Report a Crime
Search

Search PSNI website

  • Home
  • COVID19
  • Youth Section
  • Contact Us
  • Inside PSNI

    Browse Inside PSNI

    • Careers in the PSNI
    • Our Departments
    • Our History
    • Our Leadership
    • Our Policies and Procedures
    • Our Reports & Statements
    • Statistics
    • Our Strategies and Vision
    • Working with our Young People
    • Pension Information

    BurglarDontBother Find Out More

  • My Area

    Browse My Area

    • All Districts
    • I Don't Know My Policing Area
    • Neighbourhood Watch
    • Station Enquiry Office Provision
    • Local Policing Review 2018/19
    • Policing Plan 2020-25 consultation
    • The Hallmarks Of Neighbourhood Policing

    BurglarDontBother Find Out More

  • News & Appeals

    Browse News & Appeals

    • Crime NI
    • Chief Constable's blog
    • Campaigns
    • Missing Persons
    • Latest News
    • Investigation into Mother and Baby Institutions, Work Houses and Magdalene Laundries

    BurglarDontBother Find Out More

  • Advice and Information

    Browse Advice and Information

    • Action Counters Terrorism
    • Advice for Landlords
    • Advice on Protests
    • Advice for Students
    • Air and Sea Ports
    • Animal Welfare and Wildlife
    • Body Worn Video
    • Business Crime
    • Child Protection
    • Child Sexual Exploitation
    • Christmas Safety Advice
    • Community Resolution
    • Complaints against the PSNI
    • Domestic Abuse
    • Chief Officers' Expenses
    • Drones - Unmanned Aircraft Systems
    • EU funded research projects
    • Freedom of Information
    • Firearms
    • Information About Yourself
    • Internet Safety
    • Mobile Phone Extraction (MPE)
    • Our Publications
    • Parades and Public Processions
    • Penalty Notices for Disorder
    • Policing and mental health
    • Project Servator
    • Protecting Your Home
    • Protecting Yourself
    • Roads and Driving
    • Rural Security
    • Safe Summer
    • Security Systems
    • Self Help Guides
    • Sexting
    • Sextortion
    • Sexual Consent
    • Stop and Search
    • The Law on Sex in Northern Ireland
    • Vehicle Purchase and Protection
    • Victim Satisfaction Survey
    • Victim Support
    • Winter Safety
    • Stalking and Harassment

    BurglarDontBother Find Out More

  • Crime

    Browse Crime

    • Anti Social Behaviour
    • Burglary
    • Business Crime
    • Child Protection
    • Crime Recording Statement
    • Criminal Damage
    • Cyber Crime
    • Domestic Abuse
    • Drugs
    • Fraud
    • Hate Crime
    • Modern Slavery Human Trafficking Unit
    • Organised Crime
    • Sexual Violence and Abuse
    • Sextortion
    • Theft
    • Rural Crime

    BurglarDontBother Find Out More

  • Report
  • Search
  • Browse Firearms
  • Online Application Information
  • Browser and Operating System Guidance
  • One On / One Off Transactions via a Firearms Dealer
  • What is a Firearm?
  • Latest Updates
  • Banded System
  • Firearms and Explosives Branch Performance
  • Travel Information
  • Safe Firearm Storage
  • Know the Law
  • Referee Verification
  • Forms
  • Fees
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Branch Opening Times
  1. Home
  2. Advice and Information
  3. Firearms

What is a Firearm?

  • Online Application Information
  • Browser and Operating System Guidance
  • One On / One Off Transactions via a Firearms Dealer
  • What is a Firearm?
  • Latest Updates
  • Banded System
  • Firearms and Explosives Branch Performance
  • Travel Information
  • Safe Firearm Storage
  • Know the Law
  • Referee Verification
  • Forms
  • Fees
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Branch Opening Times

The term ‘Firearm’ is defined as a lethal barrelled weapon of any description from which any shot, bullet or other missile can be discharged.

This includes any:

  • Prohibited weapon, whether it is such a lethal weapon or not.
  • Component part of such a lethal or prohibited weapon.
  • Accessory to any such weapon designed or adapted to diminish the noise or flash caused by firing the weapon.

‘Component Part’ in relation to a firearm means –

  • Barrel, chamber or cylinder.
  • Frame, action, body or receiver.
  • Breech block, bolt or other mechanism for containing the pressure of discharge at the rear of the chamber.
  • Part of a firearm which directly bears the pressure caused by firing.
  • Magazine.

