Prohibited Weapons Act 1996
- Number
- A1996-75
- Status
- In Force
- Current law
- Regulations & instruments
- Forms
- Point-in-time versions
- Law history
Current version
| Effective | Files/Formats | Version | Published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 November 2025 | HTMLPDFWord | R23 | 26 November 2025 | Republication for amendments by A2025-29 |
Administering Minister and Directorate
- Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services - Justice and Community Safety Directorate
Legislative instruments
Legislative instruments under the Act and its subordinate laws
| Name | Status | Classifier | Type | Under | Effective | Year and No |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prohibited Weapons Regulation 1997 | None | Subordinate laws | s 19 | 15 May 2025 | SL1997-12 | |
| Prohibited Weapons Commencement Notice 1997(Repealed) | Repealed | Commencement notices | s 2 | 22 May 1997 - 23 May 1997 | CN1997-9 | |
| Prohibited Weapons (Laser Pointers) Declaration 2008 | None | Disallowable instruments | s 6A | 2 August 2008 | DI2008-197 | |
| Prohibited Weapons Amendment Regulation 2009 (No 1)(Repealed) | Repealed | Subordinate laws | s 19 | 24 December 2009 - 25 December 2009 | SL2009-60 | |
| Prohibited Weapons (Noise Suppression Devices) Declaration 2016 (No 1)(Repealed) | Repealed | Disallowable instruments | s 4L | 14 May 2016 - 4 July 2016 | DI2016-51 | |
| Prohibited Weapons (Noise Suppression Devices) Declaration 2016 (No 2)(Repealed) | Repealed | Disallowable instruments | s 4L | 5 July 2016 - 29 September 2016 | DI2016-174 | |
| Prohibited Weapons (Noise Suppression Devices) Declaration 2016 (No 3)(Repealed) | Repealed | Disallowable instruments | s 4L | 30 September 2016 - 15 December 2016 | DI2016-266 | |
| Prohibited Weapons (Noise Suppression Devices) Declaration 2016 (No 4)(Repealed) | Repealed | Disallowable instruments | s 4L | 16 December 2016 - 15 March 2017 | DI2016-296 | |
| Prohibited Weapons (Noise Suppression Devices) Declaration 2017 (No 1)(Repealed) | Repealed | Disallowable instruments | s 4L | 16 March 2017 - 29 May 2017 | DI2017-19 | |
| Prohibited Weapons (Noise Suppression Devices) Declaration 2017 (No 2)(Repealed) | Repealed | Disallowable instruments | s 4L | 30 May 2017 - 29 August 2017 | DI2017-62 | |
| Prohibited Weapons (Noise Suppression Devices) Declaration 2017 (No 3)(Repealed) | Repealed | Disallowable instruments | s 4L | 30 August 2017 - 29 November 2017 | DI2017-219 | |
| Prohibited Weapons (Noise Suppression Devices) Declaration 2017 (No 4)(Repealed) | Repealed | Disallowable instruments | s 4L | 30 November 2017 - 28 February 2018 | DI2017-285 |
Approved forms
Legislative instruments under the Act and its subordinate laws
| Form name/number | Status | Description | Category | Under | Effective | Year and No | CategoryAll |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prohibited Weapons Act 1996–Form AFP 3019 | None | Prohibited weapon/article permit application | s 18 | 20 November 2009 | AF2009-100 | ShowInAll | |
| Prohibited Weapons Act 1996–Form AFP 979 | None | Prohibited weapon and article permit | s 18 | 2 October 2009 | AF2009-101 | ShowInAll |
Point-in-time versions
| Effective | Files/Formats | Version | Published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 November 2025 | HTMLPDFWord | R23 | 26 November 2025 | Republication for amendments by A2025-29 |
| 30 December 2022 - 25 November 2025 | HTMLPDFWord | R22 | 30 December 2022 | Republication for expiry of provisions (pt 6) |
| 28 May 2020 - 29 December 2022 | HTMLPDFWord | R21 | 28 May 2020 | Republication for amendments by A2020-19 |
| 14 May 2020 - 27 May 2020 | HTMLPDFWord | R20 | 14 May 2020 | Republication for amendments by A2020-14 |
| 8 April 2020 - 13 May 2020 | HTMLPDFWord | R19 | 8 April 2020 | Republication for amendments by A2020-11 |
| 28 March 2018 - 7 April 2020 | HTMLPDFWord | R18 | 28 March 2018 | Republication for amendments by A2018-1 |
| 1 March 2018 - 27 March 2018 | HTMLPDFWord | R17 | 1 March 2018 | Republication for amendments by A2018-1 |
| 29 June 2016 - 28 February 2018 | HTMLPDFWord | R16 | 29 June 2016 | Republication for amendments by A2016-37 |
| 14 October 2015 - 28 June 2016 | HTMLPDFWord | R15 | 14 October 2015 | Republication for amendments by A2015-33 |
| 3 March 2015 - 13 October 2015 | HTMLPDFWord | R14 | 3 March 2015 | Republication for amendments by A2015-3 |
| 25 November 2013 - 2 March 2015 | HTMLPDFWord | R13 | 25 November 2013 | Republication for amendments by A2013-44 |
| 1 July 2011 - 24 November 2013 | HTMLPDFWord | R12 | 1 July 2011 | Republication for amendments by A2011-22 |
| 16 July 2010 - 30 June 2011 | HTMLPDFWord | R11 | 16 July 2010 | Republication for commenced expiry |
| 28 April 2010 - 15 July 2010 | HTMLPDFWord | R10 | 28 April 2010 | Republication for amendments by A2010-13 |
| 29 September 2009 - 27 April 2010 | HTMLPDFWord | R9 | 29 September 2009 | Republication for amendments by A2009-19 |
| 22 September 2009 - 28 September 2009 | HTMLPDFWord | R8 | 22 September 2009 | Republication for amendments by A2009-20 |
| 15 July 2009 - 21 September 2009 | HTMLPDFWord | R7 | 15 July 2009 | |
| 15 January 2009 - 14 July 2009 | HTMLPDFWord | R6 | 15 January 2009 | Republication for amendments by A2008-25 |
| 16 July 2008 - 14 January 2009 | HTMLPDFWord | R5 | 16 July 2008 | Republication for amendments by A2008-25 |
| 2 June 2006 - 15 July 2008 | HTMLPDFWord | R4 | 2 June 2006 | Republication for amendments by A2006-23 |
| 9 April 2004 - 1 June 2006 | HTMLPDFWord | R3 | 9 April 2004 | Republication for amendments by A2004-15 |
| 13 September 2002 - 8 April 2004 | HTMLPDFWord | R2 | 13 September 2002 | Republication for commenced expiry |
| 12 September 2001 - 12 September 2002 | HTMLPDFWord | R1 | 18 February 2002 | Republication for amendments by A2001-44 |
| 22 May 1997 - 11 September 2001 | HTMLPDFWord | R0A | 30 July 2003 | Republication for amendments by SL1997-12 |
| 22 May 1997 | HTMLPDFWord | As notified | 20 December 1996 |
Bill and Explanatory statement
The bill and explanatory statement for this Act are accessed from Prohibited Weapons Bill 1996.
