The Firearms Rules 1998

Shot gun certificates

5.—(1) An application for the grant or renewal of a shot gun certificate shall be in the form set out in Part I of Schedule 2 and, in the case of an application for renewal, shall be accompanied by the certificate to be renewed if it is available.

(2) The information given by an applicant in answer to the questions numbered 1 to 16 in the form of application for the grant or renewal of a shot gun certificate shall be verified in the manner specified in rule 6(1) below.

(3) An application for the grant or renewal of a shot gun certificate shall be accompanied by—

(a) a signed statement by the person referred to in rule 6(1) below to the effect that he knows of no reason why the applicant should not be permitted to possess a firearm; and

(b) four photographs of the applicant as specified in rule 7 below.

(4) Subject to section 34 of the 1997 Act and paragraph (5) below, a shot gun certificate shall be granted or renewed subject to the following conditions, and no others, namely—

(i) the holder must, on receipt of the certificate, sign it in ink with his usual signature;

(ii) the holder of the certificate must inform the chief officer of police by whom the certificate was granted within seven days of the theft, loss or destruction in Great Britain of the certificate;

(iii) the holder of the certificate must, without undue delay, inform the chief officer of police by whom the certificate was granted of any change in his permanent address;

(iv) (a) the shot guns to which the certificate relates must at all times (except in the circumstances set out in paragraph (b) below) be stored securely so as to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, access to the guns by an unauthorised person;

(b) where a shot gun to which the certificate relates is in use or the holder of the certificate has the shot gun with him for the purpose of cleaning, repairing or testing it or for some other purpose connected with its use, transfer or sale, or the gun is in transit to or from a place in connection with its use or any such purpose, reasonable precautions must be taken for the safe custody of the gun.

(5) Where a shot gun which is disguised as another object, is possessed, purchased or acquired by the holder of the certificate for the purpose only of its being kept or exhibited as part of a collection, the certificate shall be subject to an additional condition restricting the use of that shot gun to use for that purpose.

(6) A shot gun certificate shall bear a photograph of the holder and, subject to paragraph (5) above, shall be in the form set out in Part II of Schedule 2.