Consultation launched on firearms licensing
Date published:
Justice Minister Naomi Long has published a public consultation on firearms licensing.
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. A review is necessary to ensure that the PSNI’s Firearms & Explosives Branch (PSNI FEB), which provides the service, are 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% towards the cost of providing the service and the estimated shortall for the financial year 2025/26 is almost £2m. 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 NI 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% 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.
The Minister concluded:
“I encourage the public to have their say on these matters as it has been almost 10 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 opens today and will close on 29 May 2026.
Notes to editors:
- The DoJ is responsible for devolved firearms legislation and a number of statutory functions including museum firearms licences. The Northern Ireland Office retains ownership for firearms legislation and authorisations relating to matters of National Security. The Chief Constable is responsible for the operational delivery for the majority of firearms licensing in Northern Ireland including Firearm Certificates (FACs); visitor’s firearm permits; Registered Firearms Dealer (RFD) certificates and authorisations for firearm & shotgun clubs.
- Since 2004, the only amendments to fees were made in 2016. At that time the cost for the most common application, the grant of a FAC, increased from £50 to £98. The cost of a RFD certificate increased from £150 to £300. Schedule 1A of the 2004 Order, the “banded system”, was also introduced in 2016 which permits the exchange of similar calibre firearms to be carried out through a RFD. Further information relating to how the “banded system” operates can be found on the Department’s website.
- There are around 80 RFDs in Northern Ireland and 54,000 FAC holders, with approximately 180,000 firearms held in Northern Ireland. FACs are granted for various sporting purposes and for pest control on land the holder has lawful permission to shoot over. Some are held for collection purposes.
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