How long does it take for a gun license to be approved in South Africa?

It’s not unheard of that firearm license applications can take over a year to be approved. How true is that? I took the time to search online for as many firearm application stories as I could. Then I built a database of 200 of the most recent firearm license approvals. Using that information, I hope to give a more accurate answer to how long it takes to get a firearm license.

Firearm licenses take an average of 142 calendar days to be approved, according to a survey of 197 of the most recent firearm applications. The quickest application took 32 days, and the longest application took 306 calendar days. The time a firearm license takes to get approved depends mainly on the type of application.

I took my analysis a step further. I broke the license applications into categories of licenses to find out if one category of license or firearm type takes longer than another, and here’s what I found:

Firearm and Application	No. of applications I analyzed	Average Days	Min.	Max.
Handgun Self-Defense	53	132	72	235
Handgun – Occasional Sport	10	145	72	190
Handgun – Dedicated Sport	28	120	90	177
Manual Rifle – Occasional Hunting / Sport	18	142	32	198
Manual Rifle – Dedicated Hunting / Sport	26	167	86	208
Pump Action Shotgun	21	150	93	206
Semi-Auto Shotgun	8	138	99	209
Semi-Auto Rifle	33	142	96	306
All Applications Types (Average):		142	80	216

How long does it take to get a firearm license for a handgun in South Africa?

Out of the 197 firearm license applications that I analyzed, 53 of them were handguns applied for under “Section 13: Self Defense”. This seems to be the majority of applications, making sense as most people will use this firearm for self-defense and occasional sports shooting.

According to 197 of the most recent firearm license applications submitted and approved by SAPS, firearm license applications for a handgun take on average 136 days to be approved from the date of the application. The quickest application took 72 days, and the longest application took 204 days to be approved.

This is averaged out of all handgun application types, which include “Section 13: Self Defense”, “Section 15: Occasional Sport Shooting”, and “Section 16: Dedicated Sport Shooting”. Let’s look at how long these different license categories for handguns usually take.

How long does it take to get a license for a handgun for self-defense in South Africa?

53 out of the 69 firearm license applications for a handgun were for self-defense. This is the largest group of firearm license application types out of the 200 that I analyzed.

The average firearm license application for a handgun for self-defense in South Africa takes 132 days or just over four months. The quickest application took 72 days to be approved, while the longest application took 230 days, based on an analysis of 197 of the most recent firearm applications submitted to SAPS in 2019 and 2020.

