NPCC figures expose widespread firearms licensing failures, says BASC

Newly published performance figures from the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) expose widespread and worsening failures in firearms licensing departments across England and Wales.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) figures show that only 13 of the 43 police forces are meeting the target of processing firearms and shotgun licence applications within 120 days. This means around 70 per cent of forces are failing to renew certificates before expiry, even when applicants apply eight weeks in advance and benefit from an automatic eight-week extension.

Ten forces are processing fewer than 30 per cent of applications within the target timeframe, with growing reliance on temporary permits – a clear indicator of systemic failure.

BASC said the figures reinforce concerns highlighted in its firearms licensing report published in July 2025, which identified poor resourcing, inefficient processes and weak management as the root causes of persistent delays.

BASC’s head of firearms, Martin Parker, said: “These figures are deeply concerning but, sadly, not surprising. When only 13 forces are meeting the 120-day target, it is clear that firearms licensing is failing at a national level.

“The reality is that renewals are understandably prioritised, but the knock-on effect is that grant applications are now routinely taking one to two years. BASC is seeing this more and more, and the impact on rural businesses, employment and participation in shooting sports is significant. Coupled with the increase in licensing fees of 133 per cent, this is utterly unacceptable.

“What these figures also show is that failure is not inevitable. Some forces consistently meet the targets, and Police Scotland – operating as a single national department – currently outperforms every force in England and Wales. That underlines a simple truth: efficient systems and good leadership matter just as much as resources. The time has come for England and Wales to follow suit and establish a single licensing authority.”

BASC said the NPCC data further undermines claims that firearms law itself is the problem and instead highlights the urgent need for consistent processes, proper staffing and national oversight to ensure licensing departments are fit for purpose.

The figures echo the findings of a damning inspection report into firearms licensing failures across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) issued an Accelerated Cause of Concern report after identifying serious failings within the firearms licensing collaboration, leading to public safety being put at risk. 

BASC said the findings of the HMICFRS report mirror those set out in its own firearms licensing report published in July 2025, which showed the collaborative unit had gone from being one of the most efficient in the country in 2022 to the worst performing in the UK by 2025. That report identified inadequate resourcing as a central cause, a conclusion now reinforced by HMICFRS.

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