Prohibited Weapons Act 1996

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Select version to search Documents version All versions R23 (current) 26 November 2025 R22 30 December 2022 - 25 November 2025 R21 28 May 2020 - 29 December 2022 R20 14 May 2020 - 27 May 2020 R19 8 April 2020 - 13 May 2020 R18 28 March 2018 - 7 April 2020 R17 1 March 2018 - 27 March 2018 R16 29 June 2016 - 28 February 2018 R15 14 October 2015 - 28 June 2016 R14 3 March 2015 - 13 October 2015 R13 25 November 2013 - 2 March 2015 R12 1 July 2011 - 24 November 2013 R11 16 July 2010 - 30 June 2011 R10 28 April 2010 - 15 July 2010 R9 29 September 2009 - 27 April 2010 R8 22 September 2009 - 28 September 2009 R7 15 July 2009 - 21 September 2009 R6 15 January 2009 - 14 July 2009 R5 16 July 2008 - 14 January 2009 R4 2 June 2006 - 15 July 2008 R3 9 April 2004 - 1 June 2006 R2 13 September 2002 - 8 April 2004 R1 12 September 2001 - 12 September 2002 R0A 22 May 1997 - 11 September 2001 As notified 22 May 1997 Clear Search Current law Regulations & instruments Forms Point-in-time versions Law history Current version Effective Files/Formats Version Published Notes 26 November 2025 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word 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Weapons Regulation 1997 None Subordinate laws s 19 15 May 2025 SL1997-12 Prohibited Weapons Commencement Notice 1997 (Repealed) Repealed Commencement notices s 2 22 May 1997 - 23 May 1997 CN1997-9 Prohibited Weapons (Laser Pointers) Declaration 2008 None Disallowable instruments s 6A 2 August 2008 DI2008-197 Prohibited Weapons Amendment Regulation 2009 (No 1) (Repealed) Repealed Subordinate laws s 19 24 December 2009 - 25 December 2009 SL2009-60 Prohibited Weapons (Noise Suppression Devices) Declaration 2016 (No 1) (Repealed) Repealed Disallowable instruments s 4L 14 May 2016 - 4 July 2016 DI2016-51 Prohibited Weapons (Noise Suppression Devices) Declaration 2016 (No 2) (Repealed) Repealed Disallowable instruments s 4L 5 July 2016 - 29 September 2016 DI2016-174 Prohibited Weapons (Noise Suppression Devices) Declaration 2016 (No 3) (Repealed) Repealed Disallowable instruments s 4L 30 September 2016 - 15 December 2016 DI2016-266 Prohibited Weapons (Noise Suppression Devices) Declaration 2016 (No 4) (Repealed)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 Enter a date to find a version from 22 May 1997 onwards : The following table lists 24 point in time versions. 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Effective Files/Formats Version Published Notes 26 November 2025 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R23 26 November 2025 Republication for amendments by A2025-29 30 December 2022 - 25 November 2025 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R22 30 December 2022 Republication for expiry of provisions (pt 6) 28 May 2020 - 29 December 2022 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R21 28 May 2020 Republication for amendments by A2020-19 14 May 2020 - 27 May 2020 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R20 14 May 2020 Republication for amendments by A2020-14 8 April 2020 - 13 May 2020 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R19 8 April 2020 Republication for amendments by A2020-11 28 March 2018 - 7 April 2020 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R18 28 March 2018 Republication for amendments by A2018-1 1 March 2018 - 27 March 2018 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R17 1 March 2018 Republication for amendments by A2018-1 29 June 2016 - 28 February 2018 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R16 29 June 2016 Republication for amendments by A2016-37 14 October 2015 - 28 June 2016 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R15 14 October 2015 Republication for amendments by A2015-33 3 March 2015 - 13 October 2015 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R14 3 March 2015 Republication for amendments by A2015-3 25 November 2013 - 2 March 2015 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R13 25 November 2013 Republication for amendments by A2013-44 1 July 2011 - 24 November 2013 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R12 1 July 2011 Republication for amendments by A2011-22 16 July 2010 - 30 June 2011 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R11 16 July 2010 Republication for commenced expiry 28 April 2010 - 15 July 2010 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R10 28 April 2010 Republication for amendments by A2010-13 29 September 2009 - 27 April 2010 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R9 29 September 2009 Republication for amendments by A2009-19 22 September 2009 - 28 September 2009 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R8 22 September 2009 Republication for amendments by A2009-20 15 July 2009 - 21 September 2009 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R7 15 July 2009 Republication for amendments by A2008-25 and A2008-36 15 January 2009 - 14 July 2009 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R6 15 January 2009 Republication for amendments by A2008-25 16 July 2008 - 14 January 2009 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R5 16 July 2008 Republication for amendments by A2008-25 2 June 2006 - 15 July 2008 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R4 2 June 2006 Republication for amendments by A2006-23 9 April 2004 - 1 June 2006 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R3 9 April 2004 Republication for amendments by A2004-15 13 September 2002 - 8 April 2004 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R2 13 September 2002 Republication for commenced expiry 12 September 2001 - 12 September 2002 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R1 18 February 2002 Republication for amendments by A2001-44 22 May 1997 - 11 September 2001 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R0A 30 July 2003 Republication for amendments by SL1997-12 22 May 1997 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word 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 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word 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 Subscribe to this law About this site Contact us Disclaimer Privacy Accessibility Copyright Glossary Abbreviation key Related links Acknowledgement of Country Copyright 2001 ACT Government. 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