Consultation launched on firearms licensing to address ‘budgetary shortfall’

She warned that application fees are contributing only around 40 per cent towards the cost of providing the service, putting further pressures on an already “stretched budget”.

The consultation seeks the public’s views on proposals to achieve full cost recovery of firearms licensing fees as well as proposals to add to the calibres of firearms that may be exchanged in a “one-off-one-on” transaction carried out by a registered firearms dealer.

Firearms licensing fees were last increased in 2016. Ms Long said a review is necessary to ensure that the PSNI’s Firearms and Explosives Branch, which provides the service, is “appropriately funded” to carry out the necessary safety checks for the licensing of lethal barrelled weapons (firearms) and to also provide firearm certificate (FAC) holders with an efficient and sustainable service going forward.

The Minister said: “For many years, firearms licensing has been heavily subsidised by PSNI mainstream funding and therefore the taxpayer.

“Currently, firearms certificate application fees are only contributing around 40 per cent towards the cost of providing the service and the estimated shortall for the financial year 2025/26 is almost £2 million. This subsidy can no longer continue, especially at a time when funding and delivery of public services in NI are under pressure.

“The firearms licensing service must be appropriately funded to enable PSNI to safeguard the public in Northern Ireland from the misuse of firearms and to support an efficient and professional service to applicants and FAC holders.”

The Department proposes that all fee levels are increased by 153 per cent and adjusted for inflation from June 2025. This proposal will address the budgetary shortfall, and firearms licensing will no longer require to be subsidised from other areas of the policing budget.

The Department also proposes to add further calibres of firearms to the current ‘banded system’, which will help to reduce the number of variation applications made to the chief constable, which are more costly and take longer to process.

Ms Long added:  “I encourage the public to have their say on these matters as it has been almost ten years since the introduction of the ‘banded system’ and firearms licensing fees were last increased.”

“Failure to recover the costs of firearms licensing will continue to put further pressures on an already stretched budget, leaving the PSNI unable to drive forward strategic objectives in other areas of policing and may negatively impact the services provided. This is not a sustainable position.”

The consultation will close on May 29, 2026.