Further competency
You already hold a competency certificate and want to add another type of firearm, a rifle to your handgun, a shotgun for hunting. We prepare your complete further competency application so the new category is added without a hitch.
99% of rejected applications are due to mistakes. Not with us. We prepare your full application and you receive a ready-to-print, ready-to-submit application with further instructions.
Free to ask. You get the right application and your price before you pay anything.
Cathy van der Westhuizen
For 27 years Cathy was the officer who received and checked firearm applications at the station. She knows exactly what the DFO looks for and why files come back. She checks every application before it reaches you.
★★★★★ 5.0 on Google · 27 years SAPS · Not SAPS, no guarantees
1 You need a valid competency certificate already. If it has expired, a competency renewal comes first.
2 You need the proficiency training certificate for the new type of firearm you are adding, from an accredited training provider.
Not trained in the new type yet? Our accredited training partner runs courses in Pretoria, on selected dates. Message us and we will tell you the order to do things in.
How it works
Our process and what it includes
- Everything runs via email. The final product you receive from us is ready to print and submit, with further instructions.
- Each application is 100% correct, without the mistakes that delay the process.
- Includes every declaration SAPS requires and the supporting SAPS documentation completed in advance on behalf of the DFO, to save you time at the police station.
- You simply go to the station by appointment to take fingerprints, pay and sign. The rest is completed and ready for submission, without the risk of delays due to application faults.
- Licensing the new firearm straight after? Ask us for a combined price for the further competency and the licence application.
Getting started
WhatsApp us which types of firearm your competency covers now and which type you want to add. We confirm the right application and send you an estimate.
If you accept the estimate, we send you the invoice. As soon as payment is received, you receive an email with the list of documents we need to complete your application.
What you get
- The SAPS further competency application typed and complete for the new type of firearm
- The declarations SAPS requires, prepared for your signature
- Your existing competency and your new training certificate linked correctly in the application
- Your supporting documents in the order the DFO expects, with a checklist on top
- Every page checked by Cathy before it goes to you
- Exact hand-in instructions, and the next step for licensing the new firearm
Basic document needs
Phone photos are fine. You bring the originals to the station. Your checklist after payment lists exactly what your case needs.
- A copy of your ID
- Your current competency certificate (front and back)
- Your proficiency training certificate and unit standards for the new type of firearm
- Proof of where you live, not older than three months
- Your firearm licences, if you hold any
Cost. One fixed price, told to you on WhatsApp before you pay. The SAPS fee is paid separately in cash at the station; your checklist gives the exact amount.
Further competency: frequently asked questions
South Africa, Firearms Control Act, through your local SAPS Designated Firearms Officer.
An addition to the competency you already hold, for another type of firearm. If your certificate covers a handgun and you want to licence a rifle, you need further competency for rifles before SAPS will consider the rifle licence.
No. A renewal keeps the same types of firearm going for another period. A further competency adds a new type. If both are due, we prepare both for one hand-in.
Yes, for the new type of firearm. SAPS wants the accredited proficiency training certificate and unit standards for that type. Your earlier training covers only the types you already hold.
The SAPS 517(a) application for a further competency certificate, with the declarations and your new training certificate. We complete it for you.
SAPS will only consider the licence once the further competency has been issued. We can prepare both so the licence application is ready to hand in the day your certificate arrives; ask for a combined price.
SAPS publishes no guarantee and it differs by station. A complete file is the only thing that shortens the wait, because an application sent back for corrections starts the clock again.
It runs with the licence it relates to: normally five years alongside a self-defence licence and ten alongside a hunting or sport-shooting licence. If all four firearm categories are on one competency certificate and you hold a licensed section 13 self-defence handgun, the five-year rule applies to the whole certificate, regardless of your section 15 or 16 licences. Read the date on the certificate.
One fixed price for our work, told to you on WhatsApp before you pay anything. SAPS charges its own fee, paid in cash at the station when you hand in; your checklist gives the exact amount. Training is paid to the training provider.
No. You hand in your own application at your police station; nobody may do that for you. We are an independent private company, not SAPS, and we cannot guarantee a decision. We make sure your file is complete and correct. SAPS decides.
What clients say
Google reviews ★★★★★ 5.0 on Google
“Exceptional service from start to finish!”
Bernadette Richter
“Wow, what an absolute pleasant experience I’ve had working with you.”
Brendon
“Our family had a unique scenario with an estate firearm application and Cathy gave us the proper advice over a consultation call. Her expertise is above and beyond.”
Combrinck Associates
Facebook page reviews Recommended on Facebook · 6 000 followers · See our Facebook page
“Fast, efficient and friendly! Cathy is very knowledgeable and a pleasure to work with! Highly recommended!”
Chris Kriel · Facebook recommendation
“Best in the business and thoroughly knowledgeable. Quick responses. Most definitely recommend and wish them all the best in their business.”
Ashley Clint Newton · Facebook recommendation
“I have received excellent assistance from Cathy for many years as a firearm owner.”
Alivia Brown · Facebook recommendation
Contact us
Send us a short summary of your situation on WhatsApp or by email. We reply during office hours, Monday to Friday 08:00 to 17:00, with the right application and your price.
Firearm Licensing Assistance SA is an independent private consultancy. We are not part of SAPS and cannot approve, speed up or guarantee any application. You hand in your own application; we prepare and check it. We do not sell firearms or ammunition. Proficiency training is delivered by an accredited training partner in Pretoria, not by FLA SA.