Firearms licensing: countersignatures
Every application for the grant or renewal of a shotgun certificate must be endorsed by a countersignatory, but see also Government Proposals.
The countersignatory must be someone who is resident in Great Britain and who has known the applicant personally for at least two years.
They should be "of good standing" in the community and preferably hold a substantive position.
Acceptable Countersignatories
- Members of Parliament
- Minister of religion
- Doctor
- Dentist
- Lawyer
- Established civil servant
- Senior bank or building society official
- Justice of the Peace
- Lecturer
- Teacher
- Accountant
- Senior manager
Unacceptable Countersignatories
- Any member of the applicant's family, (this includes "in-laws", "step-relatives" and "common-law" spouses)
- Serving police officers
- Police civilian employees
- Registered firearms dealers
- People with serious criminal convictions
- People with convictions for firearm offences
The list is not exhaustive and every application will be judged on its merit.
Please note that your countersignatory must endorse your application AFTER you have completed and signed it yourself.
The countersignatory is required to:
- Verify that the information given by the applicant in answer to all the questions on the application form is true.
- Declare that he/she knows of no reason why the applicant should not be permitted to possess a shotgun.
- Certify that the photographs enclosed with the application bear a current true likeness to the applicant.
- Endorse one photograph to this effect together with the date the likeness was compared.
The application form provides guidance on the criteria which the countersignatory should be sure of when considering an applicant's fitness to be entrusted with the possession of shotguns. Please remember that a shotgun is just as lethal as a Section 1 firearm (rifle or handgun), and should not be dismissed as anything less serious.
The person who countersigns an application is required by the Firearms Rules 1998 to declare that he/she knows of no reason why the applicant should not be permitted to possess shotguns. The countersignatory should therefore be aware that the Firearms Act 1968 requires a Chief Officer of Police to be satisfied that an applicant can be permitted to possess shotguns without danger to public safety or the peace and that the Act prohibits the grant of a certificate to any person whom the Chief Officer has reason to believe is prohibited from possessing a shotgun. See What is a prohibited person?
Countersignatories should bear in mind the character, conduct, history and mental condition of the applicant, in so far as they are relevant to these matters.
If you are applying for both a shotgun and firearm certificate, then one of your referees for your firearm application may act as your shotgun countersignatory, providing that they fulfil the requirements given above.