Estate firearms
A family member has died and left firearms. They cannot simply be kept by the spouse or children, and the estate cannot be wound up until SAPS confirms every firearm has been dealt with. There are four lawful routes, and the order of the paperwork matters.
Estate firearms are Cathy’s speciality. Book a consultation with her, know your options before you do anything, and let us prepare the application that follows.
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, estate files among them. She knows what the DFO needs from an executor, what the Central Firearms Registry asks before an estate can close, and the order that keeps a family out of trouble.
★★★★★ 5.0 on Google · 27 years SAPS · Not SAPS, no guarantees
1 Lock the firearms in a safe and do not use, move or sell them. The executor may keep them stored without a competency certificate until the route is settled. Nobody may use them.
2 Get the executor’s letter from the Master (or the Master’s representative letter for a small estate). Every estate firearm application is signed by the executor and needs it.
Not sure who the executor is, or no letter yet? Book the consultation; Cathy will tell you the order of the steps.
The four lawful routes
Each firearm in the estate takes one of these. Each is a separate application, and the paperwork differs.
1. An heir licences it
The heir needs a competency certificate for that type of firearm. Then a new licence application is made in the estate, signed by the executor. We prepare it.
2. Sell it
Through a licensed dealer, or to a buyer who applies for the licence. The firearm stays stored until the buyer’s licence is issued.
3. Deactivate it
A gunsmith makes it permanently inoperable and the family keeps it as an heirloom without a licence. We prepare the paperwork.
4. Hand it in
Voluntary surrender to SAPS for destruction. The only route for a firearm that was never licensed. We prepare the notification.
How it works
Our process and what it includes
- It starts with a consultation call with Cathy. Thirty minutes on your estate: who the executor is, which firearms, which route for each, and in what order. You end the call knowing exactly what to do.
- Everything after that runs via email. The final product you receive from us is ready to print and submit, with further instructions.
- Each application is 100% correct, with the estate pages, the executor's declaration, a motivation written by Cathy and the supporting SAPS documentation completed in advance on behalf of the DFO.
- The heir simply goes to the station by appointment to take fingerprints, pay and sign. The rest is completed and ready for submission.
- Heir without competency? We prepare the first competency application first, then the estate licence. Several firearms? Each is a separate application; ask us for a combined price.
Book a consultation with Cathy
A 30-minute call by phone about your estate. Book a time online, and Cathy phones you. Have the death certificate, the executor’s letter if you have it, and the licences or firearm details at hand.
After the call we send you an estimate for the applications your estate needs. If you accept, we send the invoice, and on payment the email listing the documents we need.
Attorneys and executors’ offices: WhatsApp us the estate reference and we take it from there.
What you get
- A clear route for every firearm in the estate, in the right order
- The estate licence application typed and complete, with the estate pages and the executor's declaration ready for signature
- The motivation, written by Cathy for the heir's situation
- The deactivation or surrender paperwork where that is the route
- Every page checked by Cathy before it goes to you
- Exact hand-in instructions for the heir and the executor
Basic document needs
Phone photos are fine. You bring the originals to the station. Your checklist after payment lists exactly what your case needs.
- The death certificate
- The letter of executorship, or the Master's representative letter for a small estate
- The executor's ID
- The deceased's firearm licences, even if expired, and the firearm details (make, calibre, serial number)
- Where the firearms are kept now, and proof of the safe
- If an heir is applying: the heir's ID, competency certificate and proof of residence not older than three months
Cost. We quote after the consultation, once we know the number of firearms and the route for each. One fixed price per application, told to you before you pay. The SAPS fee is paid separately in cash at the station; your checklist gives the exact amount.
Firearms in a deceased estate: frequently asked questions
South Africa, Firearms Control Act, through your local SAPS Designated Firearms Officer.
It becomes part of the deceased estate and the executor is responsible for it. It does not pass to the spouse or children automatically. The firearm must be locked away, listed in the estate’s inventory to SAPS, and then licensed to an heir, sold, deactivated or handed in. The estate cannot be wound up until SAPS confirms every firearm has been dealt with.
Yes, but only through your own licence. You need a competency certificate for that type of firearm (training and competency first if you do not have one), and a new licence application is made in the estate, signed by the executor. Until it is issued, the firearm stays locked away and may not be used.
Secure them, list every firearm and its ammunition in an inventory to the Registrar of Firearms soon after appointment, keep SAPS updated on progress, and see each firearm through one of the four routes before the estate closes. The executor may keep the firearms stored without a competency certificate, but may not use them or hand them to anyone without the right paperwork.
Lock it in a safe, do not move it and do not hand it to anyone. Book the consultation and Cathy will tell you the right step for your family.
Yes. An expired licence does not stop an heir from applying for the firearm in the estate. A firearm that was never licensed at all, however, must be handed in.
Not on your own. A sale goes through a licensed dealer, or to a buyer who applies for the licence, and the firearm stays stored until that licence is issued. Giving it to a family member without a licence is a criminal offence.
The same as a new licence. SAPS’s own target is 120 working days; three to six months is common and longer is not unusual. A complete file is the only thing that shortens the wait.
Yes. Send us the estate reference and the firearm details on WhatsApp or by email. We prepare the applications for the executor and heir and keep your office informed so the Central Firearms Registry confirmation does not hold up the estate.
We quote after the consultation, one fixed price per application, told to you before you pay. SAPS charges its own fee per application, paid in cash at the station.
No. The heir hands in their own application at the police station, with the executor’s signed pages; nobody may do that for them. We are an independent private company, not SAPS, and we cannot guarantee a decision. We make sure the file is complete and correct. SAPS decides.
What clients say
Google reviews ★★★★★ 5.0 on Google
“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
“Exceptional service from start to finish!”
Bernadette Richter
“Wow, what an absolute pleasant experience I’ve had working with you.”
Brendon
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
Not sure where to start? Start with the call.
Book a consultation with Cathy, or send us a short summary of the estate on WhatsApp or by email. We reply during office hours, Monday to Friday 08:00 to 17:00.
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. We do not give legal advice.