Restricted Guide licence
Renew your licence - Hunt NSW login
Request a replacement licence
Note: you must download and submit a PDF form to request a replacement licence.
NSW Game Hunting Licence - licence replacement application (PDF, 120.09 KB)
A hunting guide is a person who accompanies other persons on a hunt for game or feral animals in return for a fee or reward.
If you want to guide others in their pursuit of game and feral animals on public land in NSW, you need to apply for a Restricted Guide Licence (R-Guide).
The R-Guide licence confers the authority of a standard R-Licence. You do not need to purchase both licences. The R-Guide licence also incorporates authority for guiding others on their hunt for game birds on private land.
Qualifying
R-Guide applicants must:
- be over 18 years of age
- be a member of an Approved Hunting Organisation (AHO), and
- become accredited for one or more R-licence categories
- Firearms (rifles, shotguns, blackpowder)
- Bows
- Dogs
- have achieved a minimum grade of NSW-T in the Waterfowl Identification Test (WIT) to seek endorsement for native game bird hunting.
Safari Tour Permit
Before you can legally guide overseas hunters in NSW, you must also obtain a Safari Tour Permit from the NSW Police Force Firearms Registry through Service NSW.
If you will be guiding hunters from overseas, ensure they obtain a permit from the NSW Police Force Firearms Registry authorising their possession and use of a firearm in NSW. They also require a Visitors Game Hunting Licence for hunting on public land in NSW.
Special conditions
R-Guide licence holders must:
- understand relevant sections of the Game and Feral Animal Control Act 2002 and its associated Regulation 2022 before undertaking any hunting or guiding under licence. This includes complying with the mandatory NSW Game Hunting Licence Code of Practice and related legislation
- ensure that all clients comply with the relevant legislation, including all licence conditions, and hold a current NSW Restricted Game Hunting Licence (R-Licence) when hunting on public land, or a current NSW General Game Hunting Licence (G-Licence) when hunting game birds on private land
- keep a log book recording your hunting guide activities. This will help distinguish between general hunting and guided hunting for the purposes of enforcement and public liability insurance. The log book must record:
- the date of guided hunting
- the location
- name and NSW game hunting licence number of each person being guided
- when guiding clients to hunt native game birds, the guide must notify DPIRD Hunting:
- of the Native Game Bird Management (Owner/Occupier) Licence number and the properties they will be guiding on each year
- within 7 days of when an additional property is acquired for the purpose of guiding, or permission to guide on a property is revoked by the owner/occupier.
Guiding on declared public hunting land
R-Guide hunters are responsible for the following:
- all hunters being guided on public land must be licensed. Australian residents must hold a NSW R-Licence and international residents must hold a NSW Visitor's licence
- both the hunter and the guide must be accredited in the R-Licence category/ies for the type of hunting occurring
- both the hunter and the guide must apply for, and carry at all times (either digitally or physically), written permission to hunt.
In fairness to other R-Licence holders, group bookings are unavailable. All bookings for public land are made on a first-in-first-served basis.
Applying
Once you have become a member of an AHO and completed the accreditation requirements you need to apply to the department.
Use the buttons above to apply for a new licence or renew an existing licence. Existing licence holders should log in to the Hunt NSW portal with their username and password, then select 'My profile' and 'Renew' from the 'My licences' page.
You must attach evidence to your application, which may include:
- proof of identity
- R-Licence accreditation form/s
- proof of your membership of an AHO
- evidence you've completed the Waterfowl Identification Course if you're seeking native game bird endorsement.
Applications not containing all the required information will be returned to the applicant.
Cost
The concession rate is only available to pensioners holding an eligible pension card. Supporting evidence must be supplied with your application. Read the Granting a licence page for more information on qualifying for the concession rate.
| Licence term | Full rate | Concession rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | $175 | $117 |
| 2 years | $340 | $227 |
| 3 years | $500 | $335 |
| 4 years | $645 | $430 |
| 5 years | $780 | $523 |
Insurance
Guide licences do not include public liability insurance cover. Insurance covering paid guided hunts is the responsibility of the licence holder.
However, if you are using your licence for the purpose of private (standard) hunting, your licence includes $25 million public liability cover. You should keep a record of your paid and private hunting to satisfy the insurer should you make a claim.
