Writing a motivation letter that answers the question asked

What each section is really asking

• Section 13: that you need a firearm for self-defence, and cannot reasonably meet that need any other way. The second half is the one people skip.
• Section 14: that a section 13 firearm will not provide sufficient protection, with information that motivates the need for a restricted firearm specifically.
• Section 15: that you are an occasional hunter or occasional sports person, and that this firearm suits that use.
• Section 16: that you hold dedicated status with an accredited association, and why this firearm and calibre suit the discipline you actually shoot.
• Section 17: that the firearm has been approved for collection by your association, and where it sits in a collection with a theme.

What makes a letter weak

• Generality. A statement that crime is high applies to everyone and distinguishes nobody.
• Facts without references. An incident with no SAPS case number is a claim the officer cannot check.
• Arguing the wrong test. A hunting motivation under a self-defence section does not answer the question the section asks.
• Leaving supporting documents unnamed. If a document is attached, the letter should refer to it so the officer can match the two.
• Length in place of substance. A long letter that never states a specific, checkable fact is weaker than a short one that does.

What makes one strong

Specific, verifiable facts arranged to answer the statutory test. Dates, places, case numbers, membership numbers, the discipline you shoot and how often, what you hunt and where. An officer who can check a claim can rely on it.

Write it so that someone who has never met you, reading only this and the attachments, can see why the section you applied under fits your circumstances.

A renewal asks a different question

Everything above is about applying for a new licence. The Act says a renewal may not be granted unless you show that you have continued to comply with the requirements for the licence. So a renewal is argued on what has happened since the licence was issued, not on the case you made the first time.

For a licence you already hold, this site writes a separate document, the renewal motivation: one per firearm, written from your own answers as the additional motivation to field D6 of the sworn Annexure to SAPS 518(a). An expired licence cannot be renewed, and needs the motivation letter instead.

Having it written for you

This site will write the letter from your own answers. You work through the questions each section actually turns on, and what comes out cites your documents by annexure so the officer can match them to your file.

It is a once-off charge. No subscription, and nothing added at checkout.

• Written for the section you are applying under, and argued against the test that section sets.
• Three attempts on one letter, so you can adjust an answer and have it written again.
• A document checklist matched against what you told us, so you can see what is still missing before you submit.
• You need a free account and to be signed in, because the letter is saved to it and you come back to it.

When to get help instead

If your circumstances are complicated, or a previous application was refused, a page cannot tell you what to do about it. Speak to someone qualified to advise you.