Forces urged to coordinate on new firearms licensing system

The Police Digital Service has issued guidance discouraging forces from developing independent firearms licensing systems, instead urging alignment with the national replacement project ahead of October’s contract decision.

Published on the PDS website, the intervention states: “Forces who are considering local investment in firearms licensing systems are encouraged to contact PDS to align with the NFLMS replacement project.”

A fractured firearms licensing system

The guidance suggests some forces may be planning to bypass the national system, highlighting fractures in what many believe should be a coordinated approach across England and Wales. The contract award is expected next month following June’s tender deadline. Scotland and Northern Ireland operate separate systems.

The current National Firearms Licensing Management System (NFLMS) has operated since the mid-2000s but lacks basic digital functionality. Many forces still process applications using paper forms and cheques while struggling with data management.

So what’s the impact? A mere 45% of applications are processed within six months across the 43 forces within England and Wales, according to BASC research. Licence processing times span from 18 days to over two years depending on which force handles the application – putting applicants into what’s been called “a postcode lottery”.

Bill Harriman, BASC’s director of firearms, condemned the NFLMS platform as “an outdated legacy IT system that is not fit for purpose”. He argued any replacement must provide accurate record-keeping for police whilst giving dealers and certificate holders proper access to manage transactions and records digitally.

The Police Digital Service has promised its commercial replacement will improve public safety through better data sharing while reducing costs and processing times using modern automation and analytics.

Calls for a centralised approach

Roger Seddon, the Countryside Alliance’s shooting campaign manager, welcomed the PDS’s call for greater coordination. “For the sake of both gun owners and the public, we have long called for a fully digitised and centralised approach to firearms licensing in England and Wales,” he said.

Mr Seddon hoped “all forces will swiftly and co-operatively integrate with the new NFLMS roll out, and that the system interfaces well with other relevant police systems”.

However, he warned the update “would only solve part of the inadequacy present in firearms licensing”. Long-term, “a single, centralised firearms licensing authority would provide a better path than the continuation of the current system with 43 separate licensing authorities”.

With almost half a million certificate holders affected, the coordination push may prove crucial to preventing further fragmentation of an already fractured system.

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