Call 0345 113 5000 for all non-emergencies and enquiries
Firearms licensing: clubs/target shooting
Criteria for Home Office approval . . . continued
- Until a probationary member has satisfactorily completed a course in the safe handling and use of firearms, he/she must be supervised at all times when in possession of firearms or ammunition, by either the range officer or a full member of that club, or someone who is a coach with a qualification recognised by the Great Britain Target Shooting Federation and/ or governing bodies.
- The probationary period may be waived, at the club's discretion, for someone who is already a full member of another club approved for the type of weapons, or has handled firearms in the course of duty in the police or armed services, and has a statement from his/her existing or former senior officer stating that they are fully trained in handling weapons for which the club is approved, and is able to use them safely without supervision.
- The club should never have more probationary members than full members, unless the Secretary of State determines that there are special circumstances which justify a greater number of probationary members.
- There is nothing else that would make the club unsuitable for approval.
If approval is granted, the approval will be subject to a set of standard conditions which will reflect the approval criteria listed above. In certain cases, the Secretary of State may attach further specific conditions to a club's approval, as he sees fit.
Variations in the terms of the criteria for approval
In exceptional circumstances, it is possible for the Home Secretary to allow some variation of the criteria, or the conditions of approval. However, he must be satisfied that it would be reasonable to do so in the exceptional circumstances which prevail.
Extending or renewing club approval
Applications for club approval to be extended to cover additional categories of firearms should be made on Form 124, and submitted to the same Police Licensing Authority that dealt with your existing approval application.
No fee is payable for such applications.
Approval lasts for six years. Applications for renewal should also be made on Form 124 and submitted as above. A fee of £84 is payable, for which you will be invoiced on approval.
Cheques, drawn on a branch of a UK bank, should be made payable to:
"The Accounting Officer, Home Office."
Cadet Corps and School Clubs
The Secretary of State approves cadet corps for possession of firearms and ammunition under section 54(5)(b) of the Firearms Act 1968, (as amended by Section 28 of the Armed Forces Act 1996).
The information contained in these pages does not apply to cadet corps, nor to school rifle clubs. For further information on these two categories, contact the Home Office at:
Firearms Section
Operational Policing Policy Unit
Home Office
50 Queen Anne's Gate
London
SW1H 9AT