Firearms security handbook 2019https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/firearms-security-handbook
Storing explosives
http://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/storage/index.htm
http://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/licensing/storage/index.htm
Statutory guidance to police on firearms licensinghttps://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/statutory-guidance-to-police-on-firearms-licensing
Proposed sentencing guidelines for firearms offences publishedhttps://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/news/item/proposed-sentencing-guidelines-for-firearms-offences-published/
HOME OFFICE Guidance
Firearms licensingLicensing guidance, good practice on firearms law, and forms for applying for approvals under the law. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/firearms-licensing-police-guidance? CLICK ON THE LINK ABOVE AND PASTE |
Anyone having trouble with the new doctors medical report that is now required by the police for your grant/renewal /variation of your FAC a firm have appeared to help shooters get access to their medical records when your local practice refuse to help but it does come with a charge link below.
https://medcert.co.uk/ |
This is the process you need to follow to get a firearms licence in the UK for the purposes of target shooting.
These are the rules in the UK as they apply now.
First of all its worth noting that have a firearms licence is not a right, the presumption in the law is that no-one should have a firearms licence unless the have a 'good reason'. There are only two 'good reasons':
- A firearm to be used in vermin control or hunting of designated wild animals
- A firearm used for the sport of target shooting
- You must join a Home Office Approved target shooting club.
Once you apply to join a club the club has to send your details (including date of birth, place of birth etc) to the police within 24 hours to their local police force, failure to do so could render the club liable to lose its Home Office approved status.
2. Police background checks
Once the police have you details they undertake a background check, this includes checking for previous convictions, residential status, various anti terror watch lists, if you fail any of these the club is informed and you are immediately prevented from any access to any firearm and most likely will get a visit from the police, generally if you have any conviction for any serious offence you wont pass, indeed I wouldn't even bother applying.
3. You must spend a minimum of 3 months as a 'Probationary Member'
Most clubs (us included) actually run a 6 month probation but the legal minimum is 3 months. As a probationary member you are restricted to designated club rifles and shooting must only take place alongside an existing full member or member of staff. All clubs offer detailed training programs some informal and some formal where you are trained in safe handling of firearms and marksmanship, we offer formal training courses. Each time you visit the range your entry is logged, what firearms you shoot recorded and the number of rounds counted, this is shared with the police.
4. Only once you have completed your probationary membership can you apply for a licence
Once you complete your probationary membership and the club have decided you are a safe and fit and proper person to possess a firearm your membership is converted to full membership and the police again informed in writing. At this point you can apply for a firearms licence which you do by downloading the 13 page application form, paying the £130 fee and sending the application along with photos to your local police. The firearms you apply for must be relevant to your club membership and the type of target shooting you wish to practice. Most clubs are limited in terms of calibre or muzzle velocity (we arent due to the design of the range) so your application must relate to what you are able to shoot - if your club doesnt allow .308 calibre then your membership does not allow you to obtain a firearm of that calibre as you cant actually use it - no 'good reason' exists.
No formal rules as to how many or what kind of firearms you can apply for but there are Home Office 'guidelines' the police work to and usually this means the first licence application is restricted to smaller calibres and lower quantities of ammunition, its not a hard and fast rule and is in effect controlled by the police and what they feel is justified and supported with 'good reason'. For example if you were keen to shoot long distance full bore target rifle then that discipline requires a larger calibre so you'd need to be a member of a club that shoots that discipline but it may be the police will ask for extra training to be undertaken before agreeing to an application for a larger calibre firearm for a novice shooter, there is no written law on this point, its something the police decide on a case by case basis.
When you apply for your licence you also ask for a specified amount of ammunition you will be allowed to buy and possess. Generally on a first application this is quite restricted, a few hundred rounds of .22 and 20-60 of larger calibres only, but again there is no rule and its determined by the police on a case by case basis.
5. Now you wait
Firearms applications are not overly fast, some police areas take weeks, some months, there are guidelines of course but bottom line it will take as long as it takes, be patient.
