Shooting Community Shrinks as Licensing System Struggles

The shooting community is shrinking, with the latest Home Office statistics revealing another year of declining firearms certificate holders across England and Wales.

Nearly half a million people — 496,904 — now hold firearm or shotgun certificates, down 3% from 2024. This represents a loss of almost 14,000 certificate holders in just 12 months.

The decline is particularly stark with regard to shotgun certificates, which dropped by just over 13,000 to 482,612 — the sixth consecutive annual decline and the lowest figure since records began. Firearm certificates also fell, by 2,000, to 145,306.

What’s especially concerning is that while new firearm applications are up 3% — hitting their highest level since 2020 — record numbers are being rejected. Some 334 firearm applications were refused (1 in 20), while 1,073 shotgun applications were turned down (1 in 14) — the highest absolute refusal numbers ever recorded.

Certificate revocations are also soaring, with 542 firearm certificates revoked last year alone.

BASC points out that despite licensing fees jumping 133%, many police forces haven’t guaranteed the extra money will lead to better service. It describes the figures as evidence of:

“A fractured and inefficient licensing system.”

BASC’s Bill Harriman warns:

“Without bold reform, we risk lasting damage to a sector that contributes £3.3 billion to the UK economy and £500 million worth of conservation.”

For more statistics on firearms certificates, visit bit.ly/gunstats25.

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