Applicant:	Application Type:	Firearm:	Date Applied:	Date Approved:	Number of days:
Ta***nt	Sec. 13	Handgun	10-Oct-2019	4-Feb-2020	117
Jua***odup	Sec. 13	Handgun	25-Sept-2019	5-Feb-2020	133
Juan***up	Sec. 13	Handgun	25-Sept-2019	5-Feb-2020	133
The***V	Sec. 13	Handgun	6-Nov-2019	2-Mar-2020	117
AB***om	Sec. 13	Handgun	6-Nov-2019	5-Mar-2020	120
AB***m	Sec. 13	Handgun	6-Nov-2019	5-Mar-2020	120
ea***ms	Sec. 13	Handgun	25-Oct-2019	1-Apr-2020	159
D******G	Sec. 13	Handgun	7-Jan-2020	15-May-2020	129
jvr***urg	Sec. 13	Handgun	6-Jan-2020	20-May-2020	135
Nul***egral	Sec. 13	Handgun	21-Feb-2020	15-Jun-2020	115
Ru***ne	Sec. 13	Handgun	26-Nov-2019	11-Jul-2020	228
Jo****M	Sec. 13	Handgun	7-Jan-2020	29-Jul-2020	204
Ds******J	Sec. 13	Handgun	8-Jun-2020	24-Aug-2020	77
le*****n	Sec. 13	Handgun	10-Jan-2020	1-Sept-2020	235
Ne*****23	Sec. 13	Handgun	7-Jul-2020	4-Nov-2020	120
Ma****	Sec. 13	Handgun	25-Mar-2020	10-Nov-2020	230 (Longest)
El****c	Sec. 13	Handgun	5-Jun-2020	10-Nov-2020	158
F*****k	Sec. 13	Handgun	19-Jun-2020	10-Nov-2020	144
B*****d3	Sec. 13	Handgun	9-Jun-2020	20-Nov-2020	164
St*******01	Sec. 13	Handgun	15-Jul-2020	4-Jan-2021	173
m****de	Sec. 13	Handgun	2-Sept-2019	20-Feb-2020	171
Stev****d01	Sec. 13	Handgun	1-Oct-2019	24-Jan-2020	115
Kwagga78	Sec. 13	Handgun	13-Sept-2019	25-Jan-2020	134
Ne****dw	Sec. 13	Handgun	10-Oct-2019	30-Jan-2020	112
Adam****d	Sec. 13	Handgun	18-Oct-2019	30-Jan-2020	104
S****dw	Sec. 13	Handgun	6-Aug-2019	21-Jan-2020	168
Andre****dHug****d	Sec. 13	Handgun	1-Aug-2019	13-Dec-2019	134
D****dD	Sec. 13	Handgun	5-Aug-2019	19-Nov-2019	106
M****dJ	Sec. 13	Handgun	25-Jun-2019	17-Dec-2019	175
St****dn	Sec. 13	Handgun	16-Sept-2019	15-Jan-2020	121
wernervos47	Sec. 13	Handgun	5-Aug-2019	25-Nov-2019	112
M****dley	Sec. 13	Handgun	27-Aug-2019	13-Dec-2019	108
K****To	Sec. 13	Handgun	7-Jun-2019	4-Oct-2019	119
Ne***ik	Sec. 13	Handgun	14-Jun-2019	7-Oct-2019	115
To***iger	Sec. 13	Handgun	24-Jun-2019	1-Oct-2019	99
Za***as	Sec. 13	Handgun	6-Mar-2019	22-Jul-2019	138
Ale****T97	Sec. 13	Handgun	21-Feb-2019	30-May-2019	98
Sli***ie	Sec. 13	Handgun	28-Feb-2019	3-Jun-2019	95
Bi*ck ***41	Sec. 13	Handgun	5-Feb-2019	21-May-2019	105
Nj***ms	Sec. 13	Handgun	28-Dec-2018	2-May-2019	125
Ma***sT	Sec. 13	Handgun	12-Mar-2019	23-May-2019	72 (Quickest)
Eti***DH	Sec. 13	Handgun	19-Feb-2019	29-May-2019	99
Alexa****97	Sec. 13	Handgun	21-Feb-2019	30-May-2019	98
El***ar	Sec. 13	Handgun	28-Jan-2019	10-May-2019	102
Mr***g88	Sec. 13	Handgun	12-Jan-2019	6-May-2019	114
Vic***88	Sec. 13	Handgun	13-Dec-2018	5-Apr-2019	113
drie***8	Sec. 13	Handgun	1-Oct-2018	19-Mar-2019	169
W***ey	Sec. 13	Handgun	15-Nov-2018	20-Mar-2019	125
co****p	Sec. 13	Handgun	30-Oct-2018	28-Mar-2019	149
Willi****lman	Sec. 13	Handgun	9-Jan-2019	25-Apr-2019	106
awes***imus	Sec. 13	Handgun	14-Nov-2018	26-Mar-2019	132
shi***25	Sec. 13	Handgun	9-Nov-2018	14-Mar-2019	125
M****th	Sec. 13	Handgun	30-Jan-2019	16-May-2019	106
				Average Calendar Days:	132
				Months	4.4

How long does it take to get a license for a handgun for occasional sport shooting in South Africa?

Out of the 69 firearm license applications submitted for handguns, only 10 were submitted under “Section 15: Occasional Sport Shooting”. “Section 15: Occasional Sport Shooting” licenses do not require that you have “Dedicated Sport shooting Status”, making it a practical option to obtain a second handgun, where perhaps your “Section 13: Self-Defense” handgun is too small for sports shooting.