6. Police visit
At an agreed time the police (a designated Firearms Enquiry Officer - FEO) will come to your house and conduct an interview which typically takes between 2-3 hours. During this time the FEO needs to know enough about you to make a decision if you are both suitable to have a firearms licence and satisfy all the reasons for 'good reason'. The FEO must act reasonably of course but it does come down to their training and gut feeling which they obtain from the answers to the questions they ask. The FEO will typically want to meet you any all other residents at the property where the firearms are to be stored, they will inspect your security measures (more on this below) and ensure that only the firearm certificate holder has access to the firearms or ammunition, no one other than the licence holder must have access, period.
7. Medical check
As part of the background checks the police undertake they contact your GP and ask if there are any medical grounds that would render you unsuitable for firearms possession, if there are then the application will be refused, medical reasons can include being on certain prescription medicines, mental disorders (old or current) or physical issues. It used to be that if your GP simply ignored the police request then the answer was yes, but increasingly the police are now demanding GP's respond in the affirmative before carrying on with the application so its worth speaking to your doctor before you apply to make sure they are happy.
8. Security
You must store your firearms in a BSI approved safe which must be securely fitted to a solid wall in a location not easily accessible to a visitor to your home, typically this means under stairs cupboards, lofts, upstairs room, no where visible from the street or outside the property. Your firearms and ammunition must be stored separately and only the licence holder must have access. If the area in which you live is deemed a high risk then extra security maybe required (alarm) or even the application refused, its your job to make sure no-one else has access to your firearm so its a central part of the application.
9. Ok, I got the licence, now what?
When you receive your licence you will have designated 'slots' that entitle you to buy a firearm of that type. Lets say you were granted two .22 calibre slots and one .223 slot for different kinds of target shooting you want to take up. To buy a firearm you must attend a Registered Firearm Dealer (RFD) and hand over your licence to buy that firearm. The RFD will check you have the right to buy that firearm by inspecting your licence and record all the details of the gun on your licence, this needs to be reported within 7 days to the police. Whilst you may be able to buy a firearm on line the actual process of taking possession will still need that FAC check and the RFD confirming you have the right to purchase it.
10. Thats it?
Well, no, you have to retain your 'good reason' to have that firearm, that means using it, should you fail to make use of the gun then the police will deem you no longer have a good reason to keep it and it will be taken away. For the purposes of target shooting this means that all Home Office approved clubs record each visit and each firearm and the rounds shot.
Having a firearm is a responsibility, the rules and time to get a licence to have one are long and detailed and deservedly so but the sport of target shooting is great fun, highly rewarding and something to enjoy.
For details on the process take a look at the official HM Govt site for guidance here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/firearms-licensing-police-guidance
Latest news from Nottinghamshire Police Regarding Doctors Medical Reports For FAC Grants and Renewals.
Dear All
As many of you are aware since September 2018 Nottinghamshire Police have adopted a medical verification policy in support of the applications for firearms and shotgun certificates. The benefits of this process has enabled decision makers to support both new and existing certificates holders, whilst ensuring the safety of individuals and the public.
The policy has identified individuals who have failed in the past and who have continually failed to declare their relevant medical conditions when submitting applications. Although advice is given in the notes section of their application form, with further information on our website, a number of grant applications have also been refused as the applicants have failed to declare their medical condition. Many of these people have suffered very recent medical conditions which makes it difficult for decision makers to support them. In many cases had the person declared their conditions they may well have been granted a certificate.
Many of the certificate holders in our community are asking for an efficient service as well as an effective one that ultimately seeks to protect us all. Many of the GP’s are responding to the requests for medical information and this information is being received fairly quickly. The emphasis are on the applicant to chase their surgeries for this information.
Unfortunately, police administration staff are having to chase those applicants where no medical information has been received. All of which is very time consuming and prevents the same staff from producing certificates.
To prevent any further delays Nottinghamshire Police are seeking to amend their policy in that we will no longer accept any application for the grant or renewal of a certificate without a GP letter. To implement this change I am looking to introduce this policy in respect to grant applications first and then for renewals. The dates of which will be published through this consultation.
You may be aware that this stance has been working well in Lincolnshire Police which has aided their efficiencies in reducing the turnaround times for applications.
