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Collection

Firearms

This series brings together firearms guidance and application forms.

Updates to this page

From:
Home Office
Published:
7 October 2013
Last updated:
18 June 2026
Show all updates

  1. Added 'Firearm and shotgun certificates, April 2025 to March 2026' and updated 'User guide to statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates'.

  2. Added 'Firearm and shotgun certificates, April 2024 to March 2025' and updated 'User guide to statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates'.

  3. Added 'Firearm and shotgun certificates, April 2023 to March 2024' and updated 'User guide to statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates'.

  4. Removed links to outdated guidance.

  5. Added 'Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates, England and Wales: April 2022 to March 2023', updated 'User guide to statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates, England and Wales'.

  6. Added 'Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates, England and Wales: April 2021 to March 2022', updated 'User guide to statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates, England and Wales'.

  7. Updated information on changes to the law on antique firearms and the action required.

  8. Added 'Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates, England and Wales: April 2020 to March 2021', updated 'User guide to statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates, England and Wales'.

  9. Added 'Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates, England and Wales: April 2019 to March 2020', updated 'User guide to statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates, England and Wales'.

  10. Updated firearms security handbook added

  11. Updated to accompany publication of 'Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates, England and Wales: April 2018 to March 2019'.

  12. Added 'Firearm and shotgun certificates in England and Wales, financial year ending 31 March 2018'.

  13. Added 'Firearm and shotgun certificates in England and Wales: financial year ending 2017' and 'Firearm and shotgun certificates in England and Wales: financial year ending 2017: data tables', updated 'User guide to firearm and shotgun certificate statistics'.

  14. Updated ‘User guide to firearm and shotgun certificate statistics’.

  15. Added 'Firearm and shotgun certificates in England and Wales financial year ending March 2016’, 'Firearm and shotgun certificates in England and Wales financial year ending March 2016: data tables’.

  16. Added 'Firearm and shotgun certificates in England and Wales financial year ending March 2015', 'Firearm and shotgun certificates in England and Wales financial year ending March 2015: data tables', updated 'User guide to firearm and shotgun certificate statistics'.

  17. Added firearms control at the point of entry into the UK

  18. Added 'Firearms, Firearm certificates in England and Wales statistics and Policing statistics' and 'User guide to firearm and shotgun certificate statistics'.

  19. First published.

This collection contains information about:

  • how to apply for firearms certificates
  • firearms law
  • firearms safety

It also includes statistics that show the number of firearms and shotgun certificates in England and Wales.

Application forms

Firearms law

Firearms safety

Rifle or pistol clubs

Statistics

Find previous statistics in the Archive of statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates.

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