NGO response to the latest NPCC Firearms Licensing Statistics (Q1 2026/27)

 

One of the most positive developments in this quarter's data is the publication of separate grant and renewal performance figures for the first time. This is something shooting organisations have been calling for over a number of years. The new data confirms what many applicants and shooting organisations have long suspected: headline force performance figures do not always reflect the delays experienced by first-time applicants. In many force areas, renewal applications are being processed far  quicker than grant applications, meaning new applicants may be waiting significantly longer than published figures suggest.

 

Nationally, firearms certificate numbers continue to decline, with certificate holders falling to 468,606. Overall licensing performance has also reduced slightly, with 70.21% of applications being completed within published Service Level Agreement (SLA) targets. At the same time, the number of temporary permits issued nationally has risen to 3,449. Whilst temporary permits play an important role in ensuring legitimate certificate holders are not disadvantaged by administrative delays, increasing permit numbers can also be an indication of pressures within licensing departments.

 

It is important to recognise that a number of forces continue to demonstrate that an efficient and effective licensing service is achievable. Forces such as Nottinghamshire, Cheshire, Merseyside, Cumbria and Derbyshire continue to perform strongly.

 

Nottinghamshire, in particular, remains one of the best performing forces nationally, achieving 93.71% of applications completed within its SLA targetswhilst issuing just one temporary permit.

 

However, the data also highlights areas where performance remains a concern. Several forces continue to record low SLA performance over a sustained period, and Humberside stands out as a significant outlier with 1,007 temporary permits in circulation, the highest figure recorded nationally. The concern for certificate holders is not an isolated poor quarter, but where delays and underperformance become a recurring feature of the licensing process.

 

The statistics also reveal a continuing pattern amongst a number of collaborative firearms licensing units. The Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire alliance, the Norfolk and Suffolk collaboration, the Surrey and Sussex partnership, and the West Midlands and Staffordshire collaboration all feature prominently amongst the poorer-performing areas identified within the data. Whilst the figures alone do not explain why this is the case, the trend is sufficiently consistent to warrant further examination.

 

The NGO welcomes the increased transparency provided by this latest publication and supports the continued publication of separate grant and renewal performance data. We would also like to see further information made available regarding outstanding application backlogs, so that a clearer picture of licensing performance can be understood by certificate holders, police forces and stakeholders alike.

 

The NGO will continue to engage constructively with police forces, the NPCC and partner organisations to support improvements in firearms licensing and to ensure the interests of lawful certificate holders are properly represented. Members deserve a licensing system that is efficient, proportionate and consistent, regardless of where they live.

 

For members, the advice remains straightforward: submit renewal applications as early as possible, ensure all supporting documentation is provided promptly, and contact the NGO if you encounter significant delays or difficulties during the licensing process.

This quarter's figures show that good performance is possible, but they also demonstrate that there is still considerable work to do before certificate holders across England and Wales receive the consistent level of service they should expect.

 

 

The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (NGO) represents the gamekeepers of England and Wales. The NGO defends and promotes gamekeeping and gamekeepers and works to ensure high standards throughout the profession.

The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation was founded in 1997 by a group of gamekeepers who felt that keepering was threatened by public misunderstanding and poor representation. Today, there are 13,000 members of the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation.  www.nationalgamekeepers.org.uk