Change of https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statutory-guidance-for-police-on-firearms-licensing

Change description : 2025-08-05 09:30:00: The statutory guidance amendments include changes relating to referees, evidence of domestic abuse or other violence, evidence of dishonesty, the balance of probabilities test, police powers to refuse or revoke certificates, out of court disposals, and surrender or seizure of firearms. The amendments are in line with changes to the Firearms Rules 1998. [Guidance and regulation]

Showing diff : 2023-02-14 10:00:32.778528050 +00:00..2025-08-07 22:50:54.883029581 +00:00

Statutory guidance

FirearmsStatutory licensing: statutory guidance for police on firearms licensing

HowGuidance to help police chiefs should carry out checks when assessing someone's suitability to own firearms or become a registered firearms dealer.

From:
Home Office
Published
20 October 2021
Last updated
514 AugustFebruary 20252023 — See all updates

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

Documents

Firearms

Statutory licensing: statutory guidance for chief officers of police (accessible)on firearms licensing (revised February 2023) (accessible version)

HTML

Firearms

Statutory licensing: statutory guidance for chief officers of police on firearms licensing (revised February 2023)

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Updates

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This is the revised version of firearms.the Theoriginal amendmentsstatutory areguidance inwhich linefirst withcame changesinto toeffect on 1 November 2021. This version supersedes the Firearmsoriginal Rulesguidance.

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Published 20 October 2021
Last updated 14 February 2023 + show all updates

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Update history

2026-07-23 12:09
Accessible version, section 3, ‘statutory tests for firearms and shotgun certificates’. Added the revocation details for shotguns, which were previously missing. The PDF version is unchanged.

2025-08-05 09:30
The statutory guidance amendments include changes relating to referees, evidence of domestic abuse or other violence, evidence of dishonesty, the balance of probabilities test, police powers to refuse or revoke certificates, out of court disposals, and surrender or seizure of firearms. The amendments are in line with changes to the Firearms Rules 1998.

2023-02-14 10:00
Updated the statutory guidance with the revised February 2023 version which supersedes the guidance issued in November 2021. The revised guidance includes new sections on social media checks and referees, medical checks and temporary permits for firearms licensing.