Notification statement
The Prohibited Weapons Act 1996 was passed by the Legislative Assembly and was notified in the Gazette on 20 December 1996 (Gaz 1996 No S328).
(Parliamentary Counsel)
Act as notified
| Date notified | Effective | Files/Formats | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 December 1996 | 22 May 1997 | HTMLPDFWord |
Commencement
| Provision | Commencement date | Commencement method |
|---|---|---|
| s 1, s 2 | 20 December 1996 | s 2 (1) |
| remainder | 22 May 1997 | s 2 (2) and Gaz 1997 No S140 |
Expiries
| Provision | Expiry date | Expiry method |
|---|---|---|
| pt 6 | 29 December 2022 (midnight) | expired at the end of a 3-month period during which no COVID-19 emergency had been in force (s 55 (6)) |
| s 18 (4)-(7) | 12 September 2022 (midnight) | s 18 (7) |
| pt 5 | 15 July 2010 (midnight) | s 54 |
Amendments
For section-by-section amendment annotations, see the amendment history in the endnotes in the current version of this law.
| Year and number | Amending law | Amending provision | Commencement date |
|---|---|---|---|
| A2020-11 | COVID-19 Emergency Response Act 2020 | sch 1 pt 1.17 | 8 April 2020 |
| A2020-14 | COVID-19 Emergency Response Legislation Amendment Act 2020 | sch 1 pt 1.23 | 14 May 2020 |
| A2020-19 | Firearms Legislation Amendment Act 2020 | pt 4 | 28 May 2020 |
| SL1997-12 | Prohibited Weapons Regulation 1997 | s 15 | 22 May 1997 |
| A2001-44 | Legislation (Consequential Amendments) Act 2001 | pt 301 | 12 September 2001 |
| A2004-15 | Criminal Code (Theft, Fraud, Bribery and Related Offences) Amendment Act 2004 | sch 2 pt 2.71 | 9 April 2004 |
| A2006-23 | Sentencing Legislation Amendment Act 2006 | sch 1 pt 1.29 | 2 June 2006 |
| A2008-25 | Firearms Amendment Act 2008 | s 70, s 76, s 81 | 16 July 2008 |
| A2008-25 | Firearms Amendment Act 2008 | s 71, s 72, s 82, sch 1 amdt 1.14, amdt 1.16 | 15 July 2009 |
| A2008-25 | Firearms Amendment Act 2008 | ss 73-75, ss 77-80, sch 1 amdt 1.13, amdt 1.15 | 15 January 2009 |
| A2008-36 | ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal Legislation Amendment Act 2008 | sch 1 pt 1.41 | 15 July 2009 |
| A2009-19 | Justice and Community Safety Legislation Amendment Act 2009 (No 2) | pt 12 | 29 September 2009 |
| A2009-20 | Statute Law Amendment Act 2009 | sch 3 pt 3.60 | 22 September 2009 |
| A2010-13 | Justice and Community Safety Legislation Amendment Act 2010 | sch 1 pt 1.5 | 28 April 2010 |
| A2011-22 | Administrative (One ACT Public Service Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 2011 | sch 1 pt 1.123 | 1 July 2011 |
| A2013-44 | Statute Law Amendment Act 2013 (No 2) | sch 3 pt 3.15 | 25 November 2013 |
| A2015-3 | Crimes Legislation Amendment Act 2015 | pt 10 | 3 March 2015 |
| A2015-33 | Red Tape Reduction Legislation Amendment Act 2015 | sch 1 pt 1.53 | 14 October 2015 |
| A2016-37 | Justice and Community Safety Legislation Amendment Act 2016 | sch 1 pt 1.16 | 29 June 2016 |
| A2018-1 | Firearms and Prohibited Weapons Legislation Amendment Act 2018 | pt 4 (except s 30) | 1 March 2018 |
| A2018-1 | Firearms and Prohibited Weapons Legislation Amendment Act 2018 | s 30 | 28 March 2018 |
| A2025-29 | Statute Law Amendment Act 2025 | sch 3 pt 3.69, sch 4 pt 4.136 | 26 November 2025 |