The government have published a new structure for gun license fees, effective from February 5 2025, which will see the cost of shotgun licenses rise by 144%, from £79.50 to £194.
The government have justified their decision, stating that the price hike is necessary to provide “more effective and efficient firearms licensing controls”, enabling police to safeguard the public from the misuse of licensed firearms and to provide “a professional service to applicants”.
In January 2023, the Home Office carried out a review of firearm licensing to identify the true costs of the corresponding police service, which discovered that the police costs had doubled since the fees were last revised in 2015.
As a result, Police were reportedly forced to dip into additional allocated budgets to subsidise the service.
Upon succession to Government, Labour committed to increasing the fee structure to accurately reflect the current costs associated with administrating gun licences.
However, during a meeting with members of the British Shooting Sports Council on January 13, two days prior to the government’s announcement, Minister of Policing, Dame Diana Johnson MP did not warn members of the imminent publication of the new fees, Countryside Alliance said.
Instead, the MP indicated that she would like to work with the council and refused to comment on inquiries relating to timescales or costs of new gun licenses.
According to the Countryside Alliance, the price hike, which varies between 111% and 157%, depending on the kind of license involved, goes far beyond compound inflation since 2014.
Speaking of the changes, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, Tim Bonner said: “Up to 157% increases in the cost of shotgun and firearms certificates is going to have a significant financial impact on the many in the countryside.
“We have consistently argued that if the government wants to recover the cost of firearms licensing that must be for an efficient system that delivers for users and the public.
“That is a million miles from the current firearms licensing system which could hardly be designed to be more inefficient with 43 separate licensing authorities some of which are providing appalling service.”
The alliance admonished the government for what they view, was a decision taken “without adequate stakeholder, public consultation or engagement”.
It also claimed the announcement was delivered without disclosing service level improvements or cost calculations.
The new gun license fee are as follows:
With the new “full cost recovery” fee structure coming into effect from February 5, for any licence application received by the police and paid for on or before February 4, the original fee paid will be honoured.
According to the government, 52,843 farmers in England, Wales and Scotland will be affected by the new changes.
