Get your certificate
Before you can own a shotgun or rifle, you must have the necessary certificate - either a firearm or shotgun certificate. The certificate system is administered by the police, so it's your local police that you'll have to contact in order to apply for a certificate.
The rules are strict, for obvious reasons, but that shouldn't stop you getting the certificate you need to enjoy your sport.
We've put together a couple of guides to help you with the application process. You can find them by following the links below.
Gun security is an important aspect of gun ownership, and the police will want to check your security arrangements, among other things, before they issue you with a certificate. Also on this site you'll find a guide to typical security requirements.
While we hope you will find the guides useful, we must stress that they are only guides. For definitive advice, or in the case of any dispute, you should consult a legal expert. If you are a member of BASC, you can obtain valuable help and advice from their firearms department.
The Home Office issues guidelines to police forces on how they should administer the law on firearms. This document is very helpful in understanding what your rights are, and the procedures that the police follow when you apply for your certificate. You can download a copy of the document, in pdf form >> here << (click on the download link for 'Firearms Law: Guidance to the Police 2002').
In this section
Applying for a shotgun certificate >>
Applying for a firearm certificate >>
Gun security >>
