UK Act of Parliament 1968 United Kingdom

Firearms Act 1968

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At a glance

Enforced by

Home Office

What's here

49 compliance obligations, 4 practical guides across 2 topics

Penalty landscape

10 of 49 obligations carry imprisonment (6 months). 30 carry different penalties and 9 have no criminal penalty — flagged in the list below.

Who this Act binds

Business-side actors with duties under this Act, ranked by how often they appear.

  • Any Person 41
  • Applicant 3

Plus 5 non-business duties on Crown ministers, regulators, local authorities or tribunals — shown collapsed under each section below.

Relevant guidance

Practical guides for businesses affected by this Act, ordered by how closely they engage with it.

Direct — cites this Act

1 guides

Supporting — topic alignment

3 guides

Other Acts binding the same actors

For each actor bound by this Act, the other UK Acts that bind them most often. Useful for understanding the full compliance landscape facing each role.

Any Person also bound by 749 other Acts (top 5 shown)
Applicants also bound by 146 other Acts (top 5 shown)

What this Act requires

Sections that create concrete duties on businesses or carry penalties. Procedural and definitional sections are folded into the “Browse other sections” expander at the bottom of each group. Click any section title to read the source text on legislation.gov.uk.

Part I — Provisions as to Possession, Handling and Distribution of Weapons and Ammunition; Prevention of Crime and Measures to Protect Public Safety

s.003

Possessing component parts of ammunition with intent to manufacture

5 years imprisonment
  • Possess ammunition components with intent to manufacture without a license Any Person
s.004

Possession of articles for use in connection with conversion

5 years imprisonment
  • Possess tools intended for converting imitation firearms Any Person
s.007

Police permit.

6 months imprisonment
  • Provide false information to obtain a police firearms permit Any Person
s.009

Carriers, auctioneers, etc.

6 months imprisonment
  • Provide false information to obtain an auctioneer's firearms permit Any Person
s.016

Possession of firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

10 years imprisonment
  • Possess a firearm or imitation firearm to cause fear of violence Any Person
s.019

Having small-calibre pistol outside premises of licensed pistol club.

7 years imprisonment
  • Possess a small-calibre pistol outside a licensed club Any Person
s.021

Firing an air weapon beyond premises

Fine up to £1,000
  • Firing an air weapon beyond property boundaries Any Person
s.024

Supplying imitation firearms to minors

6 months imprisonment
  • Sell an imitation firearm to a person under 18 Any Person
s.024

Failing to prevent minors from having air weapons

Unlimited fine
  • Fail to prevent minors from accessing air weapons Any Person
Browse 9 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
s.005

Exemptions from requirement of authority under s.5.

s.011

Authorised lending and possession of firearms for hunting etc

Part II — Firearm and Shot Gun Certificates; Registration of Firearms Dealers

s.026

Applications for firearm certificates.

  • Apply for a firearm certificate using the prescribed form Applicant
s.026

Applications for shot gun certificates.

  • Apply for a shot gun certificate in the prescribed form Applicant
s.027

Conditions for storage etc of certain firearms

Unlimited fine
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Secretary of State must set storage and transit rules for high-power rifles Crown / Minister / Government department
s.030

Revocation of shot gun certificates.

Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Police may revoke a shot gun certificate on safety grounds Statutory regulator
s.030

Revocation of certificates: supplementary.

Fine up to £1,000
  • Failure to surrender or return a firearm certificate Any Person
s.031

Certificate for prohibited weapon.

Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Police must grant firearm certificates for authorised prohibited weapons Statutory regulator
s.033

Police register.

Unlimited fine
  • Register as a firearms dealer and renew registration every three years Applicant
s.042

Information as to transactions under visitors’ permits.

Unlimited fine
  • Fail to notify police of shotgun transactions with visitors Any Person
Browse 18 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
s.028

Certificates: supplementary.

s.028

Certificates: limited extension

s.030

Revocation of firearm certificates.

s.030

Partial revocation of firearm certificates.

s.032

Documents for European purposes.

s.032

Renewal of European firearms pass.

s.032

Variation, endorsement etc. of European documents.

s.032

Fees in connection with authority under section 5

s.042

Permitted electronic means

Part III — Law Enforcement and Punishment of Offences

Browse 3 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
s.051

Minimum sentence for certain offences under s. 5

Part IV — Miscellaneous and General

s.056

Service of notices

  • Consent to receive official firearms notices electronically Any Person
Browse 10 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
s.055

Guidance as to exercise of police functions

s.057

Exception for airsoft guns

s.057

Power to amend section 57(1D)

Schedules

Browse 6 other Schedules — structural / supplementary
Read the full Act on legislation.gov.uk (opens in a new tab)

Official guidance

Authoritative sources published by regulators or government explaining this legislation.

Enforcement and responsible bodies

The regulators that administer or enforce this legislation.

Home Office

Government department responsible for immigration, security, and law and order. Administers UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), issues sponsor licences for employers hiring …

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Browse legislation

Find other UK business legislation with related guidance.

Regulators

Learn more about the bodies that enforce this legislation.