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Apply for a licence
To apply for a shotgun or firearms licence you will need to contact your local police force. Many police forces now have the forms available to download online, please follow this link to find your local force www.police.uk. Before applying for your licence we recommend that you read the articles below.
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Gun safety
The first and most fundamental rule of shooting is to be able to handle a gun safely. Firearms are not inherently dangerous – they only become so when they are incorrectly or carelessly handled. Always observe safe procedures when using firearms, and in doing so you will be respected as a safe shooter with whom others are happy to shoot.
Checking the state of your firearm
Whenever you pick a gun up or have one passed to you by someone else, check whether it is loaded by opening the breech or, if it is a rifle, drawing back the bolt. Do this without fail, even if you believe the gun to be empty.
When passing a gun to someone else, make sure it is unloaded before passing it in such a manner that the other person can see the empty breech or chamber.
With a magazine shotgun or rifle, remember that there may still be ammunition in the magazine, even if the chamber is empty.
Check that your gun is unloaded before putting it into its slip or case, before bringing it into a house and before putting it away in its storage cabinet.
Never load a gun in a house.
In the field
When carrying a shotgun or rifle in the field, never point it at anyone, or at anything you do not intend to shoot. Keep the barrel(s) pointing either at the ground or at the sky. Cultivate ‘muzzle awareness’ so that you know instinctively at all times where your gun is pointing.
Load your gun with the barrel pointing in a safe direction. Close a shotgun by bringing the stock up to meet the barrel. Always keep your fingers clear of the trigger when loading and closing a firearm.
Keep the safety catch on until the moment you raise your gun to fire it. Remember that the safety catch on many shotguns only locks the triggers and does not necessarily prevent the gun from firing. Only you can do that by unloading it.
Ensure you are using ammunition of the correct bore and never mix cartridges of different bores. A small bore cartridge may drop into the chamber of a gun allowing a larger one to be loaded behind it. If the gun is fired, the pressure in the breech will be so high that the barrel may burst. Loading the wrong calibre cartridge in a rifle can also have disastrous consequences.
Never allow the barrel to be obstructed by mud, snow, twigs or other debris. If you think that you may have an obstruction, use a cleaning rod or pull-through to clear the barrel before continuing to shoot. Regularly check for obstructions before loading.
When taking a shot, always ensure that there is a safe area behind your target. If you are using a shotgun, only take a shot when there is a backdrop of solid ground or clear sky. If you are using a rifle, only shoot when there is a solid backstop of earth. Trees or bushes are not a safe backstop.
Remember that a shot from a rifle or shotgun may ricochet from stony or frozen ground, or from water.
Always be aware of where your companions, or other members of the public, may be. Never shoot if, in doing so, you may endanger another person.
Take special care when animals are present. Horses may be alarmed at the sound of your shot, thus endangering riders or other people.
Crossing obstacles
Many shooting accidents occur when crossing obstacles. When crossing a fence or other obstacle alone, unload your gun, place it on the far side of the obstacle where it will not fall over, negotiate the obstacle, pick up your gun and continue.
When crossing an obstacle with another shooter, both shooters unload and the first shooter passes his gun, open and empty, to the other before crossing the obstacle. The second shooter then passes both guns, open and empty, to the first shooter, before crossing the obstacle. The first shooter returns the second shooter’s gun, and both then continue.
Guns and vehicles
Always check that a gun is unloaded before placing it in a vehicle.
A gun should not normally be loaded and fired from a vehicle. However, there are occasions when a vehicle may properly be used as a platform for pest control. Ensure that the shooter has a proper seat, cradle or rest to shoot from, and that he does not shoot over or across the driver or another passenger. Shooting from a vehicle is a skilled operation, not suited to the beginner.
Firearms security
You are responsible for ensuring that your shotgun or firearm and ammunition do not fall into the hands of an unauthorised person.
Never leave a gun or ammunition unattended. Store it in its locked gun cabinet or other approved storage facility when it is not in use. Rifle ammunition must be stored separately under lock and key.