GP’s have raised concerns that our current system in exchanging information is confusing. Currently we have a GP verification letter on our website which enables applicants to attend their GP surgery in advance of applying for a certificate. This prevents any undue delays as the applicant can submit their application at the same time of receiving the GP letter. The issue is that on receipt of the application, the police also send the same letter, causing duplication and confusion for the surgery as to which letter to respond to and as a consequence is causing unnecessary delays.
The solution would be to reduce the two letters to one. The one letter would be similar to the police letter, but it would be for the applicant to download from our website and take to their GP. The GP would do the checks and send their response directly to the police via the GP email portal that has been created solely for surgeries to respond to the police. This is a secure network between GP’s and will aid and authenticate the information that is sent.
The police will cease to send an additional letter on receipt of any application. The single letter will be uploaded to our website in due course which will also request that the GP add a reminder code to your medical records.
The responsibility in obtaining any verification will remain with the applicant.
From a date to be confirmed, Nottinghamshire Police will no longer accept applications for the grant of a certificate without a GP verification report or letter. At a later date it is anticipated that the same will apply to the renewal of an application for a firearm or shotgun.
Any feedback, questions or clarity required can I ask that you respond directly to this email which will ensure a response can be shared with the group. I am seeking a separate consultation with the Local Medical Committee which will build on and improve communication between police and surgeries.
Kind Regards
David
Firearms & Explosive Licensing Manager
For Chief Constable Nottinghamshire Police
As many of you are aware since September 2018 Nottinghamshire Police have adopted a medical verification policy in support of the applications for firearms and shotgun certificates. The benefits of this process has enabled decision makers to support both new and existing certificates holders, whilst ensuring the safety of individuals and the public.
The policy has identified individuals who have failed in the past and who have continually failed to declare their relevant medical conditions when submitting applications. Although advice is given in the notes section of their application form, with further information on our website, a number of grant applications have also been refused as the applicants have failed to declare their medical condition. Many of these people have suffered very recent medical conditions which makes it difficult for decision makers to support them. In many cases had the person declared their conditions they may well have been granted a certificate.
Many of the certificate holders in our community are asking for an efficient service as well as an effective one that ultimately seeks to protect us all. Many of the GP’s are responding to the requests for medical information and this information is being received fairly quickly. The emphasis are on the applicant to chase their surgeries for this information.
Unfortunately, police administration staff are having to chase those applicants where no medical information has been received. All of which is very time consuming and prevents the same staff from producing certificates.
To prevent any further delays Nottinghamshire Police are seeking to amend their policy in that we will no longer accept any application for the grant or renewal of a certificate without a GP letter. To implement this change I am looking to introduce this policy in respect to grant applications first and then for renewals. The dates of which will be published through this consultation.
You may be aware that this stance has been working well in Lincolnshire Police which has aided their efficiencies in reducing the turnaround times for applications.
GP’s have raised concerns that our current system in exchanging information is confusing. Currently we have a GP verification letter on our website which enables applicants to attend their GP surgery in advance of applying for a certificate. This prevents any undue delays as the applicant can submit their application at the same time of receiving the GP letter. The issue is that on receipt of the application, the police also send the same letter, causing duplication and confusion for the surgery as to which letter to respond to and as a consequence is causing unnecessary delays.
The solution would be to reduce the two letters to one. The one letter would be similar to the police letter, but it would be for the applicant to download from our website and take to their GP. The GP would do the checks and send their response directly to the police via the GP email portal that has been created solely for surgeries to respond to the police. This is a secure network between GP’s and will aid and authenticate the information that is sent.
The police will cease to send an additional letter on receipt of any application. The single letter will be uploaded to our website in due course which will also request that the GP add a reminder code to your medical records.
The responsibility in obtaining any verification will remain with the applicant.
From a date to be confirmed, Nottinghamshire Police will no longer accept applications for the grant of a certificate without a GP verification report or letter. At a later date it is anticipated that the same will apply to the renewal of an application for a firearm or shotgun.
Any feedback, questions or clarity required can I ask that you respond directly to this email which will ensure a response can be shared with the group. I am seeking a separate consultation with the Local Medical Committee which will build on and improve communication between police and surgeries.
Kind Regards
David
Firearms & Explosive Licensing Manager
For Chief Constable Nottinghamshire Police