Report highlights ‘deeply inconsistent’ service from forces in firearms licensing

The report identifies forces that are providing a timely and proportionate service, but others that are falling well short of expectations.

It shows that certificate holders continue to face a postcode lottery when applying for or renewing licences. Turnaround times vary from as little as 18 days in some areas to more than two years in others. Some forces have more than 1,000 certificate holders on temporary permits due to delays.

Martin Parker, BASC’s head of firearms and author of the report, said: “The experience of certificate holders shouldn’t depend on which area they happen to live in. Good licensing departments prove that it is possible to deliver a fair, proportionate and efficient service. There is no excuse for the worst-performing departments not to do the same.”

The report – The Performance of Police Firearms Licensing Departments in England and Wales 2025 – is the most detailed and wide-ranging of its kind. It combines data from more than 5,000 certificate holders, Freedom of Information responses from 41 of 42 police forces, and official figures from the Home Office and National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).

The findings offer a snapshot of a firearms licensing system that “remains deeply inconsistent in its delivery”, says BASC.

BASC’s accompanying satisfaction survey found that while around 75 to 80 per cent of respondents rated their force’s licensing service as satisfactory or better, satisfaction dropped sharply where delays, poor communication, or inconsistent practices were reported.

The report finds that the key driver of poor performance is not funding or staffing, but how individual forces manage their internal procedures. While some forces issue certificates quickly and with minimal complaints, others struggle despite having comparable resources.

Costs also vary significantly, with some forces spending less than £130 to process a certificate and others more than £300 – again with no clear link between spending and service quality.

“Communication remains a major concern. Some forces offer no telephone access to their licensing departments, while others fail to respond to routine email enquiries,” said BASC.

Certificate holders often report uncertainty around renewals, variations and Section 7 temporary permits. The report notes that complaints made by certificate holders are frequently referred back to the same licensing department being criticised with little transparency or independent review.

While 75 to 80 per cent of respondents rated their force’s service as satisfactory or better overall, those in underperforming areas expressed deep frustration. Only 45 per cent of grants were completed in under six months. Some 28 per cent of grants took more than a year. Turnaround times for renewals and variations were generally better, but still inconsistent across forces.

The report highlights important improvements in training and national governance since BASC’s last report in 2022. A new mandatory College of Policing course for Firearms Enquiry Officers, along with an awareness course led by the British Shooting Sports Council, has been introduced.

BASC said it welcomes these developments, although the report raises concerns about the withdrawal of Home Office funding for training, especially following the recent 133 per cent increase in licensing fees. It wants to see ringfenced funding to ensure new fees support improved service.

BASC reiterates that a functioning licensing system is essential not only for public safety, but for sustaining the shooting sector and the wider rural economy.

Shooting is worth £3.3 billion annually to the UK economy (GVA), supports the equivalent of 67,000 full-time jobs, and delivers £500 million in conservation work annually across 7.6 million hectares of habitat.

The report urges His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services to play an active role in ensuring consistency across England and Wales. If that cannot be achieved, the report states, “an alternative system must be found”.

Mr Parker said: “Our position is clear; most forces are trying to get it right, and some are doing an excellent job. But the absence of a shared baseline standard across all 43 forces is no longer tenable.

“BASC stands ready to work with police forces, the College of Policing, and the Home Office to share good practice and raise standards. The report offers not just criticism, but a pathway toward a fairer, more consistent system that works for everyone.”