Licensing Office
This leaflet tells you about the standards of service which you can expect from the Police Licensing Office when you submit your application. It also tells you the steps you can take if you want to comment on the service you receive or complain about the way services have been delivered.
To assist you, application guidelines have been produced for licences/permits for which the Commissioner of Police is the Licensing Authority. These guidelines explain in detail the procedures to be followed when applying for a particular licence or permit. They are available in English and Chinese and can be obtained by browsing our website, writing to us, calling our fax hotline or visiting us direct.
Our office is located in 12/F, Arsenal House, Police Headquarters, No.1 Arsenal Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong. Our office hours are from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 5:45 pm on weekdays. The office is closed on Saturdays, Sundays and general holidays. You may also obtain the details through fax by calling our 24-hour service hotline at 2860 2973, or through Internet by visiting our website at http://www.police.gov.hk/ppp_en/11_useful_info/licences/.
Service Delivered
This performance pledge covers issuance of all the licences and permits by the Commissioner of Police acting in the capacity of the Licensing Authority.
Performance Standards and Targets
Performance targets for services provided by the Police Licensing Office are expressed in terms of time required to process your application. The targets depend much on the quality of information provided in your application and if insufficient information is supplied, this will affect the time required to process your application.
| Service / Application / Notification | Working days required to process an application, issue a licence / permit |
| Licence for Possession (Firearms) | 24 days |
| Limited Licence for Possession (Firearms) | 9 days (by post) |
| 2 days (in person) | |
| Exemption Permit (General) (Firearms) | 24 days |
| Exemption Permit (Film Shooting or Sports)(Firearms) | 9 days |
| Arms Instructor | 2 calendar months |
| Range Officer | 2 calendar months |
| Agent for Arms Licence | 1 calendar month |
| Pawnbroker Licence | 26 days |
| Massage Establishment Licence(for the issue of a letter of approval-in-principle for establishments) | 35 days |
| Temporary Liquor Licence | 12 days |
| Societies Registration | 12 days |
| Lion / Dragon / Unicorn Dance Permit | 14 days |
| Security Personnel Permit | 6 days |
Other Services
| - On receipt of your application, we will issue an acknowledgement letter informing you that your application has been received and is being processed. |
| - Telephone enquiries will be answered and dealt with in a courteous and efficient manner, with the officer stating his/her name. |
| - The time taken to process full and restricted firearms dealers licences will depend on individual applications and related requirements. |
Effective Monitoring
The Force will monitor these standards internally.
Service Environment
The Police Licensing Office is committed to providing an efficient and professional service.
Your Role
To improve our service, we welcome comments or suggestions on the way in which these services are delivered and how they can be improved. There may be occasions, for example, because of high demands for a particular service, or when your application does not contain all the relevant information – when the time taken to process your application may take slightly longer than the target times. If you feel that your application has not been dealt with adequately, you can contact the Senior Clerical Officer of the appropriate licensing section who will provide an explanation for any delay incurred.
Right of Appeal
If you have a complaint about the service provided, you may write to the Complaints Against Police Reporting Centre, Ground Floor, Annex Block, Caine House, No.3 Arsenal Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong or call the 24-hour complaint hotline (2866 7700). If, however, you wish to appeal against the Commissioner's decision, you should follow the notes contained in the respective guidelines and where necessary, consult your legal adviser.
Where to Go for Further Information
You should telephone the relevant licensing section :
Arms Licensing Section 2860 6536
General Licensing Section 2860 6524
Societies Office 2860 3572
Security Personnel Permit Section 2860 6543
Hong Kong Police August 2015