Justice Minister Naomi Long has launched a public consultation on proposals to increase firearms licensing fees in Northern Ireland by 153 per cent, a move the Department of Justice says is necessary to end a £2 million annual subsidy from the police budget. The consultation, which opened on 30 March 2026, also seeks views on expanding the “banded system” that allows registered firearms dealers to exchange certain calibres of rifles without requiring individual police approval for each transaction.
The proposals would see firearms licensing move to full cost recovery for the first time, addressing what officials describe as an unsustainable position where certificate fees currently cover only 40 per cent of the service’s actual costs. With approximately 54,000 firearm certificate holders and 180,000 legally held firearms in Northern Ireland, the changes would affect thousands of rural residents, sports shooters, and firearms dealers.
Subsidised System ‘No Longer Sustainable’
For nearly a decade, the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Firearms and Explosives Branch (PSNI FEB) has operated at a significant loss, with the shortfall covered by mainstream policing budgets. The Department of Justice states that the estimated shortfall for the financial year 2025/26 alone stands at almost £2 million.
Naomi Long said:
“For many years, firearms licensing has been heavily subsidised by PSNI mainstream funding and therefore the taxpayer. Currently, firearms certificate application fees are only contributing around 40% towards the cost of providing the service and the estimated shortfall for the financial year 2025/26 is almost £2m. This subsidy can no longer continue, especially at a time when funding and delivery of public services in NI are under pressure.”
The Minister emphasised that proper funding is essential for public safety:
“The firearms licensing service must be appropriately funded to enable PSNI to safeguard the public in NI from the misuse of firearms and to support an efficient and professional service to applicants and FAC holders.”
She warned that without reform, the financial pressure on the PSNI would intensify:
“Failure to recover the costs of firearms licensing will continue to put further pressures on an already stretched budget, leaving the PSNI unable to drive forward strategic objectives in other areas of policing and may negatively impact the services provided. This is not a sustainable position.”
Proposed Fee Increases and the Banded System
The Department proposes increasing all fee levels by 153 per cent and adjusting for inflation from June 2025. While the consultation document does not provide a detailed breakdown of every new fee, external analysis by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) suggests the increases would include:
- Grant of a firearm certificate: rising from £98 to £250
- Variation by the Chief Constable: rising from £30 to £77
- Variation using the banded system: rising from £15 to £38
- Firearms dealer’s certificate: rising from £300 to £764
Alongside the fee increases, the consultation proposes adding further calibres to the “banded system” introduced in 2016. This system allows firearm certificate holders to exchange one rifle for another within specific calibre bands through a registered dealer, reducing the administrative burden on the PSNI FEB by avoiding individual variation applications to the Chief Constable. There are approximately 80 registered firearms dealers in Northern Ireland.
The Minister noted:
“I encourage the public to have their say on these matters as it has been almost 10 years since the introduction of the ‘banded system’ and firearms licensing fees were last increased.”
Questions Over Ringfencing and Service Delivery
While the Department frames the increases as necessary for public safety, significant questions remain about how the additional revenue would be spent. The consultation announcement does not specify whether the estimated £2 million in additional annual income would be ringfenced specifically for the Firearms and Explosives Branch, or whether it would be absorbed into the PSNI’s general budget.
This omission is notable given recent criticism from shooting organisations. BASC’s Northern Ireland director Tommy Mayne has previously stated:
“BASC is strongly opposed to any increase in fees without a full, transparent review of the necessary processes within firearms licensing. That review must involve BASC and our partners on the Northern Ireland Firearms Representative Group (NIFRG). Without clarity on the work carried out by FEB staff, it is impossible to accurately determine the true cost of the system.”
The proposed increases mirror similar moves in Great Britain, where fees rose by between 111 per cent and 157 per cent in February 2025. However, organisations such as the Countryside Alliance have criticised those increases for failing to guarantee service improvements, noting that without ringfencing, chief constables might allocate the funds elsewhere while backlogs in licence processing persist.
Critical Questions for Consideration
- Will the additional £2 million in annual revenue be legally ringfenced for firearms licensing operations, or will it be diverted to other areas of policing under budgetary pressure?
- How will the PSNI measure and publish improvements in processing times and service standards before and after any fee increases take effect?
- Given that fees in Great Britain increased earlier this year, what comparative analysis has the Department undertaken to ensure Northern Ireland’s cost recovery model reflects local operational realities rather than simply matching Westminster policy?
- What safeguards exist to ensure that significantly higher costs do not discourage lawful ownership while potentially driving unlicensed possession among those unwilling or unable to pay the new fees?
- How will the Department ensure that expanding the banded system genuinely reduces administrative burdens rather than simply creating new regulatory complexities for dealers and certificate holders?
The consultation closes on 29 May 2026. Members of the public, firearms owners, and representative organisations can submit responses via the Department of Justice website. Further details on the banded system are available in the Department’s guidance for firearm dealers, while the full consultation document can be accessed here.