You may have seen yet more headlines about shotgun licensing this month. If it feels familiar, that is because it is. This has been going round for well over a year, so here is the plain version of what is actually happening.
The idea of changing shotgun licensing was first floated back in early 2025, when the government promised a consultation “during 2025.” That deadline came and went. Sound familiar? Anyone who has waited months on a grant or renewal will recognise the pattern, and as we saw in our recent article on how each force is performing, delay seems to be the one thing the system manages reliably. It was raised again in January 2026, debated by MPs in February, and here we are once more towards the end of 2026. Plenty of noise, but still no actual change.
In late August, an official inspection report suggested bringing shotgun certificates more into line with firearm certificates. Then in early September, the policing minister said the government would consult on it “in due course.” No date, no detail, no new law. Just the same promise, made again.
At present, you are granted a shotgun certificate as long as you can be trusted to hold shotguns safely. The idea being floated would move closer to the firearm certificate system, where you must show a “good reason” for each individual gun. It would be a real change in principle, which is exactly why it deserves proper scrutiny rather than a rushed decision.
The shooting community has strong and well founded concerns. BASC has said plainly that the recommendation behind all this offers no evidence to support it. When MPs debated the subject, 24 spoke against the idea and not one spoke in favour. The Countryside Alliance has called it a serious threat to shooting and is ready to fight it. So you are far from alone on this.
Not soon. The Countryside Alliance does not expect a consultation before the middle of 2027, and even then it would only be a consultation, not a change in the law. There is a long way to go yet.
Nothing urgent. Keep your certificate in good order and your details up to date, and make sure your doctor has your firearms marker on record. And when the consultation finally does open, have your say, because a calm, united response from ordinary shooters is what carries the most weight.
We will keep you posted as things develop, in plain English, and without the scaremongering.
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