer to a broken system is not deciding whose application matters more. Creating a priority queue for one group does not reduce waiting times. It simply transfers those delays onto someone else. If a wait of several months is unacceptable for farmers (and we agree that it is), it is equally unacceptable for every lawful applicant.
The actual solution is straightforward. Provide the Licensing and Regulation Division with the staffing resources it needs to process applications promptly while maintaining the rigorous assessment standards Victorians rightly expect.
Until that happens, arguments about who should go to the front of the queue miss the real issue. The priority should be ensuring the Licensing and Regulation Division has the resources it needs to deliver timely outcomes for every lawful applicant.
