WIREDGOV

The firearms licensing system in England and Wales is not fit for purpose and a new national firearms licensing authority should be created to better protect public safety, a new report from the policing inspectorate has found.

Get the report : An inspection of firearms licensing across police forces in England and Wales

More than a decade since His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) last highlighted weaknesses in the national firearms licensing system, HMICFRS has found that inconsistent practice and decision-making remains.

In a new report, the inspectorate found unclear guidance and legislation, combined with poor supervision and oversight, are creating inconsistencies and risks to public safety. This has resulted in a postcode lottery in the level of scrutiny, service and processing times experienced by applicants and certificate holders.

During the ten years to March 2025, shootings involving legally held firearms led to the murder of at least 39 people, underlining the importance of a clear, consistent and robust licensing system.

HMICFRS is therefore calling for a new national firearms licensing authority to be created. The new authority should replace the current 38 firearms and explosive licensing units (FELUs) in England and Wales and be responsible for assessing firearm and shotgun certificate applications, renewals and ongoing monitoring.

The national firearms licensing authority should combine locally based personnel to carry out suitability visits with a single national structure and central control. This would bring greater consistency to decision-making, risk management, training, governance and performance oversight.

His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary Lee Freeman KPM said:

“Most of the nearly 500,000 certificate holders use their firearms and shotguns responsibly for lawful recreation or as essential tools for work. But they are faced with a postcode lottery in the service they receive from firearms and explosive licensing units.

“They, and the wider public, deserve a system that is clear, consistent and robust. We found the current system is none of these things.

“This is not the first time the inspectorate and others have raised concerns about firearms licensing, and change is now overdue.

“A new national firearms licensing authority should be created to better protect public safety. Further tragedies shouldn’t be required before action is taken.”

The inspectorate also found that:

• the legal framework is outdated and overly complex, spread across more than 30 pieces of legislation;
• guidance is fragmented and open to interpretation, meaning police forces are applying the rules inconsistently;
• training for firearms licensing decision makers, administrative staff and senior leaders remains inconsistent and is often absent; and
• suitability checks vary significantly between and within FELUs.

Alongside its recommendation to create a new national firearms licensing authority, HMICFRS has made another 22 recommendations. The recommendations are designed to keep the public safe and support lawful firearms ownership. This includes:

• modernising firearms legislation and introducing legally enforceable rules;
• requiring all firearm and shotgun certificate applicants to have an in-person medical assessment, rather than relying only on written records;
• aligning the rules for firearms (such as rifles) and shotguns, which are currently regulated differently despite both being potentially lethal weapons;
• requiring firearms applicants to pass a standardised assessment of competence; and
• introducing a digital verification system, similar to the QR codes used for driving licences, to reduce the risk of people using forged certificates to buy firearms or shotguns.

Get the report : An inspection of firearms licensing across police forces in England and Wales

Notes

• For further information, please contact the HMICFRS Press Office on 0300 071 6781 or HMICPressOffice@hmicfrs.gov.uk.
• HMICFRS has previously published national firearms licensing inspection reports, including ‘Targeting the risk: an inspection of the efficiency and effectiveness of firearms licensing in police forces in England and Wales’.