National statistics

Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates, England and Wales: April 2021 to March 2022

Published 7 July 2022

Applies to England and Wales

This release presents statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates issued by police forces in England and Wales under the Firearms Act 1968 (as amended).

Frequency of release: Annual

Forthcoming releases: Home Office statistics release calendar

Home Office responsible statistician: Jenny Bradley

Press enquiries: pressoffice@homeoffice.gov.uk

Telephone: 0300 123 3535

Public enquiries: PolicingStatistics@homeoffice.gov.uk

1. Summary

As at 31 March 2022, there were:

• 151,218 firearm certificates on issue, a 3% decrease compared with the previous year

• 522,627 shotgun certificates on issue, a 5% decrease compared with the previous year

• 539,212 people who held a firearm and or a shotgun certificate, a 5% decrease compared with the previous year

In the year ending 31 March 2022, there were:

• 6,322 new applications for firearm certificates, of which 98% were granted and 2% were refused

• 15,726 new applications for shotgun certificates, of which 97% were granted and 3% were refused

• 3,533 new coterminous applications^{[footnote 1]}, of which 97% were granted and 3% were refused

• 385 firearms certificates that were revoked, a 26% increase (+79) compared with the previous year

• 1,075 shotgun certificates that were revoked, a 9% increase (+93) compared with the previous year

• 439 firearm and shotguns that were reported as lost or stolen (equating to 0.02% of the weapons held on certificates over the same period), a 20% increase (+74) compared with the previous year (figures on lost and stolen firearms and shotguns were included for the first time in the year ending March 2021 and as such are designated as experimental statistics)

2. Introduction

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.

A range of restrictions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic began on 12 March 2020, and the first UK lockdown measures were announced on 23 March 2020. Some figures presented for the previous year (year ending 31 March 2021) will have been affected by this, particularly those relating to new grant applications and visitor permits. Whilst most comparisons with the previous year have been retained as a valid measure of change over the period, changes should be considered in the context of the pandemic and treated with caution.

2.1 Firearm and shotgun licensing

All persons acquiring, or in possession of, a firearm or shotgun must hold a certificate issued by a chief officer of the police force in the police force area in which they reside, unless they are otherwise exempt.

To obtain a firearm or shotgun certificate, the chief officer must be satisfied that:

1. The applicant has good reason for having the firearm.
2. The applicant is fit to be entrusted with a firearm.
3. The public safety or peace will not be endangered.

Types of firearms: Firearms are categorised as rifles, handguns, muzzle-loading handguns, Section 1 shotguns, sound moderators and other firearm types.

Types of shotguns: Shotguns are categorised as Section 2 shotguns and other shotgun types.

Section 1 shotguns, in general, are weapons that contain a magazine holding more than two rounds. Section 1 shotguns are held on firearm certificates.

Section 2 shotguns, in general, are weapons that may have a magazine restricted to no more than two rounds.

The user guide provides additional information on statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates, including coverage of the data, a glossary of weapon definitions, terms and information on the conventions used in the statistics, and legislation and regulations.

The accompanying data tables provides supplementary data to those presented in this release.

3. Firearm and shotgun certificates on issue

On 1 November 2021, Statutory Guidance for Chief Officers of Police was introduced requiring that police forces receive relevant medical information before proceeding to issue a firearms certificate. This is to ensure that certificate holders do not pose a risk to themselves or to others.

There were 151,218 firearm certificates on issue as at 31 March 2022, a 3% decrease of 4,815 compared with the previous year (156,033).

There were 522,627 shotgun certificates on issue as at 31 March 2022, a 5% decrease of 25,894 compared with the previous year (548,521), and the lowest number of shotgun certificates on issue since comparable records began following the introduction of the NFLMS in 2007. As shown in Figure 1, the number of shotgun certificates on issue over the past 10 years has shown small fluctuations (between 523,000 and 583,000), with decreases for the last three years. The number of firearm certificates on issue have also decreased over the last three years, following a steady increase prior to 2019.