Based on the analysis of 197 recent firearm license applications, the average firearm license application for a handgun for occasional sport shooting takes around 134 calendar days to be approved. The quickest application took only 72 days, while the longest one took 139 days.

Applicant:	Application Type:	Firearm:	Date Applied:	Date Approved:	Number of days:
Sla***ie	Sec. 15	Handgun	22-Oct-2019	19-Feb-2020	120
Bi***adow	Sec. 15	Handgun	17-Oct-2019	4-Mar-2020	139 (Longest)
corr***as	Sec. 15	Handgun	23-Dec-2019	4-Mar-2020	72 (Quickest)
Bis***arck	Sec. 15	Handgun	29-Jan-2020	6-Aug-2020	190
Bismar***941	Sec. 15	Handgun	29-Jan-2020	6-Aug-2020	190
ni***na	Sec. 15	Handgun	16-Mar-2020	26-Aug-2020	163
Brand***8	Sec. 15	Handgun	3-Jun-2019	1-Oct-2019	120
Bra***8	Sec. 15	Handgun	3-Jun-2019	1-Oct-2019	120
Li***n	Sec. 15	Handgun	18-Apr-2019	29-Jul-2019	102
Cra***ey	Sec. 15	Handgun	8-Dec-2018	9-Apr-2019	122
				Average Calendar Days:	134
				Months	4.5

How long does it take to get a license for a handgun for dedicated sport shooting in South Africa?

Out of the 69 firearm license applications for a handgun, 28 were submitted under “Section 16: Dedicated Sport Shooting”.

A firearm license application for a handgun under “Section 16: Dedicated Sport Shooting” takes around 148 days, or approximately 5 months, to be approved. The quickest application I found in this category took 90 days to be approved, while the longest application took 440 calendar days.

Applicant:	Application Type:	Firearm:	Date Applied:	Date Approved:	Number of days:
Mr***mith	Sec. 16	Handgun	10-Sept-2019	15-Jan-2020	127
El***r	Sec. 16	Handgun	2-Sept-2019	25-Jan-2020	145
Mo***S1	Sec. 16	Handgun	7-Oct-2019	6-Feb-2020	122
Baf***ers	Sec. 16	Handgun	1-Nov-2019	26-Feb-2020	117
Dan***pp	Sec. 16	Handgun	11-Nov-2019	4-Mar-2020	114
Mr***J	Sec. 16	Handgun	31-Oct-2019	5-Mar-2020	126
ban***080	Sec. 16	Handgun	25-Nov-2019	13-Mar-2020	109
B***llay	Sec. 16	Handgun	20-Nov-2019	27-May-2020	189
RI***AR	Sec. 16	Handgun	14-Jan-2020	25-Jun-2020	163
Ol***elly	Sec. 16	Handgun	18-Feb-2020	1-Sept-2020	196
Blac***adow	Sec. 16	Handgun	23-Mar-2020	23-Oct-2020	214
Greu***en	Sec. 16	Handgun	15-Jun-2020	1-Nov-2020	139
Bjo***	Sec. 16	Handgun	8-Jun-2020	16-Nov-2020	161
Lo***1	Sec. 16	Handgun	6-Aug-2020	28-Nov-2020	114
Jose***les	Sec. 16	Handgun	18-Jun-2020	15-Dec-2020	180
a****ddy	Sec. 16	Handgun	13-Sept-2019	13-Feb-2020	153
D****dJ	Sec. 16	Handgun	12-Sept-2019	24-Jan-2020	134
ky****ri	Sec. 16	Handgun	18-Jul-2019	30 Sept 2020	440 (Longest)
K****73	Sec. 16	Handgun	6-May-2019	30-Oct-2019	177
I****c	Sec. 16	Handgun	25-Apr-2019	31-Jul-2019	97
ad****y	Sec. 16	Handgun	3-May-2019	5-Aug-2019	94
B****X	Sec. 16	Handgun	25-Feb-2019	16-Jul-2019	141
N****da	Sec. 16	Handgun	29-Apr-2019	15-Aug-2019	108
M****HP	Sec. 16	Handgun	27-Feb-2019	19-Jun-2019	112
Bk****er	Sec. 16	Handgun	18-Dec-2018	3-May-2019	136
p****uw	Sec. 16	Handgun	3-Jan-2019	7-May-2019	124
m****c	Sec. 16	Handgun	10-Dec-2018	12-Apr-2019	123
An****K	Sec. 16	Handgun	9-Jan-2019	9-Apr-2019	90 (Shortest)
				Average Calendar Days:	148
				Months	4.9

