Section 8 – Duration of air weapon certificate
29.Subsection (1) sets the normal duration of air weapon certificates at five years, except in the case of a certificate issued to a 14-17 year old, where the certificate expires on the holder’s 18th birthday. At this point the young person’s air weapon certificate can be renewed and the conditions required by section 7 may be removed (for example, the prohibition on purchasing a weapon).
30.Subsection (2) provides that an air weapon certificate will remain valid beyond its stated expiry date, provided that the holder has applied to the Chief Constable for a renewal before that expiry date and the Chief Constable has not yet approved or rejected that renewal. The renewal application must be valid, i.e. comply with the requirements in section 3 and section 35, for this subsection to apply. The effect of this section is that the holder neither has to surrender the holder’s weapons nor commits the offence at section 2(1) when the original certificate expires, provided that renewal is being actively considered by the Chief Constable.
31.Subsection (3) provides the Scottish Ministers with the power to change the duration of air weapon certificates other than those in relation to young people. The regulations will be subject to the affirmative procedure in the Scottish Parliament.