Statutory Instruments
2025 No. 914
ARMS AND AMMUNITION
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(1).
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(2) 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.
Diana Johnson
Minister of State
22nd July 2025
Home Office
Schedules
Rule 2(4)
Schedule 1 Application for the grant or renewal of a firearm and/or shotgun certificate
Rule 2(5)
Schedule 2 Firearms dealers: application for registration or for new certificate of registration
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.