New firearms rules target domestic abuse

Rifle owners across the UK face tougher licensing procedures following the publication of updated Home Office guidance for police firearms departments in August 2025.

The new statutory guidance introduces mandatory separate interviews with applicants’ partners and household members during home visits, designed to uncover potential domestic abuse concerns. Police must also now investigate all overseas convictions and minor offences including speeding violations – previously exempt from disclosure requirements.

Medical checks have been substantially expanded. Doctors must assess “neuro-developmental conditions” that could affect safe firearm possession, while GPs are expected to share domestic abuse information with police on public safety grounds.

The referee system has also been overhauled, with police required to inform referees that certificate holders will have access to firearms for five years and that they must report any future concerns. Social media screening is now standard practice for all applications.

Bill Harriman, BASC’s director of firearms, criticised the changes, saying they “place disproportionate burdens on certificate holders, applicants and the police, while failing to deliver the promised improvements in consistency and public safety”.

The guidance also bans police forces from routinely using Section 7 permits to manage application backlogs, demanding proper departmental resourcing instead.

Certificate holders face intensified monitoring throughout their five-year licensing period, with any violent proceedings triggering immediate suitability reviews.

Did you enjoy this article? Read more news or subscribe to Rifle Shooter magazine.