The Licensing Office has published guidelines to assist members of the public in understanding the procedures to be followed when applying for various types of licences issued by the Commissioner of Police. They are available in English and Chinese, and can be obtained by visiting our website or our office in person.
Address: 12/F, Arsenal House, Police Headquarters, 1 Arsenal Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Office hours:
9:00 am to 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 5:45 pm on weekdays.
Closed on Saturdays, Sundays and general holidays
Service Delivered
This performance pledge covers all licences and permits issued by the Commissioner of Police.
Performance Standards and Targets
Performance targets for services provided by the Licensing Office are expressed in terms of the time required to process each application. The attainment of these targets is subject to the sufficiency of the information provided in your application. In the event that the information provided by the applicant is found to be insufficient, the Licensing Office will require additional time to process the application.
| Application / Licence / Permit | Working days required for processing |
|---|---|
| Licence for Possession (Individual) (Firearms) | 24 days |
| Limited Licence for Possession (Firearms) | 2 days (in person) 9 days (by other means) |
| Exemption Permit (General) (Firearms) | 24 days |
| Exemption Permit (TV/Film Shooting or Sports) (Firearms) | 9 days |
| Authorisation for Arms Instructor | 2 calendar months |
| Approval for Range Officer | 2 calendar months |
| Approval for Agent for Arms Licence | 1 calendar month |
| Pawnbroker Licence | 26 days |
| Massage Establishment Licence (for the issuance 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 |
The processing time required for each type of Firearms Dealer's Licence is subject to individual applications and the requirements specified.
Service Commitment
The Licensing Office is committed to providing professional and efficient services to the public. Upon receiving an application, the Office will notify the applicant that the application has been received and is being processed.
Effective Monitoring
The HKPF will monitor the aforementioned standards internally.
The Public's Role
The Licensing Office welcomes comments and suggestions from members of the public. Under certain circumstances, processing times for your application may exceed the target timeframe. This may arise due to high demand for specific services or if the application lacks requisite information. Should you consider that your application has not been handled adequately, you may direct your enquiries to the officer-in-charge of the relevant section for an explanation regarding the delay.
Channels for Complaints
If you consider that your case has not been handled adequately, you may file a complaint via any of the following channels:
Visit the report room at any police station;
Make an appointment through the complaint hotline at 2866 7700 to lodge a complaint in person to the Complaints Against Police Office;
Call the complaint hotline at 2866 7700, or send your complaint by fax to 2200 4460 or 2200 4461;
Send your complaint by post to the Complaints Against Police Office, Police Headquarters, 1 Arsenal Street, Wan Chai; or
Use the "Complaint Against Police e-Report form" available on the HKPF website, or the "e-Report Centre" on the "Hong Kong Police Mobile App".
Download "Hong Kong Police Mobile App"
Where to Go for Further Information
For further information, please call the relevant licensing section:
| Arms Licensing Section | 2860 6536 |
| Liquor and Miscellaneous Licensing Section | 2860 6524 |
| Societies Office | 2860 3572 |
| Security Personnel Permit Section | 2860 6543 |
| Public Order Events Support Section | 2860 6551 |