How long does it take to get a firearm license for a manually operated rifle in South Africa?

Hunting and sports shooting are deeply engrained in South African culture and history. They are some of the most licensed firearms licensed in South Africa. Section 15 of the Firearms Control Act allows an individual to apply for a license for either a shotgun, handgun, or manual rifle for the purposes of occasional hunting or occasional sports shooting. Out of the 200 most recent applications that I analyzed, 33 are for manual rifles for sport shooting or hunting.

Based on 197 of the most recent firearm applications submitted to SAPS in 2019 and 2020, a firearm license for a manually operated rifle for hunting or sports shooting takes an average of 154 calendar days. Applications submitted under “Section 15: Occasional Hunting/Sport Shooting” take around 25 days quicker than those submitted under “Section: 16: Dedicated Hunting/Sport Shooting“.

There are two ways to license a manually operated rifle in South Africa. The first and the easiest way is under “Section 15: Occasional Hunting / Sports Shooting”, and the second is under “Section 16: Dedicated Hunting or Sports Shooting”.

How long does it take to get a license for a rifle for occasional hunting or sport shooting?

Out of the 44 firearm applications for manually operated rifles, 18 were applied for under “Section 15: Occasional Hunting or Sports Shooting”

A firearm license application for a manually operated rifle under “Section 15: Occasional Hunting / Shooting” takes around 143 days to be approved. The longest application took about 310 days, while the quickest application took a mere 32 calendar days.

Applicant:	Application Type:	Firearm:	Date Applied:	Date Approved:	Number of days:
Bj****81	Sec. 15	Manual Rifle	10-Jun-2019	13-Sept-2019	95
El****rger	Sec. 15	Manual Rifle	10-Apr-2019	13-Jul-2019	94
Ru****phV	Sec. 15	Manual Rifle	17-Apr-2019	6-Jul-2019	80
Da****G	Sec. 15	Manual Rifle	19-Feb-2019	20-Jul-2019	151
sim****mal	Sec. 15	Manual Rifle	18-Sept-2018	25-Jul-2019	310 (Longest)
K****aTo	Sec. 15	Manual Rifle	1-Mar-2019	11-Jun-2019	102
M****iusT	Sec. 15	Manual Rifle	12-Mar-2019	23-May-2019	72
Ch***D	Sec. 15	Manual Rifle	20-Dec-2019	21-Jan-2020	32 (Shortest)
rp***07	Sec. 15	Manual Rifle	25-Nov-2019	17-Mar-2020	113
th***er	Sec. 15	Manual Rifle	4-Nov-2019	20-May-2020	198
Av***M	Sec. 15	Manual Rifle	2-Dec-2019	25-May-2020	175
WC***G	Sec. 15	Manual Rifle	23-Dec-2019	25-Jun-2020	185
H***ou	Sec. 15	Manual Rifle	3-Mar-2020	1-Sept-2020	182
K***To	Sec. 15	Manual Rifle	17-Mar-2020	22-Sept-2020	189
Nev***3	Sec. 15	Manual Rifle	7-Jul-2020	4-Nov-2020	120
gl***son	Sec. 15	Manual Rifle	20-May-2020	23-Dec-2020	217
Lo****ds	Sec. 15	Manual Rifle	4-Jun-2019	26-Nov-2019	175
toxi****x	Sec. 15	Manual Rifle	8-Feb-2019	24-Apr-2019	75
				Average Calendar Days:	143
				Months	4.8

If possible, you should submit your application for a manually operated rifle under Section 15 because it is much easier to maintain. Suppose you have reached the maximum number of firearms you can license under Section 15 (Section 15 is limited to four firearms). In that case, you could apply for the license under Section 16.