Figure 1: Firearm and shotgun certificates on issue, England and Wales, as at 31 March 2013 to 2022

Source: Home Office, Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates data tables, Tables 1 and 3.

Data on firearm and shotgun certificates on issue by police force area are in Tables 2 and 4.

4. Weapons covered by firearm and shotgun certificates

As at 31 March 2022, an average of 4.1 firearms were held on a firearms certificate. This compares with 4.0 in the previous year and is the highest average recorded since 2009 (when comparable records began). The average number of firearms held on a certificate has shown a steady increase over the past 14 years, with the lowest being 3.1 as at 31 March 2009. Whilst the number of firearms certificates on issue decreased by 3% in the year ending 31 March 2022, the number of firearms covered by certificates on issue has shown a small increase of 1% (+3,677). This may have been affected by legislative changes affecting antique firearms which were introduced on 22 March 2021.

As at 31 March 2022, an average of 2.6 shotguns were held on a shotgun certificate. This compares with an average of 2.5 in the year ending 31 March 2021 and averages between 2.3 and 2.4 in the 12 years prior to this.

4.1 Types of weapon held on firearm certificates

In total, 620,848 firearms were covered by firearm certificates as at 31 March 2022. The majority (57%) were rifles and 32% were sound moderators. These proportions have remained stable over the last 7 years.

Rifles are typically used for target shooting, the control of vermin or sports shooting.

Sound moderators are an accessory subject to certificate control as “items designed to reduce the noise or flash of a firearm”.

4.2 Types of weapon held on shotgun certificates

In total, 1,367,579 shotguns were covered by shotgun certificates as at 31 March 2022. Almost all (over 99%) were Section 2 shotguns. Other shotgun types and shotguns for which no type had been recorded on the NFLMS accounted for less than 1% of shotguns (0.3% and 0.1%, respectively).

A Section 2 shotgun may have a magazine restricted to no more than two rounds and is held on a shotgun certificate. The main usage of these types of weapons is vermin control, clay pigeon shooting and sporting purposes.

The user guide provides further definitions for the other firearm and shotgun types held on certificates.

Data on weapons held on firearm and shotgun certificates by police force area are in Tables 2, 4 and 16.

5. Certificate holders

As at 31 March 2022, 539,212 people held a firearm and or shotgun certificate, a decrease of 5% (-26,717) compared with the previous year, and the lowest number since comparable figures have been available (March 2016). This total figure includes those that only hold a firearm certificate, those that only hold a shotgun certificate and those that hold both types of certificate. A person is only counted once if they hold both firearm and shotgun certificates.

Of the 539,212 certificate holders:

• 94% (505,398) were male
• 0.3% (1,630) were aged 17 years and under
• 13% (70,525) were aged 18 to 34
• 19% (104,930) were aged 35 to 49
• 36% (196,522) were aged 50 to 64
• 31% (165,605) were aged 65 and over
• the youngest shotgun certificate holder as at 31 March 2022 was aged 8 (this compares with aged 7 as at 31 March 2021)

For young people aged 13 and under, exemptions apply under the Firearms Acts which allow them to possess a firearm or shotgun in certain circumstances. For example, for sporting purposes, for use at a rifle or pistol club, or cadet corps, or at a miniature rifle range. Appendix 4 in the Home Office Guide on firearms licensing law provides further detail on the laws and exemptions for young people holding certificates.

Figure 2: Population and firearm and or shotgun certificate holders by age group, England and Wales, as at 31 March 2022

Source: Home Office, Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates data tables, Table 14 and Office for National Statistics, mid-2020 population estimates.

Figure 2 shows that 50 to 64 year olds are more likely to hold a firearm and or shotgun certificate than those in younger age groups. This age group accounts for 19% of the total population of England and Wales and over a third (36%; 196,522) of firearm and or shotgun certificate holders.

