NZ firearms licence photo maker

A New Zealand firearms licence photo for an online MyFirearms application is a portrait JPG in a 3:4 shape, 900 to 4500 pixels wide and 1200 to 6000 pixels high, between 25 KB and 10 MB. It must be in colour, taken within the last 12 months, and show your head and shoulders against a plain, light-coloured background.

Free, no watermark
Photo stays on your device
No retouching
Rules checked 12 November 2026

NZ firearms licence photo requirements

File format	JPG or JPEG
Pixel size	900 to 4500 pixels wide and 1200 to 6000 pixels high
Shape	Portrait format, 4:3 aspect ratio
File size	Between 25 KB and 10 MB
How recent	Taken within the last 12 months
Background	Plain and light-coloured
Colour	In colour and in focus
Framing	Head and shoulders, with the head filling most of the photo
Paper application	One colour print, 35 mm wide by 45 mm high

Checked against the official source on 12 November 2026. Source: Firearms Safety and Education NZ: Application process · Firearms Safety and Education NZ: Apply or reapply · New Zealand Firearms Licence Application Form FRM23FLA (PDF). Rules change without notice, so read the official page before you submit.

What the photo must show

A good likeness of you, in colour and in focus.
A full front view of your face: chin to forehead and both sides of your face.
A neutral facial expression.
Your head and shoulders, with your head filling most of the photograph.
No hat or head covering, except where your religion requires you to wear one.
A digital photo, not a scanned copy of a printed photograph.

Recommended framing: the official rules give no exact head size for this photo, so the examples use our recommendation of about 55 to 70% of the photo height, from chin to the top of the hair. The tool marks it as a recommendation, not a rule.

Why there is no background remover. Official photo rules refuse photos whose background has been changed by software, so this tool never alters your photo. If the check says the background is not plain, retake the photo against a plain, light wall: how to get a plain background at home.

Applying online through MyFirearms

Firearms Safety and Education New Zealand calls MyFirearms the fastest way to apply or reapply for a firearms licence. You need a mobile phone and a RealMe login, but not a RealMe verified identity. The photo is uploaded with the application form, alongside scans or photos of your identity documents. Its guidance says passport photos from commercial outlets will typically meet the requirements.

Paper applications

If you cannot apply online, you can send the paper form by courier after paying the fee at an NZ Post shop. The current form (FRM23FLA, September 2026) asks for one coloured photograph, similar to a passport photo, 35 mm wide by 45 mm high, to be displayed on your licence card. It says you must print high quality digital photos and that scanned copies are not accepted. This page's tool makes the online file; for a print, use the 35 × 45 mm photo page and follow the rules above.

Who issues the licence

Firearms licences are handled by Firearms Safety and Education New Zealand. Older application forms carried the name Te Tari Pūreke – Firearms Safety Authority, a business unit of New Zealand Police.

Common problems with NZ firearms licence photos

A scanned copy of a printed photo, which is not accepted.
A landscape photo instead of a portrait one in a 4:3 shape.
A file under 25 KB, often a copy shrunk by a messaging app.
A photo where the head is small in the frame instead of filling most of it.
A cap, hat or hood that is not worn for religious reasons.
A black and white photo, or a patterned or dark background.

A fictional woman photographed correctly for an ID photo: facing the camera, neutral expression, plain off-white wall, even light. — Example photos show a fictional person and were generated for this site as illustrations.

The same woman lit from one side, with a dark shadow on the wall behind her and one side of her face darker. — Example photos show a fictional person and were generated for this site as illustrations.

More on this in why ID photos get rejected. The examples use an off-white wall. The background row in the table above gives the exact colour this document asks for.

How to use this tool

Ask someone to take the photo from about 1.5 m, at eye level, in even daylight in front of a plain wall.
Add the photo above. The tool finds your face and frames it to the size on this page.
Check the green lines: one on the top of your head, one on your chin. Drag or zoom to adjust.
Read the automatic checks, then download. Nothing in the photo is retouched, only cropped and resized.

Questions about the NZ firearms licence photo

What size is a New Zealand firearms licence photo?

For a MyFirearms application, a portrait JPG in a 4:3 aspect ratio, 900 to 4500 pixels wide and 1200 to 6000 pixels high, between 25 KB and 10 MB. A paper application needs one colour print 35 mm wide by 45 mm high.

Can I use a passport photo for my NZ firearms licence?

Usually. Firearms Safety and Education New Zealand says passport photos from commercial outlets will typically meet its requirements. The photo must still be less than 12 months old and in colour.

Can I scan a printed photo for a firearms licence application?

No. The guidance says a scanned copy of a photograph will not be accepted. Upload the original digital photo instead.

Can I wear a hat in my NZ firearms licence photo?

No, unless your religion requires you to wear a hat or head covering. The photo must show a full front view of your face from chin to forehead and both sides of your face.