The Firearms (Amendment) Rules 2025

Made: 22nd July 2025

Coming into force: 5th August 2025

The Secretary of State makes these Rules in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 26A(1), 26B(1) and (2)(b) and 53(a) of the Firearms Act 1968[^f00001].

Citation, commencement and extent

1

• (1) These Rules may be cited as the Firearms (Amendment) Rules 2025 and shall come into force on 5th August 2025.

• (2) These Rules extend to England and Wales and Scotland.

Amendments to the Firearms Rules 1998

2

• (1) The Firearms Rules 1998[^f00002] are amended as follows.

• (2) In rule 5 (shotgun certificates), for paragraph (3)(a) substitute—

(a) the names and addresses of two persons who have agreed to act as referees and

• (3) In rule 6 (referee: shotgun certificate), in the heading for “referee” substitute “referees”.

• (4) In Schedule 1 (form of application for firearm and shotgun certificates, and firearm certificate), for the form in Part I (application for the grant or renewal of a firearm and/or shotgun certificate) substitute the form in Schedule 1 to these Rules (application for the grant or renewal of a firearm and/or shotgun certificate).

• (5) In Schedule 5 (firearms dealers: forms of application, notification and registers), for the form in Part I (firearms dealers: application for registration or for new certificate of registration) substitute the form in Schedule 2 to these Rules (firearms dealers: application for registration or for new certificate of registration).

Transitional arrangements

3

• (1) The amendment made by rule 2(2) of these Rules has no effect in relation to an application for the grant or renewal of a shotgun certificate that is received on or before 5th September 2025 by the chief officer of police for the area in which the applicant resides.

• (2) An application for the grant or renewal of a firearm certificate or a shotgun certificate may continue to be made using the application form which is replaced by rule 2(4) if it is received on or before 5th September 2025 by the chief officer of police for the area in which the applicant resides.

• (3) An application for registration or for a new certificate of registration for firearms dealers may continue to be made using the application form which is replaced by rule 2(5) if it is received on or before 5th September 2025 by the chief officer of police for the area in which the applicant resides.

Schedule 1 — Application for the grant or renewal of a firearm and/or shotgun certificate

Schedule 2 — Firearms dealers: application for registration or for new certificate of registration

Signed

Diana Johnson — Minister of State — Home Office — 22nd July 2025

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Rules)

Explanatory Note

These Rules make amendments to the Firearms Rules 1998 (S.I. 1998/1941).

Rule 2(2) increases the number of referees required in support of an application for the grant or renewal of a shotgun certificate from one to two.

Rule 2(4) replaces the existing application form for a grant or renewal of a firearm or shotgun certificate. The new form reflects the requirement for an application for a grant or renewal of a shotgun certificate to be supported by two referees and seeks information on the applicant’s neuro-developmental conditions and time spent abroad.

Rule 2(5) replaces the existing application form for registration as a firearms dealer or for a new certificate of registration as a firearms dealer. The new form seeks information on the applicant’s neuro-developmental conditions and time spent abroad.

Rule 3 makes provision to enable chief officers to process applications which are made using the old forms that are to be replaced, provided that the application is received on or before 5th September 2025. It also provides that where an application is received for grant or renewal of a shotgun licence before 5th September 2025, the application only needs to be supported by one referee (that is, the old rule applies).

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sectors is foreseen.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1968 c. 27. Sections 26A and 26B were substituted for section 26 as originally enacted by section 37 of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 (c. 5). Section 53 was amended by section 61(3)(a) of the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 (c. 17). There are other amendments to the Firearms Act 1968 which are not relevant to these Rules.

[^f00002]: S.I. 1998/1941; relevant amending instruments are 2013/1945, 2014/1239, 2017/1281 and 2021/1172. There are other amendments to S.I. 1998/1941 which are not relevant to these Rules.

Editorial notes

[^key-69bca6b768abee1e89c5f1e28667b4cb]: Rule 1 in force at 5.8.2025, see rule 1(1)

[^key-ca39dd571c333ba92227b9843cb43370]: Rule 2 in force at 5.8.2025, see rule 1(1)

[^key-bd27fa4968eae9f6f167ac1501db352a]: Rule 3 in force at 5.8.2025, see rule 1(1)

[^key-e70e69d640dc084b91ce49580cbe9ffd]: Sch. 1 in force at 5.8.2025, see rule 1(1)

[^key-b7027d4da9c1639a0e26c6e90d76f659]: Sch. 2 in force at 5.8.2025, see rule 1(1)