New Queensland Ammo Laws: What You Need to Know About Licence Checks in 2025

If you're planning to buy ammunition in Queensland, there’s a new legal step you need to be aware of. As of July 2025, Queensland law now requires all firearms licence holders to have their licence electronically verified before any small arms ammunition sale can go ahead — both in-store and online.

These changes were introduced under the updated Explosives Act 1999 and form part of the Queensland Government’s Community Safety Reforms. Here's what it means for you.

What’s Changed?
Whether you’re buying a box of .22LR for rabbits or stocking up on centrefire for the next trip out west, you’ll now need to have your Weapons Licence checked through an official government verification system. This applies to all rimfire, centrefire, and shotgun ammunition sales in QLD.

How the Process Works
Before we can complete any ammo sale, we’re legally required to:

Enter your licence number and expiry date into the Queensland Police online verification tool.Confirm that your licence status is either "Issued" or "Renewal Pending."If your licence status can’t be verified — or comes back as expired, suspended, or revoked — we legally cannot sell you ammunition.
This check takes just a few seconds when everything’s working as expected.

What If the System Is Down?
If the verification portal is offline (e.g. during a network outage), we can still process the sale — but we must manually record:

Your full name and address
Your licence number and expiry date
The date/time of the sale
Ammunition type and quantity
The state or territory that issued your licence
This info is logged securely and used only to meet legal requirements.

Why the Change?
These new laws are designed to ensure that only current, valid licence holders can purchase ammunition. It’s part of a broader push by the Queensland Government to strengthen community safety without overburdening responsible firearms owners.

What You Need to Do
There’s no new paperwork or special application needed. Just bring your current QLD Weapons Licence (or interstate/visitor permit) when buying ammo. We’ll take care of the rest — whether you’re buying in-store or online through our website.

Make sure your licence is current (check the expiry date).
Update your contact details with Weapons Licensing if your info or circumstances have changed.

Need Help or Have Questions?
We’re here to make things easy. If you’re unsure about your licence status, how the verification works, or what’s needed to buy ammo under the new laws, give us a call or drop into the shop.

At Townsville Gun Shop, we’re committed to helping our customers keep things compliant — while also keeping things simple for Queensland’s firearms community.