22-07-2025
Shotgun owners forced to wait a year for new licences
Shotgun owners face a 'postcode lottery' when applying for firearms certificates, with some police forces taking over a year to process new applications, a report has warned.
Data compiled by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) shows some forces issue new certificates in less than six months, with others leaving owners in limbo as they take more than a year.
BASC found significant disparities in the efficiency and resourcing at licencing units, with some accused of offering a 'woeful' standard of service.
Roger Seddon, the shooting spokesman at the Countryside Alliance, said: 'Firearms licencing in England and Wales is a postcode lottery as it stands – some forces provide a woeful service, for which licence holders must pay dearly.
'We need root and branch reform of the system – and the Countryside Alliance are calling for the creation of a single, centralised licencing body, akin to the DVLA, to deliver consistent, efficient, effective, and most importantly safe licencing for gun owners and for the public.'