Take special care when travelling with your gun. Avoid leaving it in an unattended vehicle. If you have to do so, then ensure that it is out of sight in a locked luggage compartment and remove a key component such as the fore-end of a shotgun or the bolt of a rifle and carry it with you. Park the car in a well-lit place where it may be observed.
Damaged or defective guns
If your gun develops a fault, or if it is damaged in any way, do not use it. Take it to a competent gunsmith and have the fault rectified.
Ensure that your gun is properly maintained. Clean it after shooting and before returning it to its store. Have it checked over annually by a competent gunsmith. Badly maintained guns present a safety hazard.
Always use ammunition which corresponds with the proof marks on your gun. Using ammunition which generates higher pressures than your gun was designed for is very dangerous.
Noise
Shotguns and rifles generate sufficiently high levels of noise to cause damage to your hearing and that of people in close proximity. Wear hearing protection when using a gun and consider fitting your rifle with a sound moderator.
Firearms licence application process
A firearms certificate is required before you can purchase or posses any firearm, ammunition or certain parts of a firearm.
This article will guide you through the requirements for applying for your certificate.
Good Reason
The form asks you to specify the type and calibre of firearm which you wish to acquire, and the reason for which you require the firearm. You will have to indicate where you intend to use the rifle.
If your application is for quarry shooting, then this should be land over which you have permission to shoot, by payment or otherwise.The land should obviously be frequented by the quarry you intend to hunt, but there is no requirement for you to have permanent access to it, and the police recognise that many rifle shooters make only occasional stalking trips or rent shooting opportunity such as deer stalking by the day. Provide details of the landowner, agent, factor, stalker or other person who has given you authority to shoot.
Land
Provided that the proposed land is considered suitable, a newly granted certificate will normally be limited to the piece of land specified plus any other land deemed suitable by the chief officer of police for the area in which it is situated. In most cases, establishing whether land is regarded as suitable should not present any difficulty. If there is already a firearm certificate on issue for the land in question covering a similar class of firearm, then it will have been deemed suitable.
An ‘open certificate’ will entitle you to shoot on any land over which you have permission to do so. This is normally available to more experienced firearms users, so when you have gained sufficient experience, then you can consider seeking an open certificate. All certificates should enable you to practice and zero.
Quantity of firearms, ammunition and accessories
There is no limit to the number of firearms which you may apply for authority to possess. However, you will need to provide good reason for each and every one of them.
The certificate will specify both the quantity of ammunition that you are entitled to acquire and the amount you may possess at any one time. Ensure that the latter quantity exceeds the former, to ensure that you are not obliged to run down your stocks to zero before having to buy in new supplies.
If you are considering having a sound moderator fitted to your rifle, then this will also need to be applied for and listed on your firearm certificate.
Fitness to possess
The Firearms Act 1968 requires a certificate to be granted provided that the applicant is not prohibited from possessing firearms and that the chief officer of police is satisfied that he is fit to be entrusted with them.
Individuals who have been sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 3 years or more are prohibited from possessing firearms. In addition, those who have been sentenced to a term of less than 3 years may not be allowed to possess firearms until 5 years have elapsed from their date of release.
Even if a person has not themselves been convicted of an offence for which they have served a term of imprisonment, convictions or cautions for crimes involving violence, dishonesty or a disregard for public safety will be taken into consideration in the assessment of their suitability to possess firearms, as will any association with known criminals.
Intemperate habits will call into question a person’s suitability to possess firearms. Such habits may range from violent and aggressive behaviour to intemperate use of alcohol, although it will usually be a pattern of behaviour that triggers concern rather than a one-off incident.
Licensing officers will pay particular attention to any history of mental illness that an applicant may have. As part of the application process, you are required to provide the name and address of your GP and to give authority for them to provide the police with details of your medical history. The police will only seek this information in cases where there is some specific doubt or concern that they may have.
Applicants for firearm certificates and those seeking their renewal are expected to have proper regard for the safe-keeping and handling of firearms, and they are also expected to be prepared to co-operate with the licensing authorities.
