Firearms application guidance

You must read this guidance BEFORE completing the online Application for the grant or renewal of a firearm or shotgun certificate.

Definitions

Firearm

Section 1 of the Firearms Act 1968 applies to all firearms except:

• a shotgun
• an air weapon (unless declared ‘specially dangerous’)
• prohibited weapons such as centre fire self-loading rifles, handguns, machine guns etc (unless specifically authorised)

Shotgun

Section 1(3)a of the Firearms Act 1968 defines a shotgun as:

• a smooth bore gun (not being an air weapon)
• having a barrel not less than 24’’ (60.96cm) in length and a bore not exceeding 2’’ (5.08cm) in diameter
• either having no magazine, or a non-detachable magazine incapable of holding more than two cartridges
• not a revolver gun

Referees

1. When applying for a firearm certificate, you should have gained the permission of two people who have agreed to act as referees for you. You must complete the online form with their details.
   
   When applying for a shotgun certificate you should have gained the permission of one person to act as a referee for you. You must complete the online form with their details.
   
   
2. The referees who have agreed to act for you must have known you personally for at least two years and must be resident in Great Britain.
   
   A referee must not be a member of your immediate family, a registered firearms dealer, a serving police officer, a police employee, a Police and Crime Commissioner or a member of their staff, or a member of the Scottish Police Authority.
   
   Referees must be of good character and any references they agree to provide must be given freely and not on payment.

Coterminous applications

3. To apply for both a firearm certificate and a shotgun certificate and to have them expire at the same time (coterminous certificates), you should select the option of both a firearm and a shotgun on the online form.
   
   The fee payable for such certificates may be less than the normal fee for the grant or renewal of a shotgun certificate if both of your applications are dealt with at the same time.

Duty of confidentiality

4. You must arrange for a doctor with a full, specialist or GP GMC registration and a licence to practise, to provide factual information to us about any relevant medical conditions related to your suitability to possess a firearm or shotgun.
   
   You will need to consent to the doctor to share your medical records with us to make a fully informed decision on your application, or on your continued suitability to possess a firearm or shotgun while the certificate remains valid.
   
   You must inform us if you are diagnosed with, or treated for, a medical condition listed in note 6 while the certificate remains valid.

Medical information

5. You must disclose any relevant physical or mental health conditions that you have been diagnosed with or treated for in the past, as this may affect your ability to safely possess and use a firearm or shotgun. Relevant medical conditions which must be disclosed are listed in note 6.
   
   Sections 27 and 28 of the Firearms Act 1968 specify that in order to issue a firearm or shotgun certificate, the chief officer of police must be satisfied that an applicant can be permitted to possess a gun ‘without danger to the public safety or the peace’.
   
   Medical fitness is one of the factors we must consider when assessing a person’s suitability.
   
   
6. Relevant medical conditions which must be disclosed are:

• acute stress reaction or an acute reaction to the stress caused by a trauma, including post traumatic stress disorder
• suicidal thoughts or self harm or harm to others
• depression or anxiety
• dementia
• mania, bipolar disorder or a psychotic illness
• a personality disorder
• a neurological condition: for example, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s or Huntington’s diseases, or epilepsy
• alcohol or drug abuse
• any other mental or physical condition, or combination of conditions, which you think may be relevant
  
  If in doubt, consult your doctor or contact Firearms licensing.

7. It is your responsibility to arrange for a doctor with a full, specialist or GP GMC registration and a licence to practise (including where a doctor is providing this service for a private company), to provide medical information to us concerning your suitability to possess a firearm or shotgun.
   
   You will need to download the doctor’s letter and medical information proforma (PDF) and pass to the doctor for completion.
   
   You are expected to meet the cost if a fee is charged for this.
   
   When the medical information is being provided to us by a doctor from a private company, the doctor must receive the applicant’s medical information direct from the GP practice and not via the applicant.
   
   The doctor’s letter and proforma must be sent to Firearms Licensing.
   
   
8. With regards to data protection, it should be noted that the medical information will be processed on a public interest basis for the legitimate policing purpose of assessing the suitability of someone to be granted a firearm or shotgun certificate.
   
