To establish what the deceased held
Start with what the deceased was licensed to hold. The inventory, the notice to the Registrar and every later step are drawn from it.
| Document | Why / who |
|---|---|
| Copies of the deceased's firearm licences | Identify each firearm for the inventory. Gathered by the executor or the estate's attorney. |
| A record from the Central Firearms Registry | Establishes what was licensed to the deceased where licence copies are missing or incomplete. |
| The death certificate or death notice | Goes with the notice to the Registrar. |
Before appointment: a temporary authorisation
If someone must hold the firearms before the Master issues letters of executorship, they need a temporary authorisation issued under section 21 of the Firearms Control Act (Regulation 103(1)). An authorisation is limited to the purpose and period stated on it; it is not a substitute for a licence.
| Document | Why / who |
|---|---|
| Section 21 temporary authorisation, form SAPS 518 | Applied for by the executor nominated in the will or, where there is none, an heir, next of kin or close relative. It authorises possession of the deceased's firearms before appointment. |
On appointment: the notice to the Registrar
Within 14 days of appointment the executor notifies the Registrar of the Central Firearms Registry (Regulation 103(3)). The Registrar acknowledges within 30 days (Regulation 103(6)), and the executor reports progress at least every three months until every firearm is dealt with (Regulation 103(7)). File the acknowledgement and each report.
| Document | Why / who |
|---|---|
| The holder and the storage address | Named in the notice. The storage must meet Regulation 86: a licensed dealer, or a licensed heir under the executor's letter of consent. |
| The inventory | Every firearm in the estate, from the licence copies or the Registry record. |
| The letter of executorship | The Master's appointment of the executor. |
| The death notice | Identifies the deceased and the estate. |
| The beneficiaries | The heirs who stand to inherit the firearms. |
For storage: a licensed heir or a licensed dealer
Once appointed, the executor must keep the firearms and ammunition in storage that meets Regulation 86, or hand them to a licensed heir under a letter of consent (Regulation 103(2)). A family member or friend without a licence, permit or authorisation for the firearm may not hold it (sections 3 and 120(10)).
| Document | Why / who |
|---|---|
| The executor's letter of consent to a licensed heir | Gives the heir's licence particulars and the firearm's make, type, calibre and serial number. Filed with the heir's Designated Firearms Officer (Regulation 103(2)). |
| Form SAPS 539, permission to store a firearm under Regulation 86(4) | The form for storing another person's firearm; used with the letter of consent where a licensed heir stores for the estate. |
| The dealer's Firearms Safe Custody Register entry | Signed when the dealer receives the firearm, by the executor or, where a permitted transporter delivers, by its staff for the executor. It records the date, the executor's details and the firearm's make, type, calibre and serial number, and later the date of return, transfer or disposal (Regulation 37(3)). |
| The letter of executorship and the executor's identity document | Taken to the dealer with a copy of the deceased's licence and the death notice. Before appointment, the SAPS 518 authorisation takes the place of the letter. |
| The executor's written consent to a transporter | Needed before anyone moves the firearm for reward (Regulation 70(a)). |
| The custody receipt | Evidence of where each firearm is held. Keep it on the estate file. |
For each heir who keeps a firearm
An heir who wants to keep a firearm lodges these with the Designated Firearms Officer at a police station. The Central Firearms Registry decides the application, not the station or the executor. Until the licence is issued, the firearm stays in approved storage.
| Document | Why / who |
|---|---|
| Competency certificate | Shows the heir meets the requirements of section 9 of the Firearms Control Act, including the test on knowledge of the Act and practical training. No licence can be issued without it. A separate application with its own waiting time. |
| Licence application, form SAPS 271 | For the specific firearm being inherited, in the heir's own name. |
| Written motivation | Explains why the heir needs the firearm. Goes with the SAPS 271 application and the supporting documents the police station asks for. |
| Estate and firearm details | Supplied by the executor or the estate's attorney, as the application needs them. |
| A safe that meets SANS 953-1 | Regulation 86 requires a firearm not under the holder's direct control to be kept in one, or in a strongroom that meets SANS 953-2. |
To finalise the estate
How a firearm charge ranks in the liquidation and distribution account, and how the Master's examiner treats it, is not settled by any published directive on firearm storage; confirm with the Master's office concerned.
| Document | Why / who |
|---|---|
| The Registrar's notification that every firearm has been transferred | The executor may apply to the Master to finalise the estate only after receiving it (Regulation 103(9)). |
| Form SAPS 534, where a firearm is sold to a dealer | Records the transfer of ownership from the estate. |
| Vouchers for the liquidation and distribution account | One for each storage, transport and valuation charge paid by the estate. |
| The Registrar's acknowledgement and the progress reports | Evidence on the file that Regulation 103 was followed. |
How Firearmdesk helps
Firearmdesk prepares these documents for the executor: the section 21 authorisation application, the Regulation 103 inventory and notices, the executor mandate and custody allocation to a licensed dealer, and books a permitted transporter for the estate where the firearms must move. Receipts, valuations, instructions and settlement records are kept on one matter record and delivered in a closure pack. Dealer custody under the order of 15 September 2026 opens once a check of the court file confirms that no late application for leave to appeal was lodged. That check is under way. Refer an estate or see the fee schedule.
Questions
Which form does the executor use before appointment?
Form SAPS 518. It is the application for a temporary authorisation under section 21 of the Firearms Control Act, which lets the nominated executor or, where there is none, an heir, next of kin or close relative possess the deceased's firearms before letters of executorship are issued (Regulation 103(1)).
What goes with the notice to the Central Firearms Registry?
The holder, the storage address, the inventory, the letter of executorship, the death notice and the beneficiaries. The executor sends the notice to the Registrar within 14 days of appointment (Regulation 103(3)), and the Registrar acknowledges within 30 days.
Does an appointed executor also need a section 21 authorisation?
Usually not to hold the firearms for the estate: SAPS describes the executor as the custodian until each firearm is disposed of or licensed. An executor named in the letters may also deliver the firearms to the dealer in person, unpaid; Firearmdesk otherwise books a permitted transporter for the estate.
What does a licensed heir need to store a firearm for the estate?
The executor's letter of consent, giving the heir's licence particulars and the firearm's make, type, calibre and serial number, filed with the heir's Designated Firearms Officer (Regulation 103(2)). This costs the estate nothing in storage.
What does an heir file to keep a firearm?
A competency certificate application and a licence application on form SAPS 271 for the specific firearm, with a written motivation. The heir lodges both with the Designated Firearms Officer and needs a safe that meets SANS 953-1. See the guide for heirs.
What if the deceased's licence copies cannot be found?
Use a record from the Central Firearms Registry instead. It establishes which firearms the deceased held, and the inventory for the notice to the Registrar is drawn from it.
Which document allows the estate to be finalised?
The Registrar's notification that all the firearms have been transferred. The executor may apply to the Master to finalise the estate only after receiving it (Regulation 103(9)).
Sources
- Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000 (SAFLII): sections 3, 9, 21, 120, 147 and 148
- Firearms Control Regulations, 2004 (SAFLII): regulations 37, 70, 86 and 103
- SAPS: questions on firearms in deceased estates