Renewal of a Shotgun Certificate
Shotgun certificates normally last for five years, the exception being when the holder voluntarily chooses to surrender it when applying for the grant of a firearm certificate in order to obtain a coterminous shotgun certificate.
If your shotgun certificate runs its full term, then at least 8 weeks before its expiry date, a renewal notice complete with application form shall be forwarded to your address. Your receipt of this package depends on certain factors, mostly that you have not moved house and forgotten to inform us! In such circumstances we cannot possible get a reminder to you. The onus of responsibility for renewal of your certificate rests with you. The fact that we did not, or were unable, to get a reminder to you, or that it got lost in the post, is not acceptable as an excuse for failing to renew on time.
If you have not received your renewal notice within the four weeks prior to the expiry date of your current certificate, you should contact your Firearms Licensing Office or obtain a form from your local police station. Alternatively, you may obtain the required documents from this website.
Should your current certificate expire before you apply for a renewal, you may well be committing the serious offence of being in possession of unlicensed shotguns. You may also have to apply for a grant, at extra cost, instead of a renewal. If you find yourself in this position you should contact your Firearms Licensing Office immediately for advice.
If all is well and you receive your renewal application, you will discover that it is the same Form 103 as for a grant application. Advice on completing this form can be found under that section.
Please return your application for renewal as soon as possible, and certainly in ample time before the expiry date in order that the application may be fully assessed prior to the expiry of the certificate. Remember to include the correct fee and your four photographs, correctly endorsed by your countersignature.
Depending on circumstances, if you submit your application in good time, you should receive your new certificate before the expiry of your old one.
Please be sure to include full details all those shotguns you possess, including serial numbers. The details that you supply should match the details held on our computer record, providing you have always informed us of the disposal and acquisition of each shotgun. It these details do not coincide then it is inevitable that we will be making further enquiries. It is an important duty of the police to keep track of all licensed weapons, thus helping to ensure they do not fall into the wrong hands.
Your local Firearm Enquiry Officer will contact you to arrange an appointment for a home visit with regard to your application and his/her completed report shall be forwarded to the Firearms Licensing Office. If, on final assessment, all is found in order, your renewed certificate will be forwarded to you by post. Should there be a discrepancy either in your security or some other matter, then you will be notified, and usually given ample opportunity to put it right. When the problem is resolved, your new certificate will be issued.
Your renewed certificate will show all the shotguns you currently possess in Table 1 including those you acquired during the lifetime of the old certificate (and still possess), which were entered in Table 2 on the back.
