Know exactly where your firearm licence is.
Type the reference number from your SAPS SMS. We check the official enquiry page, show you which of the 11 steps your application is on, and explain what happens next in plain English.
Independent. Not SAPS. We read the public SAPS enquiry page for you. Free, and we never ask for your ID number.
Three steps, one number.
No forms to fill in and no ID number. Your reference number is all SAPS needs to find your application.
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Find your reference number
SAPS sends it by SMS once your station has captured your application.
Example message Application ref. C 0000 4821 for calibre .308 WIN has been captured. -
Type it in
We ask the public SAPS enquiry page for you, exactly as you would yourself, and read back the result.
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See the step and what's next
You get the step it's on, what that step means, roughly how long it lasts, and anything you need to do.
Where your application goes after you hand it in.
Every licence application makes the same trip, in four legs. Knowing which leg it's on tells you who has it and whether anything is expected from you.
Your police station
The DFO checks your file
- Payment received
- Received at the DFO
- In process at the DFO
You may get a call or a safe inspection here.
Provincial firearms office
A quality check
- Sent to the province
- Checked by the province
Files can be sent back to the station from here.
Central Firearms Register
Verification and evaluation
- At the CFR (AVS)
- Sent to Licensing
- Received at Licensing
- Preparing for decision
- For consideration
Usually the slowest leg.
Back to your station
Decision and your card
- Approved or refused
Collect your card at the DFO, or appeal within 90 days.
Why it's worth keeping an eye on.
SAPS aims to finish an application within 120 working days, about six months. Its own figures to Parliament show most applications took longer.
Tracking won't make SAPS faster. It does tell you when a file has stopped moving for too long, which is when it's worth asking your DFO about it.
Finalised within SAPS's own 120-day target
April to July 2021, as reported by SAPS to Parliament.
Save it once. Recheck in one tap.
A free account remembers your applications, so you're not digging for the SMS every week.
- Track your licence, competency and renewals side by side.
- See at a glance which ones moved since you last looked.
- A nickname for each one, so you know which firearm is which.
- No ID number, ever. Your reference number is enough.
The same answer SAPS gives. Explained.
We don't guess and we don't invent statuses. Every result comes from the public SAPS enquiry page. We add what it means and what to do.
What the SAPS page shows
LICENCE · .308 WIN · 2026/09/02
SEND TO CFR (AVS)
The application was finalised at the Provincial DFO and forwarded to CFR for processing. The CFR will assess the application before approval/refusal will commence.
What Firearm Tracker shows
Step 6 of 11: at the Central Firearms Register. Your province has finished. The CFR in Pretoria verifies your file, then the Licensing Section evaluates it. There's nothing you need to do right now.
Getting it right before you hand it in.
A complete file at the station avoids one of the delays SAPS itself has named. These guides walk you through each part.
Proficiency training
What the course covers and how to pick an accredited provider.
Competency certificate
The SAPS 517, fingerprints and the background check.
Documents checklist
Every page your licence application needs.
Licence types
Self-defence, hunting and sport, dedicated status.
Safe storage
What a compliant safe looks like and the inspection.
Renewals
Apply 90 days before expiry and keep your licence valid.
Questions people ask first.
Can't find yours? See every question.
Stuck on a status?
Ask the help assistant. It answers from our guides, and if you paste your reference number it'll check it for you.
Where do I find my reference number?
SAPS sends it by SMS once your station has captured your application. Type it exactly as it appears in the SMS.
Is this the official SAPS site?
No. Firearm Tracker is independent. We read the same public SAPS enquiry page anyone can use, then explain the result. SAPS is always the official source.
Why does SAPS have no record of my number?
Usually because the station hasn't captured the application yet. Give it a few weeks. If there's still nothing after about three weeks, ask your DFO to confirm it's been captured.
Can I track a competency certificate too?
Yes. The SAPS enquiry page finds competency applications by reference number alone, so leave the serial number blank.
Does it cost anything?
Checking a status and saving your applications are free.
Check your application now.
One number, and a quick check. Save it to a free account and recheck it any time in one tap.
