Firearms licensing service update

Service status: new grant applications

We're currently experiencing delays in processing new grant applications.

We aim to process all applications as quickly as we can, but we can't currently give a timeframe as to when your application will be assigned to a firearm enquiry officer for a home visit.

Reasons for the delays:

• Restrictions prevented us from doing home visits during the pandemic; although we continued to accept applications during this period many applications are still awaiting processing.
• New firearms licensing statutory guidance issued by the Home Office has legislated the processes and criteria for assessing applicants and the standards which must be applied to assessing the risk to public safety. Our enquiries can now be longer, which has had an impact on application turn-around times.
• The department is currently recruiting and training new staff. We're confident our performance and process times will improve when we return to appropriate staffing levels, but it means that during this period we have to prioritise renewal applications to make sure that existing certificate holders remain in legal possession of their guns.