   
9. Medical practitioners have separately requested that an applicant’s consent is provided in order for medical practitioners to be satisfied that they have discharged their obligations under their duty of confidentiality in relation to their patients. The application form requests the applicant’s consent for the release of the information for that reason.
   
   
10. Where the doctor indicates that there are relevant medical issues and we require further medical information to consider the application, you should obtain a report about these medical issues. You are expected to meet the cost of a fee if it is charged. Following this, if we require an additional report to be provided they will meet the cost of the fee charged.
    
    
11. We will ask your GP to place an encoded reminder on your patient record to indicate that you have been issued with a firearm or shotgun certificate. The GP is asked to notify us if, following issue of the certificate, you are diagnosed with or treated for a relevant medical condition (listed in note 6), or if the GP has other concerns about your possession of a certificate that might affect your safe possession of firearms. Following contact from your GP there may be a need for a medical report to be obtained to assist with assessment of your continued suitability to possess a firearm or shotgun certificate. We will pay if a medical report is required.
    
    
12. Following the issue of a firearm or shotgun certificate, the declaration you have signed consenting to information sharing between us and your doctor applies during the application process and during the validity of any firearm or shotgun certificate, which may be up to five years.
    
    
13. You are expected to inform us if, following issue of the certificate, you are diagnosed with or treated for a relevant medical condition while the certificate remains valid.
    
    
14. You should inform us if you change your GP practice and provide contact details for the new practice.
    
    
15. You are asked to provide details of GP practices over the past 10 years and whether you have consulted medical practitioners other than at your GP practice, so that all relevant information is available to us to assist with our assessment of suitability to possess a firearm certificate.
    
    Military personnel who are posted abroad and have a service GP may still be regarded as resident in the UK for the purposes of the application.

Convictions and offences

16. You must not withhold information about any conviction. This includes motoring offences (including speeding offences), bindovers, formal written cautions and convictions in and outside Great Britain, and (by virtue of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975) convictions which are spent under the 1974 Act.
    
    A conditional discharge and an absolute discharge both count as convictions for this purpose. Details of parking offences and fixed penalty notices do not need to be declared.
    
    
17. Section 21 of the Firearms Act 1968 places restrictions on the possession of firearms and ammunition by those previously convicted of crime. A person receiving a sentence of imprisonment of three months or more is prohibited from possessing a firearm, shotgun, antique firearm, air weapon or ammunition for five years from the date of their release. In the case of a suspended sentence the prohibition applies from the second day after being sentenced. If the sentence is three years or more the prohibition applies for life unless lifted by the Crown (or Sheriff) Court.

Inspection of premises

18. You will need to allow us to inspect your guns and security when requested, as in the absence of a warrant consent is required for the police to inspect premises.

Photographs

19. A digital photograph must be used for online applications. Photographs must be of a professional standard, against a plain cream or grey background and without other objects or people in the background.
    
    The photograph must be a true likeness and full face without a head covering (unless it is worn for religious or medical reasons). In your photograph you must be looking straight at the camera, have a neutral expression, with your eyes open and mouth closed. You must not wear sunglasses or tinted glasses, and the photographs must not have any ‘red eye.’

Equality monitoring

20. The equality monitoring information you provide in the online form aims to assist us in meeting our duties as a Public Authority. The information will be kept separately from the application.

Submission of application

21. The receipt for electronic applications, where these are available, will be automatically generated by the system.
    
    In the case of an application for renewal, a signed and dated recent copy of the certificate to be renewed should be sent to us when you submit your application.
    
    If an application is being made for a variation, the certificate to be varied must be included with your application. (You may wish to keep a copy of the certificate.)

Section 1 Firearms only

22. To acquire or possess firearms or ammunition under Section 1 of the Firearms Act 1968, you have to provide evidence that you have a good reason to do so. This applies to the grant, renewal or variation of a firearm certificate.
    
    This evidence can take several forms, for example, permission to shoot over land or membership of a target shooting club, or a booking or invitation to go deer stalking. These examples are not exhaustive.
    
    
23. You will need to provide the address of one area of land where you have permission to shoot, together with the name, address and telephone number of the person who has given you that permission, or the details of a Home Office approved club of which you are a full member.
    
    You will not necessarily be limited to shooting over that individual piece of land or at that club.