Firearms licensing service update

Service status: significant delays

We've worked hard to ensure our firearms licensing processes meet the latest statutory guidance. This has resulted in increased work for each new grant and renewal application, with additional checks and scrutiny required.

These changes, along with increased demand, have resulted in delays in granting applications. This also applies to variations, transfers, and updates.

We've increased the number of people who are working on the grants and renewal applications, and the introduction of new technology over the coming months will allow us to start reducing the processing times.

We've taken the decision to prioritise the resources to reviewing renewal applications.

The national service level expectation is that applications are processed within 120 days.

In Bedfordshire we're achieving this in 33.66% of cases.

We apologise and ask for your patience and understanding.

During this time:

• We're committed to providing updates on this page. 
• We'll only get in touch with you if we have questions about your application or need to ask for more information or to arrange a home visit.
• Please only apply for a variation if it's absolutely necessary. If you do so, you must return your current certificate to the firearms department, or it won't be able to issue a new certificate to you.
• Applications submitted without the completed GP proforma will not be accepted. You'll need to submit a new application. A refund will be issued to you for your original application.