The age and gender of those that hold a firearm certificate and those that hold a shotgun certificate are very similar, as displayed in Table 1.

Table 1: People who held a firearm and or shotgun certificate by age and gender, England and Wales, as at 31 March 2022

	People who held a firearm certificate	People who held a shotgun certificate	People who held a firearm certificate per 100,000 population	People who held a shotgun certificate per 100,000 population
Male	97% (146,002)	94% (490,256)	494	1,659
Female	3% (5,180)	6% (32,284)	17	107
Gender unknown	0.0% (2)	0.0% (7)	Not available	Not available
13 and under	Not applicable	0.02% (107)	Not applicable	1
14 to 17 years	0.1% (144)	0.3% (1,503)	5	56
18 to 34 years	13% (19,284)	13% (69,168)	148	533
35 to 49 years	21% (31,319)	20% (102,388)	275	898
50 to 64 years	38% (57,411)	36% (190,434)	501	1,660
65 years and over	28% (43,026)	30% (158,947)	386	1,428

Source: Home Office, Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates data tables, Tables 14 and 15 and Office for National Statistics, mid-2020 population estimates.
Notes:

1. People aged 13 and under cannot lawfully hold a firearm certificate.
2. Mid-2020 population estimates do not include data for ‘gender unknown’ therefore ‘per 100,000 population’ figures are not available.
3. Data on ‘gender’ is derived from information supplied by the person applying for a certificate and is based on their sense of self. The data is collected for ‘female’ and ‘male’; missing data is reported as ‘unknown’. See the user guide for more information.

5.1 Firearms and shotguns held on certificates by police force area

As shown in Figure 3, the areas with the highest number of firearms (held on certificates) per 100,000 people are the rural areas of North Yorkshire (2,959), Dyfed-Powys (2,707) and Cumbria (2,559).

These areas are consistently the police force areas with the highest number of firearms and or shotguns per 100,000 people. The population in police force areas that cover rural areas is often lower than police force areas that cover cities, and firearms and or shotguns owned here are likely to be used for employment purposes (for example game keeping and farming) and leisure activities (for example target shooting and game shooting).

Police force areas with the lowest number of firearms (held on certificates) per 100,000 people tend to be in large metropolitan areas in England; the lowest are the Metropolitan Police (197), West Midlands (313) and Merseyside (339).

The police force areas correspond to the certificate holder’s primary address. Therefore, it should be noted that the weapon may be stored and used in another police force area.

Figure 3: Firearms per 100,000 people by police force area, England and Wales, as at 31 March 2022

Source: Home Office, Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates data tables, Table 2 and Office for National Statistics, mid-2020 population estimates.
Shape file source: ONS Geo-portal.
Notes:

1. City of London is not included as the mid-2020 population estimate is less than 100,000.
2. The legend is ranked by the highest number of firearms per 100,000 people by police force area.

Similar to the geographical patterns for firearms as seen in Figure 3, the areas with the highest number of shotguns (held on certificates) per 100,000 people as at 31 March 2022 were also rural areas, with the highest numbers in Dyfed-Powys (6,575), Norfolk (6,548) and Suffolk (5,805), and the lowest were large metropolitan areas including Merseyside (524), the Metropolitan Police (526) and Greater Manchester (573) (Figure 4).

Figure 4: Shotguns per 100,000 people by police force area, England and Wales, as at 31 March 2022

Source: Home Office, Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates data tables, Table 4 and Office for National Statistics, mid-2020 population estimates.
Shape file source: ONS Geo-portal.
Notes:

1. City of London is not included as the mid-2020 population estimate is less than 100,000.
2. The legend is ranked by the highest number of shotguns per 100,000 people by police force area.

Data covering the certificate type, gender and age of certificate holders by police force area can be found in Tables 13, 14 and 15.

