Why there is no single transfer form
A deceased person's firearm is disposed of as prescribed (section 147(1) of the Firearms Control Act), and the executor stores it until it is transferred or surrendered. Which paperwork applies depends on where the firearm goes: to an heir who is licensed to keep it, to a licensed dealer or another buyer, or to the police. In every case the transfer is complete only when it is lawful under the Act, and the executor reports it to the Registrar of the Central Firearms Registry (Regulation 103(7)).
Form numbers and versions change. Download the current form from the SAPS firearm forms page or ask the Designated Firearms Officer (DFO) at the police station.
The forms, by route
| Step or route | Form or document |
|---|---|
| Holding the firearms before the executor is appointed | SAPS 518, "Application for a Temporary Authorization to Possess a Firearm" (section 21; Regulation 103(1)). |
| Notice to the Registrar after appointment | No form is prescribed for it in the Regulation: a letter, document or facsimile within 14 days of the letter of appointment, with the inventory, the death notice and the other particulars Regulation 103(3)(b) lists. |
| A licensed heir storing the firearm for the estate | The executor's letter of consent, filed with the DFO for the area where the heir lives (Regulation 103(2)). It is the executor's own letter, not a SAPS form. |
| Transfer to an heir who keeps the firearm | SAPS 517, "Application for a Competency Certificate", then SAPS 271, "Application for Licence to Possess a Firearm", with the executor's letter of appointment. Both are lodged with the heir's DFO. |
| Sale to a licensed dealer | SAPS 534, "Transfer of Firearm Ownership", and the dealer's own return, SAPS 350(a), "Dealer's Return: Stock Received". Ask the dealer or the Designated Firearms Officer which forms a given sale uses. |
| Sale to another buyer | Not an executor route: a person who is not a dealer disposes of a firearm only through a dealer, save as section 31(3) allows for a collection. See selling a firearm from a deceased estate. |
| Surrender to the police | SAPS 522(a), "Surrendering of Firearm Item(s)", made at a police station (Regulation 94). |
| Deactivation | Done by a gunsmith. Ask the gunsmith or the DFO which documents the Registry needs; no form for it is listed here because none is verified for an estate. |
| A refused application | SAPS 530, "Notice of Appeal", to the Appeal Board under section 133 of the Act. |
Transfer to an heir
The heir applies in their own name. SAPS says the competency certificate is applied for first and the licence second, and that the executor's letter of appointment goes with the licence application for an inherited firearm. The DFO captures both applications, and the Central Firearms Registry decides them. Once the licence is issued, the executor reports the transfer to the Registrar. See registering an inherited firearm.
Sale to a dealer or a buyer
A dealer who buys the firearm completes the transfer forms, such as SAPS 534 (“Transfer of Firearm Ownership”), and its stock return. The executor should keep the dealer's sale statement and copies of both forms on the estate file as evidence of the transfer. A dealer that only stores the firearm for the estate records it in its safe custody register instead; see storing estate firearms.
A buyer who is not a dealer must hold a competency certificate and obtain a licence for the firearm before it is released, because no one may possess a firearm without a licence, permit or authorisation for it (section 3). Ask the DFO about the conditions for a sale; see selling a firearm from a deceased estate.
What the executor files before finalising the estate
Keep, for each firearm, the licence or transfer record, the dealer's sale statement with SAPS 534 and SAPS 350(a), the gunsmith's deactivation certificate, or the police receipt for a surrender. Report the transfers to the Registrar at least every three months (Regulation 103(7)). The executor may apply to the Master to finalise the estate only after the Registrar notifies that every firearm has been transferred under the Act (Regulation 103(9)). See Regulation 103 explained and the documents checklist.
Firearmdesk prepares the documents for each route for the executor and keeps the evidence on one matter record. An heir applying for a licence deals with their own DFO; Firearmdesk does not decide any application.
Questions
Which form transfers a deceased estate firearm to an heir?
There is no single transfer form. The heir applies for a competency certificate on SAPS 517 and for a licence on SAPS 271, both lodged with the heir's Designated Firearms Officer, with the executor's letter of appointment. The executor reports the transfer to the Registrar once the licence is issued.
What is form SAPS 534?
It is titled "Transfer of Firearm Ownership" on the SAPS forms page. Ask the dealer or the Designated Firearms Officer which forms a given sale uses.
Which form temporarily authorises someone to hold a deceased person's firearm?
SAPS 518, the application for a temporary authorization to possess a firearm under section 21 of the Firearms Control Act. Regulation 103(1) allows it before the Master appoints an executor.
Is there a form for the notice to the Registrar after the executor is appointed?
Regulation 103(3)(b) asks for a letter, document or facsimile within 14 days of receiving the letter of appointment, with the inventory and the other listed particulars. It does not prescribe a SAPS form.
How do I hand in a deceased person's firearm to the police?
A firearm is surrendered at a police station on form SAPS 522(a), "Surrendering of Firearm Item(s)" (Regulation 94). The person handing it in completes the form on the day. Ask the station what it needs for an estate firearm.
Where do I get the SAPS firearm forms?
From the firearm forms page on the SAPS website or from the Designated Firearms Officer at a police station. SAPS forms change, so download the current version before you complete it.
Sources
- Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000 (SAFLII): sections 3, 6, 21, 31, 133, 147 and 148
- Firearms Control Regulations, 2004 (SAFLII): regulations 94 and 103
- SAPS: firearm forms: form numbers and titles; SAPS forms change, so download the current version
- SAPS: questions on firearms in deceased estates
- SAPS: applying for a new firearm licence