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Firearms Risk Assessments
Have you been asked to get a risk assessment as part of your firearms application or renewal? Regenerative Psychology provides fast and effective assessments of risk which may help you with licensing.
Firearm ownership in New South Wales (NSW) is highly regulated, with some of the strictest gun control laws in the world. These laws were introduced after events like the 1996 Port Arthur Massacre, which led to significant changes in how firearms are managed across Australia.
A key part of these reforms is the firearms risk assessment, a process to assess psychological risk to self or others. Anyone applying for a firearms licence may be asked to complete an assessment. This is particularly common when there are histories of mental health, forensic issues, and risk to self or others.
You need an assessment because…
You have applied for a licence, either for recreation, work, or property management.
You may have applied for a new licence or a licence renewal and have been asked to obtain a “Firearms Risk Assessment” from a psychologist. This may have occurred because you:
- have previously been diagnosed or sought treatment for a mental health condition
- have a history of suicidal ideation / self-harm
- have been incarcerated, or temporarily in custody
- have other reasons why risk may be an issue
NSW takes firearms risk very seriously.
After previous incidents in which individuals gained firearms while posing risks to self or others changes were made to allow the Firearms Registry of NSW to request risk assessments. The goal of this is to keep people safe, though it is acknowledged that this means many people who may not pose a risk are still required to obtain assessments due to previous experiences, or risk factors identified by statisticians etc.
We note that mental health conditions do not automatically indicate risk to self or others. This has also been demonstrated in court settings. This being said, mental health, previous self-harm / suicidality and violence reflect a higher statistical probability of risk which does benefit from consideration.
How it Works
01.
Letter from the registry
You will be issued a letter from the NSW Firearms Registry with instructions to engage in an assessment.
02.
GP Referral
As part of the process you will need to receive a referral from your GP. This will include a history, medication, and request for service.
03.
Book the assessment
Get in touch with us via phone (02 5016 1101) or book online.
04.
The Assessment Process
You will be asked to complete a consent form, participate in an interview (50 minutes), and complete relevant questionnaires.
05.
Report provided to Registry
Following this, the assessing psychologist will write a comprehensive report to provide to the registry