6. New applications, renewals and revocations

Firearm certificates - in the year ending 31 March 2022, there were:

• 6,322 new applications for firearm certificates - of which 2% (158) were refused, the same proportion as the previous year (2%)
• 26,900 firearm certificate renewal applications, of which almost all (26,820), were granted and 0.3% (80) were refused
• 385 firearm certificates that were revoked - a 26% increase (+79) compared with the previous year

Shotgun certificates - in the year ending 31 March 2022, there were:

• 15,726 new applications for shotgun certificates - of which 3% (460) were refused, the same proportion as the previous year (3%)
• 3,533 new coterminous applications
  • a coterminous application allows the holder of a firearms certificate to have the date of their shotgun certificate changed to expire on the same day (as their firearms certificate); more information is included in the user guide
• 69,936 shotgun certificate renewal applications, of which almost all (69,794), were granted and just 0.2% (142) were refused
• 24,693 applications for coterminous renewals^{[footnote 2]}
• 1,075 shotgun certificates that were revoked - a 9% increase (+93) compared with the previous year

Refusals: An application may be refused if a chief officer of the police force concerned is not satisfied that the applicant can fulfil the criteria for the grant or renewal of a certificate. Any reason to refuse an application must be clearly justified and explained.

Firearm and shotgun certificates can be revoked by a chief officer of police for the force concerned if they have reason to believe that the holder:

• can no longer be entrusted with a firearm and or shotgun in accordance with the Firearms Act 1968
• is of unsound mind or is otherwise unfit to be entrusted with a firearm and or shotgun
• can no longer be permitted to have the firearm and or shotgun or ammunition to which the certificate relates in their possession without danger to the public safety or to the peace
• no longer has a good reason for having in their possession, or for purchasing or acquiring, the firearm or ammunition which they are authorised

Data on new applications, renewals and revocations by police force area are in Table 2 and Table 4.

7. Additional statistics

7.1 Registered firearms dealers

There were 3,007 registered firearms dealers in England and Wales as at 31 March 2022. This is the same number as the previous year (3,007). In the year ending 31 March 2022, there were 616 renewal applications from dealers, an 8% increase compared with the previous year.

A firearms dealer wishing to carry on business, including exhibiting at game fairs, arms fairs and other temporary events, in their own or another police force area, must be registered by a chief officer of police as a firearms dealer for that police force area. Therefore, within the total figure of registered firearms dealers, the same dealer may appear more than once if registered in more than one police force area.

Data on registered firearm dealers by police force area are in Tables 6 and 7.

7.2 Visitor’s permits

In the year ending 31 March 2022, 1,096 people were covered by individual or group visitors’ permits for firearms. In the same period, there were 4,315 people covered by individual or group visitors’ permits for shotguns. Figures for visitor’s permits for the year ending 31 March 2021 were much lower than in previous years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Data on visitors’ permits by police force area are in Table 8, Table 9 and Table 10.

7.3 Lost and stolen firearms and shotguns

Statistics on lost and stolen firearms and shotguns are included in this release for the second time. Whilst the coverage and quality of the data is considered to be good, they have been designated as experimental statistics, to acknowledge that they are new and that further development of the data collection and quality assurance processes is needed.

In the year ending 31 March 2022, 439 firearms and shotguns were reported as lost or stolen, of which 165 were lost and 274 were stolen. This equates to 0.02% of the weapons held on certificates over the same period. In the previous year, 365 firearms and shotguns were reported as lost or stolen, of which 126 were lost and 239 were stolen (equating to 0.02% of weapons held on certificates in that year).

The 165 lost firearms and shotguns included shotguns (118), rifles (19) and sound moderators (19). The 274 stolen firearms and shotguns included shotguns (217) and rifles (33).

1. A coterminous application allows the holder of a firearms certificate to have the date of their shotgun certificate changed to expire on the same day (as their firearms certificate); more information is included in the user guide. ↩

2. A coterminous renewal is a renewal application where a person’s firearm and shotgun certificate, following grant, will expire on the same day. ↩