In Northern Ireland airguns and CO2 guns having a discharge kinetic energy in excess of one (1) Joule (0.737 ft lbs) require to be held on a Firearm Certificate.

Travelling to Northern Ireland with your firearm? You can find all the information you need by selecting Firearm Certificate then select Travel Information.

Firearm Certificate
Grant of a Firearm Certificate £98.00
Variation by Chief Constable £30.00
Variation by Firearms Dealer under Article 11(3) to substitute firearm £15.00
Variation by Firearms Dealer under Article 11(5) to delete firearm No Fee
Duplicate Certificate £14.00
Updated Certificate £14.00
Museum Firearms Licence
Grant of a Museum Firearms Licence (by the Department of Justice) £110.00
Extension to additional premises £75.00
Visitor's Firearm Permit
Grant of Visitor's Firearm Permit (except where paragraph 810 applies) £16.00
Grant of six or more permits (taken together) on a group application £80.00
Certificate of approval for airgun for resident in Great Britain
Certificate of approval for airgun for resident in Great Britain £11.00
Firearms Dealer's Certificate
Grant or renewal of firearms dealer's certificate £300.00
Duplicate certificate £14.00
Updated certificate £14.00
Firearms clubs and Shotgun clubs
Authorisation of firearms club £71.00
Authorisation of a shotgun club to allow the use of shotgun by persons 12 or over but under 16 except where the shotgun club is also a firearms club and authorisation under Article 19 is granted at the same time £71.00
All Advice and Information

Back to top

PSNI logo

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Home

  • Home
  • COVID19
  • Youth Section
  • Contact Us
  • Inside PSNI
  • My Area
  • News & Appeals
  • Advice and Information
  • Crime

My Area

  • My Area
  • All Districts
  • I Don't Know My Policing Area
  • Neighbourhood Watch
  • Station Enquiry Office Provision
  • Local Policing Review 2018/19
  • Policing Plan 2020-25 consultation
  • The Hallmarks Of Neighbourhood Policing

Crime

  • Crime
  • Anti Social Behaviour
  • Burglary
  • Business Crime
  • Child Protection
  • Crime Recording Statement
  • Criminal Damage
  • Cyber Crime
  • Domestic Abuse
  • Drugs
  • Fraud
  • Hate Crime
  • Modern Slavery Human Trafficking Unit
  • Organised Crime
  • Sexual Violence and Abuse
  • Sextortion
  • Theft
  • Rural Crime

Strategic Communications and Engagement

  • Strategic Communications and Engagement

Advice and Information

  • Advice and Information
  • Action Counters Terrorism
  • Advice for Landlords
  • Advice on Protests
  • Advice for Students
  • Air and Sea Ports
  • Animal Welfare and Wildlife
  • Body Worn Video
  • Business Crime
  • Child Protection
  • Child Sexual Exploitation
  • Christmas Safety Advice
  • Community Resolution
  • Complaints against the PSNI
  • Domestic Abuse
  • Chief Officers' Expenses
  • Drones - Unmanned Aircraft Systems
  • EU funded research projects
  • Freedom of Information
  • Firearms
  • Information About Yourself
  • Internet Safety
  • Mobile Phone Extraction (MPE)
  • Our Publications
  • Parades and Public Processions
  • Penalty Notices for Disorder
  • Policing and mental health
  • Project Servator
  • Protecting Your Home
  • Protecting Yourself
  • Roads and Driving
  • Rural Security
  • Safe Summer
  • Security Systems
  • Self Help Guides
  • Sexting
  • Sextortion
  • Sexual Consent
  • Stop and Search
  • The Law on Sex in Northern Ireland
  • Vehicle Purchase and Protection
  • Victim Satisfaction Survey
  • Victim Support
  • Winter Safety
  • Stalking and Harassment

Accessibility statement

  • Accessibility statement

News & Appeals

  • News & Appeals
  • Crime NI
  • Chief Constable's blog
  • Campaigns
  • Missing Persons
  • Latest News
  • Investigation into Mother and Baby Institutions, Work Houses and Magdalene Laundries

Inside PSNI

  • Inside PSNI
  • Careers in the PSNI
  • Our Departments
  • Our History
  • Our Leadership
  • Our Policies and Procedures
  • Our Reports & Statements
  • Statistics
  • Our Strategies and Vision
  • Working with our Young People
  • Pension Information

Contact Us

  • Contact Us

Site Essentials

  • Accessibility statement
  • Copyright
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Cookies & Policy
PSNI logo

Police Service of Northern Ireland