South Australian Consolidated Acts South Australian Consolidated Acts24A—Identification of firearms
(1) Subject to this
section, all firearms that are required to be registered under this Act must
have stamped or engraved into part of the metal structure of the firearm a
number, or a number preceded or followed by a letter or letters, for the
purposes of identification.
(2) The identification
must be on the outside surface of the firearm where it can be easily seen and
must, if possible, be on the receiver of the firearm.
(3) At least four
characters must comprise the number or the combination of numbers and letters.
(4) The characters
must be at least two millimetres in height and must be stamped to form an
indentation to a depth, or be engraved to a depth, of at least 0.5
millimetres.
(5) Where a firearm
that is produced for registration does not comply with this section,
the Registrar must allocate a number, or numbers and letters, to the firearm
and the owner of the firearm must produce the firearm to a police officer
within 14 days with the identification stamped or engraved on the firearm in
accordance with this section.
Maximum penalty:
Where the firearm is a prescribed firearm or a class C, D or H
firearm—$10 000 or imprisonment for two years.
Where the firearm is any other kind of firearm—$5 000 or imprisonment
for one year.
(6) This section does
not apply to a firearm of historical, archaeological or cultural value
if—
(a) to
stamp or engrave a number on the firearm would reduce its value; and
(b)
the Registrar is satisfied that it can be identified in some other way.
(7) A person
who—
(a)
defaces, alters or removes the identifying characters of a firearm without the
authority of the Registrar; or
(b) has
possession of a firearm that does not have identifying characters as required
under this section or the identifying characters of which have been defaced or
altered without the authority of the Registrar,
is guilty of an offence.
Maximum penalty:
(a) if
the firearm is a prescribed firearm or a class C, D or
H firearm—$35 000 or imprisonment for 7 years;
(b) if
the firearm is any other kind of firearm—$20 000 or imprisonment
for 4 years.