How long does it take to get a license for a rifle for dedicated hunting or sport shooting?

Out of the 45 firearm applications for manually operated rifles, 26 of them were for “Section 16: Dedicated Sports Shooting”. To apply for a Section 16 license, you will need to first obtain “Dedicated Hunting or Sport Shooting Status” with an accredited association such as NHSA.

On average, a firearm license application for a manual rifle for “Section 16: Dedicated Sports Shooting” takes around 147 days, or 5 months, to be approved. The quickest application took 86 days to be approved, and the longest application took 208 calendar days.

Applicant:	Application Type:	Firearm:	Date Applied:	Date Approved:	Number of days:
Vir***an	Sec. 16	Manual Rifle	2-May-2019	1-Aug-2019	91
My***ni	Sec. 16	Manual Rifle	18-Nov-2019	23-Apr-2020	157
ah***ltz	Sec. 16	Manual Rifle	12-Nov-2019	13-May-2020	183
Riga***S	Sec. 16	Manual Rifle	11-Dec-2019	15-May-2020	156
go***of	Sec. 16	Manual Rifle	18-Dec-2019	18-May-2020	152
Mo***e***	Sec. 16	Manual Rifle	24-Feb-2020	28-Aug-2020	186
oaf***roll	Sec. 16	Manual Rifle	28-Feb-2020	16-Sept-2020	201
Bl***es	Sec. 16	Manual Rifle	20-Mar-2020	16-Sept-2020	180
h***nys	Sec. 16	Manual Rifle	11-May-2020	17-Sept-2020	129
C***W	Sec. 16	Manual Rifle	27-Feb-2020	22-Sept-2020	208 (Longest)
CZ***W	Sec. 16	Manual Rifle	27-Feb-2020	22-Sept-2020	208
Bo***ter	Sec. 16	Manual Rifle	8-Jun-2020	3-Nov-2020	148
El***ac	Sec. 16	Manual Rifle	5-Jun-2020	10-Nov-2020	158
glen***tson	Sec. 16	Manual Rifle	27-May-2020	20-Nov-2020	177
Kric***73	Sec. 16	Manual Rifle	28-May-2020	20-Nov-2020	176
Jose***ales	Sec. 16	Manual Rifle	18-Jun-2020	15-Dec-2020	180
ma****d980	Sec. 16	Manual Rifle	23-Jul-2019	17-Oct-2019	86 (Shortest)
To****c	Sec. 16	Manual Rifle	4-Jul-2019	12-Oct-2019	100
Ol****elly	Sec. 16	Manual Rifle	24-May-2019	2-Sept-2019	101
ja****er	Sec. 16	Manual Rifle	15-May-2019	9-Sept-2019	117
Gra****m12	Sec. 16	Manual Rifle	17-May-2019	4-Sept-2019	110
C****K	Sec. 16	Manual Rifle	26-May-2019	10-Sept-2019	107
kope****oos	Sec. 16	Manual Rifle	22-Jan-2019	9-May-2019	107
Rogu****eister	Sec. 16	Manual Rifle	23-Oct-2018	1-May-2019	190
PW****jager	Sec. 16	Manual Rifle	11-Dec-2018	25-Mar-2019	104
Lon*****nman	Sec. 16	Manual Rifle	12-Dec-2018	4-Apr-2019	113
				Average Calendar Days:	147
				Months	4.9

Interestingly, applications submitted under “Section 16: Dedicated Hunting or Sport Shooting” took on average 25 days longer than those submitted under “Section 15: Occasional Hunting or Sport Shooting”. 

Additionally, obtaining and maintaining “Dedicated Status” is more complicated and time-consuming than simply applying under “Section 15: Occasional Hunting or Sport Shooting”. Suppose you want to apply for a firearm license for a manually operated rifle such as a bolt action. In that case, I highly recommend that you submit your application under “Section 15: Occasional Hunting or Sports Shooting”.