Referees
An application will need to be accompanied by two references. These must be from persons of good character who are resident in Great Britain and have known the applicant for at least two years. Anybody can act as a referee provided they are not a member of the applicant’s family, a serving police officer or civilian police employee, or a registered firearms dealer. When applying to renew a certificate for a firearm for use only for target shooting, then one of the referees must be an official of the approved rifle or muzzle-loading pistol club specified in the application. In these circumstances, the referee may be a registered firearms dealer and need not have known the applicant for at least two years. The other referee, however, must satisfy the normal requirements. The applicant is provided with two reference forms, and these must be completed by the referees and returned by them direct to the licensing department.
Statutory Conditions
A firearm certificate is issued subject to four statutory conditions:
1. The holder must sign it upon receipt, in ink
2. The holder must within seven days notify the issuing force of the theft, loss, deactivation or destruction of any firearms or ammunition to which the certificate relates
3. The holder must notify the issuing force of any change of permanent address
4. The holder must ensure safe custody of the firearms and ammunition
Security
The responsibility safely to store firearms and ammunition is normally discharged by installing a firearms security cabinet. All modern cabinets conform to BS7558, which is the approved standard of security that meets Home Office guidelines. Ammunition should be stored in a separate lockable container, and most gun cabinets designed for Section 1 firearms have integral ammunition containers.
Additional security measures may be required if you possess a large number of firearms, if you live in an area with a high risk of burglary or if the building is regularly unoccupied, and these might include the fitting of window locks or the use of alarm systems. An enquiry officer from the firearms licensing team will normally visit your home as part of the application process, and they will be able to advise.
Exemptions from the requirement to hold a firearm certificate
A person who is 17 years of age or more may, without holding a firearm certificate, borrow a rifle from the occupier of private premises and use it in the presence of the occupier or his servant, provided that the occupier or servant in whose presence the rifle is used holds a certificate for the rifle in question, and that the borrower complies with any conditions attached to the certificate.
A person (such as a gun-bearer) who is not a firearm certificate holder may possess a firearm whilst under instructions from the person holding the firearm certificate. They may not of course use the rifle. This clause does not provide authority for a non-certificate holder to transport a rifle around the country on behalf of the certificate holder.
A member of a Home Office approved rifle club who is not a firearm certificate holder may borrow a rifle for use on the club’s approved range, for target shooting only.
A person who is not a firearm certificate holder, but who holds a Permit issued by the police under Section 7 of the Firearms Act 1968 may possess a rifle and ammunition. Such permits are normally granted to for the purposes of temporary possession, for instance to allow the executors of an estate to legally dispose of firearms and ammunition that belonged to a deceased person.
Visitors to the UK may obtain a Visitors Firearm Permit which enables them to bring their firearms and ammunition into the country.
Additional exemptions exist for those in certain trades or professions, such as carriers, warehousemen and auctioneers. Registered Firearms Dealers do not require a separate certificate for rifles possessed in the course of their business. Crown servants, such as members of the armed services and the police, do not require a certificate for the use of firearms in the course of their duty, though they still require a certificate for their own personal firearms used for private purposes.
A firearm certificate is granted by the police force in the area where the applicant normally lives, so to apply for one you must obtain the prescribed application form (form 101) from your local police (to find your local police force online please visit www.police.uk)
Shotgun licence application process
In order to possess a shotgun, a person must hold a shotgun certificate.
This article will guide you through the requirements for applying for your certificate. You will need to include four passport photos of yourself and the correct fee with your application.
Countersignature
The application form must also be countersigned by a person who is resident in Great Britain who has known you for at least two years and who is prepared to say that they know of no good reason why you should not be permitted to possess a shotgun. The regulations state that the person countersigning an application form must be an MP, a magistrate, a minister of religion, a doctor, a lawyer, an established civil servant, a bank officer or a person of similar standing. Since it is accepted that this list may be restrictive and that many applicants for shotgun certificates may not be personally known to people falling into these professional categories, the police allow a degree of flexibility over the selection of countersignatories. One of the photographs submitted with the application form must also be endorsed on the back by the countersignatory to confirm that it is a true likeness of the applicant.
