Firearm and shotgun certificates fall to lowest levels in years

The number of firearm and shotgun certificates on issue in England and Wales has fallen to its lowest level in years, according to Home Office figures for the year ending 31 March 2026. The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) says the decline strengthens its case for firearms licensing to be taken out of the hands of 43 separate police forces and run by a single national authority.

What do the latest firearms figures show?

As of 31 March 2026 there were 140,257 firearm certificates on issue, a 3% fall on the year before and the lowest total since 2009. Shotgun certificates stood at 457,340, down 5% and the lowest since comparable records began in 2007.

The figures continue a long, steady decline in certificate numbers. BASC says that trend reflects a licensing system that is failing too many applicants, with delays and wide inconsistency between forces.

Is the licensing backlog improving?

There was better news on renewals. Completed firearm certificate renewals rose by 21% on the previous year, and shotgun renewals by 24%, which BASC attributed to progress in clearing the backlogs that had built up across several forces.

Even so, the association says structural problems remain. Processing times still vary from a few weeks to more than two years depending on which force an applicant lives under.

Why does BASC want a single licensing authority?

Bill Harriman, BASC’s director of firearms, said: “The decline in the number of certificate holders demonstrates that the system is failing for too many applicants. The inconsistencies that remain mean that applicants are still being subjected to a postcode lottery.”

He said the figures reinforced BASC’s long-standing call for firearms licensing in England and Wales to be removed from the current structure of 43 separate police forces and delivered through a dedicated national authority “with common standards, clear accountability and appropriate resources”.

BASC points to Police Scotland, which runs firearms licensing as a single national unit and has outperformed every English and Welsh force on recent measures, as evidence that a unified system can work.

What does it mean for shooting?

BASC argues that a licensing regime which deters law-abiding applicants risks driving people away from the sport. It points to shooting’s contribution of £3.3bn to the UK economy and £500m towards conservation and habitat management as reason to get the system right.

What happens next

The Home Office has been overhauling firearms licensing, including a move towards a national digital system, but BASC says deeper structural reform is still needed and is continuing to press ministers for a single licensing body.

The full data is published in the Home Office statistical bulletin, Firearm and shotgun certificates, England and Wales: April 2025 to March 2026, available on the GOV.UK website.