How long does it take to get a firearm license for a shotgun in South Africa?

Out of the 200 applications that I analyzed, there were 29 applications for shotguns. Interestingly, the vast majority of the applications I analyzed were submitted under “Section 16: Dedicated Hunting or Sport Shooting”, even though pump-action shotguns are allowed under Section 15, which is a much easier license to obtain.

Shotguns may also be licensed under Section 13: Self Defense. However, there seem to be little to no shotguns being licensed for self-defense. This is most likely because, in South Africa, you can only license one firearm under this section, and the vast majority of people opt for a handgun. Let’s look at other types of applications for handguns and how long they take.

How long does it take to get a firearm license for a pump-action shotgun in South Africa?

After analyzing 197 of the most recent firearm applications submitted to SAPS, 21 of the most recent firearm applications for a pump-action shotgun took an average of 150 days to be approved from the date of the application. The quickest application took 86 days. The longest one took 319 days, which included an appeal process after the license was refused.

Applicant:	Application Type:	Firearm:	Date Applied:	Date Approved:	Number of days:
Lou***	Sec. 15	Shotgun	4-Mar-2020	22-Sept-2020	202
be****dz	Sec. 15	Shotgun	22-Aug-2019	23-Dec-2019	123
Jua***dup	Sec. 16	Shotgun	18-Oct-2019	13-Feb-2020	118
johndur***	Sec. 16	Shotgun	7-Nov-2019	5-Mar-2020	119
johnd***urand***	Sec. 16	Shotgun	7-Nov-2019	5-Mar-2020	119
mar***usk	Sec. 16	Shotgun	9-Dec-2019	13-Mar-2020	95
Da***G	Sec. 16	Shotgun	7-Jan-2020	15-May-2020	129
Alf***inson	Sec. 16	Shotgun	3-Mar-2020	4-Jun-2020	93
Tea***cam	Sec. 16	Shotgun	8-Nov-2019	11-Jun-2020	216
Josey***ales	Sec. 16	Shotgun	15-Jan-2020	13-Aug-2020	211
Mr***mith	Sec. 16	Shotgun	4-Jun-2020	16-Sept-2020	104
Deo***N	Sec. 16	Shotgun	13-Mar-2020	5-Oct-2020	206
De***_N	Sec. 16	Shotgun	13-Mar-2020	5-Oct-2020	206
Vu****dop	Sec. 16	Shotgun	8-Sept-2019	15-Jan-2020	129
St***	Sec. 16	Shotgun	30-Jul-2019	24-Oct-2019	86 (Quickest)
m***e	Sec. 16	Shotgun	20-Apr-2019	11-Oct-2019	174
D***ox	Sec. 15	Shotgun	8-Feb-2019	20-May-2019	101
p***w	Sec. 16	Shotgun	21-Nov-2018	4-Apr-2019	134
p***w	Sec. 16	Shotgun	21-Nov-2018	4-Apr-2019	134
L***an	Sec. 16	Shotgun	12-Dec-2018	4-Apr-2019	113
S***ak	Sec. 16	Shotgun	25-May-2018	9-Apr-2019	319 (Longest)
				Average Calendar Days:	149
				Months	4.9

How long does it take to get a firearm license for a semi-automatic (self-loading) shotgun in South Africa?

Out of the 29 applications submitted for shotguns, 8 of them were for semi-automatic shotguns. While you might think that a firearm application for a semi-automatic shotgun would take longer than a pump action, the numbers suggest otherwise.

Firearm license applications for semi-automatic shotguns take on average 138 days to be approved, which is around 12 days quicker than applications for pump-action shotguns. The longest application took 209 days, and the quickest application took 99 days to get approved.

