Running a paintball business

On this page

Key information

Paintball activities

Laws to follow

Safety, training, storage and transportation

Notification when receiving, supplying or disposing of a marker

Suspended or cancelled permits

Key information

• In NSW, you need a paintball venue permit to operate a paintball business.
• You do not need to complete the paintball marker safety training course to get a paintball venue permit.
• Use of paintball markers must be supervised by an employee who holds a valid permit or has completed an approved safety training course.
• Paintball permits do not allow you to use a paintball marker outside an authorised venue.

Paintball activities

Paintball is a sport where teams or individual players compete to eliminate each other by shooting paint-filled pellets from a paintball marker (also known as a paintball gun).

Paintball markers are no longer considered firearms regulated by NSW Police. They are recreational sporting devices managed by Fair Trading in the interest of public safety.

Activities can only be conducted at an authorised venue under the supervision of employees who have completed the NSW paintball safety training course.

There are three types of paintball permits. You do not need a permit to play paintball, only to operate a paintball business, own a paintball marker, or bring a paintball marker into NSW from overseas.

These permits are explained below. You must be at least 18 years old to be eligible for a permit.

Paintball permits

Players under 18 years old

Provided they have written consent from a parent or guardian, any child 12 years and over can play paintball at an authorised venue, using the paintball markers supplied by that venue.

People under the age of 18 cannot own a paintball marker.

Laws to follow

There are laws you must follow to run a paintball business or to hold a paintball permit.

The Paintball Act 2018 (the Act) and Paintball Regulation 2019 (the Regulation) set out the requirements for paintball businesses and permit holders.

This page explains the rules you need to follow in simple language. You should refer to the legislation for specific legal requirements.

Safety, training, storage and transportation

To ensure the safe and lawful use of paintball markers, you must be aware of your responsibilities to run a paintball business or to supervise paintball activities at an authorised venue.

Significant penalties apply if you don’t meet these requirements.

Safety

Wearing protective clothing and equipment is mandatory. As a minimum requirement, appropriate clothing and equipment include a paintball helmet and mask, or other protective covering for the eyes and face.

You must also wear enclosed shoes and other clothing that covers as much of the body as is reasonable in the circumstance.

The paintball game area must be clearly marked with signage and boundaries to show where a paintball marker can be used. A paintball marker can't be used in any area other than the paintball game area.

You must not enter a paintball game area at any time if there is already a paintball marker being used unless you are wearing the appropriate protective clothing or equipment (or both).

Training and supervision

To get a paintball marker permit, you must have completed the NSW paintball marker safety training course (for applications lodged from 1 December 2021). This course addresses the safe use of paintball markers and the safe conduct of activities associated with paintball markers.

To complete this course, please visit the paintball marker safety training course page at TAFE NSW.

The completion of an approved training course is no longer required for a paintball venue permit. However, venue permit holders must ensure the use of paintball markers are supervised by an employee who either

• holds a current paintball marker permit, or
• has completed an approved training course that addresses the safe use of paintball markers, and the safe conduct of activities associated with paintball markers (see note below).

New supervisors employed by venue permit holders on or after 1 December 2021 who supervise paintball games and do not have a current paintball marker permit, are required by law to complete the NSW paintball marker safety training course.

Existing supervisors who previously completed the NSW police general firearms course for long arms prior to 1 December 2021 (as per legislative requirements) do not need to complete the NSW paintball marker safety training course.

If you're visiting a venue, you don’t need to complete an approved training course. However, the venue may provide you with a safety induction.

Storage

All paintball markers must be stored:

• in an inoperable state (such as having the gas canister removed), and
• in a locked metal container to prevent unauthorised access.

Transportation

All paintball markers must be in an inoperable state and concealed in a secured bag or locked container when being transported.

A paintball marker must not be left unattended when being transported.

Notification when receiving, supplying or disposing of a marker

If you are an authorised supplier who receives, sells, or disposes of/destroys paintball markers in NSW, you need to notify NSW Fair Trading within 7 days of the transaction.

What transactions should I notify Fair Trading about?

You must notify NSW Fair Trading within 7 days when you:

• receive a paintball marker into possession/or stock. This includes receiving a marker order from outside NSW or receiving a marker from a paintball marker permit holder
• supply/or sell a paintball marker (please refer to the exception below for venue-to-venue transfers)
• dispose of and destroy a paintball marker (e.g. if the marker is scrapped).

Exception: If you hold a paintball venue permit and transfer/share a paintball marker to another paintball venue permit holder under a paintball marker sharing arrangement, you are not required to notify us provided the marker is returned to you within 14 days. If not returned within 14 days, you must notify us within 7 days after the end of those 14 days. See the section on sharing below for more information.

If any of these apply to you, you must:

• download and complete the relevant section of the ‘Supplier notification template’ (Excel spreadsheet), and
• submit your notification using the online notification form.

Our licensing team can assist with your online application if you have any difficulty in submitting your notification. Please call 13 32 20 or visit your local service centre in person if internet access is an issue.

If you are unable to apply online, you can:

• download and complete the ‘Notification of supply or disposal of paintball markers (PDF form), and
• email it to [email protected].

Who is an authorised supplier?

Authorised paintball marker suppliers include:

• the holder of a paintball venue permit issued in NSW
• the holder of a firearms dealer licence under the Firearms Act 1996
• the holder of a weapons dealer permit under the Weapons Prohibition Act 1998.

If you're a paintball venue permit holder, you are only authorised to supply paintball markers for the following purposes:

• to a person at your paintball venue, solely for the temporary use of the paintball marker at that venue
• to a paintball permit holder
• to another holder of a paintball venue permit under a paintball marker sharing arrangement (see the section below on sharing).

Sharing paintball markers between paintball venue permit holders

Paintball venue permit holders can enter paintball marker sharing arrangements with other venue permit holders.

A paintball marker sharing arrangement provides flexibility to paintball businesses, especially during high demand periods, avoiding the need to purchase additional equipment that may only be used infrequently.

You and the recipient (i.e. the other venue permit holder involved in the sharing arrangement) must keep a detailed record of the sharing arrangement for 7 years.

The shared markers must be returned within 14 days.

If by the end of that 14 days the paintball marker is not returned to you, you have 7 days to notify us.

As part of this process, you will need to provide the paintball marker’s serial number and contact details of the recipient in your supplier notification form. This will go onto a register of paintball markers that we will maintain.

Under the legislation, we are required to maintain a register of the paintball markers which provides us with necessary information regarding the possession and location of paintball markers.

Suspended or cancelled permits

Disciplinary action, including suspension or cancellation of a permit, serving a notice to show cause, cautions, imposing conditions on a permit and disqualification from holding a permit may be taken in a number of circumstances including when a permit holder has:

• failed to comply with a condition of a permit
• engaged in improper or unethical conduct which indicated the holder is unfit to hold a permit.
• not complied with the Paintball Act 2018 and Paintball Regulation 2019.