Grant of certificate
The police will grant a certificate unless the applicant is debarred from possessing firearms by reason of a criminal record or they believe that the applicant might endanger the peace or public safety. There is no need for an applicant to provide good reason for requiring a shotgun, and the law states that sporting and competition shooting and vermin control are sufficient reasons for having a certificate. It is normal practice for a licensing officer to visit applicants personally at grant and renewal.
Validity
A shotgun certificate is valid for five years from the date of grant or renewal and contains the name, address and photograph of the holder, together with a list of the shotguns he possesses. Also indicated on the certificate is a series of conditions with which the holder must comply. First he must sign it in ink; secondly he must inform the police of the theft or loss of any shotgun to which the certificate relates; thirdly he must inform the police of any change of address; and fourthly the guns must be stored securely.
Secure storage
It is the duty of the certificate holder to ensure that, so far as is reasonably practicable, he prevents access to his guns by an unauthorised person. This duty extends both to the home and to the many situations when guns are in use or in transit. When in the home, shotguns should be stored in a secure place, such as a locked gun security cabinet. There are no regulations concerning the security of guns in parked vehicles or in other temporary accommodation. However, police guidance is that they should be kept locked in a car boot or otherwise out of sight in a locked vehicle, with some component such as the fore-end removed so that they are not ‘complete’. An alarm or immobiliser, if fitted, should be set and if possible the vehicle should be parked within sight of the responsible person. Shotguns and ammunition should not be left together.
It is possible to buy devices which clamp or attach the gun to the bodywork of a vehicle, and these may provide additional security and peace of mind.
Requirement to carry a shotgun certificate
There is no legal requirement to carry your shotgun certificate when travelling with your shotgun. However, if a police officer asks to see it and you are unable to present it, then the officer may take possession of your gun. The law states that he should see your original certificate, but many police forces will be satisfied by sight of a photocopy, the original being kept in a safe place at home. Therefore it is strongly advisable that you carry at least a copy of your certificate whenever you have your gun with you, including while out shooting.
You are required to show your shotgun certificate to the retailer when you buy cartridges.
Transfers of shotguns
When a shotgun is transferred from one person to another, whether it is sold, hired, given or lent, details of the transfer must be entered on the certificate of the transferee. Both the transferee and the transferor must inform their respective police forces within seven days of the transfer.
In the case of short term transfers of up to 72 hours it is not necessary to record or notify the transfer. Neither is it necessary to record or notify the transfer when the gun is transferred to a registered firearms dealer.
Exemptions
There are a number of exemptions from the need to hold a shotgun certificate.
1. A person such as a loader at a driven game shoot may, without holding a shotgun certificate, have a shotgun and ammunition under instructions from another person, for use by that other person for sporting purposes only.
2. A person may, without holding a shotgun certificate, borrow a shotgun from the occupier of private premises, including land, and use it on those premises in the presence of the occupier. Note that this exemption means just what it says: the gun must have been borrowed from the occupier, the premises must be private, and the occupier must be there when the gun is being used.
3. A person may, without holding a shotgun certificate, use a shotgun at a time and place approved for shooting at artificial targets by the Chief Officer of the police force area within which the place is situated. This allows the use of a gun at recognised shooting schools and clay shoots for which a special authority has been obtained. The exemption only refers to artificial targets, and does not allow live quarry shooting by non-certificate holders.
4. The police may issue a temporary permit to allow a non-certificate holder to possess shotguns. Such a permit is normally issued in special circumstances such as where the relative of a deceased person needs time in which to dispose of a shotgun.
5. Temporary visitors to Great Britain who hold a Visitors Shotgun Permit may possess shotguns without a shotgun certificate.
Shotguns and young people
There is no minimum age below which persons may not hold a shotgun certificate. Thus young people of whatever age may apply for one provided that they are physically capable of handling a gun. However, the following provisions apply:
A person below the age of 15 may not have with him a shotgun unless he is under the direct supervision of a person of 21 or over, or unless the shotgun is in a securely fastened cover so that it cannot be fired.
A person aged between 15 and 18 may be given or lent a shotgun and may use it without supervision. However, he may not buy or hire a shotgun or ammunition for it.
A person aged 18 or over may buy or hire a shotgun and ammunition. | 