Applicant:	Application Type:	Firearm:	Date Applied:	Date Approved:	Number of days:
Ju***dup	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Shotgun	18-Oct-2019	13-Feb-2020	118
Mr***J	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Shotgun	7-Nov-2019	17-Mar-2020	131
cor***as	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Shotgun	1-Jan-2020	28-Jul-2020	209 (Longest)
K***D	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Shotgun	7-May-2019	13-Sept-2019	129
B***X	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Shotgun	18-Feb-2019	11-Jul-2019	143
De***n	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Shotgun	28-Mar-2019	13-Aug-2019	138
P***z	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Shotgun	27-Mar-2019	14-Aug-2019	140
Wv***h	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Shotgun	27-Feb-2019	6-Jun-2019	99 (Quickest)
				Average Calendar Days:	138
				Months	4.6

How long does it take to get a firearm license for a semi-automatic rifle in South Africa?

Out of the 197 of the most recent applications I analyzed, 33 were for semi-automatic rifles. In South Africa, semi-automatic rifles can only be licensed under “Section 16: Dedicated Sport Shooting”. 

On average, a firearm license application under “Section 16: Dedicated Sport Shooting” for a semi-automatic rifle takes around 156 calendar days, or roughly five months to be approved. The quickest application took about 96 days to be approved, while the longest took 306 days.

Applicant:	Application Type:	Firearm:	Date Applied:	Date Approved:	Number of days:
pb***uw	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	10-Sept-2019	20-Jan-2020	132
La***o	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	10-Jul-2018	2-Feb-2020	572 (Longest)
will***yn	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	29-Oct-2019	6-Feb-2020	100
mike***llinge	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	1-Nov-2019	20-Feb-2020	111
pa***nb	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	8-Oct-2019	4-Mar-2020	148
Mr***J	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	7-Nov-2019	17-Mar-2020	131
Jua***odup	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	18-Oct-2019	22-May-2020	217
he***arais	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	15-Jan-2020	4-Jun-2020	141
Fla***et	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	18-Feb-2020	13-Jul-2020	146
Fla***jet	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	18-Feb-2020	13-Jul-2020	146
ni***urie	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	22-Jan-2020	27-Jul-2020	187
Fr***yB	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	17-Jan-2020	20-Aug-2020	216
Mr***mith	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	4-Jun-2020	2-Oct-2020	120
ma***wane	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	30-Jul-2020	3-Nov-2020	96 (Quickest)
Stev***	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	22-May-2020	30-Dec-2020	222
Pd****deez	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	23-Aug-2019	9-Jan-2020	139
Dv****dnt	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	9-Oct-2019	25-Jan-2020	108
spo****dolf	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	14-Oct-2019	30-Jan-2020	108
will****dyn	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	29-Oct-2019	6-Feb-2020	100
pbla****dw	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	10-Sept-2019	20-Jan-2020	132
be****dz	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	7-Oct-2019	24-Jan-2020	109
P****deez	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	23-Aug-2019	9-Jan-2020	139
F***l	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	18-Jun-2019	30-Sept-2019	104
Bj***81	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	1-Jun-2019	13-Sept-2019	104
G***Y	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	9-Apr-2019	6-Aug-2019	119
De***n	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	28-Mar-2019	13-Aug-2019	138
M***0	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	28-Mar-2019	17-Jul-2019	111
ch***its	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	26-Mar-2019	18-Jul-2019	114
Gv***	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	5-Apr-2019	19-Jul-2019	105
Jo***.e	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	25-Mar-2019	2-Jul-2019	99
V***op	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	10-Nov-2018	15-Apr-2019	156
W***ns	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	11-May-2018	13-Mar-2019	306
Av****2	Sec. 16	Semi-Auto Rifle	1-Aug-2018	16-Apr-2019	258
				Average Calendar Days:	156
				Months	5.2

To be allowed to apply for a semi-automatic rifle in South Africa, you first need to obtain “Dedicated Sports Shooting Status” from a recognized and approved shooting association. To maintain your dedicated status, you need to remain active by attending a minimum of shooting events every year and renewing your status with the organization you are a member of.

How long did your firearm license application take?

I find it interesting that some applications take as little as 32 days, while others can take up to a year to be approved. How long did yours take? Please let me know your experience by leaving a comment below. It will help other readers and will assist me in keeping this article as up-to-date as possible!