Firearm and shotgun certificates

A firearm or shotgun certificate is a type of licence, issued by the police, which allows the holder to possess firearms or shotguns and associated ammunition in Great Britain. Firearm and shotgun certificates are valid for 5 years, after which they expire. The holder must apply for a renewal before their licence expires.

This release covers certificates on issue in England and Wales as at 31 March 2022, as well as historical trend data and police force comparisons. Certificates on issue in Scotland are published by Police Scotland. This release also provides information on certificates granted or refused for new and renewal applications, certificates revoked, registered firearms dealers and visitors’ permits. It also includes figures on the number of people that hold a firearm and or shotgun certificate, by age and gender, breakdowns of firearm and shotgun types, and experimental statistics on lost and stolen firearms and shotguns.

The statistics in this release were extracted from the National Firearms Licensing Management System (NFLMS). This system is a register of all people who have applied for, or have been granted, a certificate to possess or acquire a firearm or shotgun and includes registered firearms dealers. The system is continually updated as it is a live operational database, so these statistics represent a snapshot of a point in time.