Gun laws of Australia

Firearms restriction in Australia are predominantly within the jurisdiction of Australian states and territories, with the importation of guns regulated by the federal government. In the last two decades of the 20th century, following several high-profile killing sprees, the federal government coordinated more restrictive firearms legislation with all state governments.

Gun laws were largely aligned in 1996 by the National Firearms Agreement. In two federally funded gun buybacks and voluntary surrenders and State Governments' gun amnesties before and after the Port Arthur Massacre, more than a million firearms were collected and destroyed, possibly a third of the national stock. Since then the Agreement has continued to have support from both Labor and Coalition Federal Governments as of 2024.

A person must have a firearm licence to possess or use a firearm. Licence holders must demonstrate a "genuine reason" (which does not include self-defence) for holding a firearm licence and must not be a "prohibited person". All firearms must be registered by serial number to the owner.

In December 2023 National Cabinet agreed to implement a national firearms register within four years.

Since the 1996 Port Arthur Massacre, Australia has implemented strict gun control measures under the National Firearms Agreement, significantly improving public safety. However, the number of registered firearms has increased by approximately 25% over nearly three decades. Concerns remain over illicit firearms, including emerging threats such as 3D-printed guns, amid limited comprehensive data on their prevalence. Efforts to strengthen firearm regulation continue in response to evolving challenges.