Following the introduction of the Home Office Statutory Guidance for Chief Officers of Police, for the granting and renewal of certificates, applicants are now required, at their own expense, to obtain a GP report to support the application process.
Please allow plenty of time for you to obtain your GP report but please submit your application in advance of the GP report becoming available if necessary (to avoid further delays). Please ensure you submit your renewal application a minimum of 8 weeks prior to the expiry date of your certificate to ensure that you comply with legal requirements and remain in lawful possession of your guns and ammunition.
We cannot issue a certificate without your medical report.
Please note: When the medical information is being provided to the police by a doctor from a private company, the doctor must receive the applicant’s medical information direct from the GP practice and not via the applicant.
Firearm and Shotgun Grant applications
Please use our secure web form to submit your application, you will need to submit your GP medical report separately.
We are currently working on the oldest grant applications first and wherever possible we will try to prioritise applications with a business or commercial need.
We will contact you at a later date to arrange a home visit to conduct an interview and inspection of your security arrangements.
Firearm and Shotgun Renewal applications
Please use our secure web form to submit your application, you will need to submit your GP medical report separately.
To allow us time to deal with you application, please submit your application as soon as you receive your invitation letter, to benefit from an automatic extension to your certificates, you must submit your application more than 8 weeks before it expires.
Transfer of Shotguns and Firearms
If you have acquired or disposed of a gun between yourself and either another certificate holder or Registered Firearms Dealer, you must notify us as soon as possible, this includes where guns are transferred, sold, given, lost, stolen, destroyed or purchased, gifted.
In any case you must notify us within 7 days of the transfer.
Change of address for existing certificate holders
A statutory condition of your certificate is that you must, without undue delay, notify and change of permanent address to the chief officer of police who granted the certificate.
Failing to notify a change of address may result in prosecution and could affect your continued possession of certificates or renewal application.
Where we receive such notifications we may send you a self adhesive label with your new address to affix to your certificate, this will not affect the legality of your certificate and is a more efficient means of ensuring your details are up to date.
Application for a Variation to a Firearm certificate
Applications for Firearms Variations: At question 13 enter all the firearms you wish to acquire including any unused variations from a previous request. Unused authorities are not automatically carried forward unless you request this.
If you are applying to increase the number of firearms you hold (including sound moderators) the fee is £20.00. A cheque or postal order should be made payable to Police & Crime Commissioner Dorset. Alternatively you may pay by card payment by contacting the firearms licensing department.
UK Visitors permits
This form should be used to apply for a shotgun and/or firearm visitor permit. A sponsor on behalf of the visitor should complete the application. The sponsor does not need to be a certificate holder. The completed application form should be forwarded to the police force area under which the sponsor resides. A fee of either £20 or £100 is payable per application, depending on the number of visitors.
If the visitor is resident in an EU country, a copy of their European Firearms Pass will be needed with the application form. If the visitor is resident in a country which is not registered as part of the EU, another form of supporting documentation will be required such as a firearm certificate or hunting certificate. As a last option a letter from the visitor’s local police authority will be required stating that the police are happy for the visitor to use firearms/shotguns whilst in this country.
Section 11(6) Authority – clay pigeon exemption
Use this form if you are organising a clay pigeon shooting event where non-certificate holders may be participating. The attached form is for your convenience only and is not an official form.
Replacement Firearm or Shotgun certificate
Stolen Certificate
You should immediately report a stolen certificate Report a crime | Dorset Police or call 101. We'll give you a crime reference number. You can quote this number when you order a replacement certificate.
You must replace your firearm or shotgun certificate it it's:
- Lost
- Stolen
- Destroyed
You may also want to replace your certificate if:
- there is no more room left in Table 2 (to list the guns you own)
- it's damaged
It usually costs £4 per certificate to issue a replacement, we will contact you if there is a fee to pay.
Order a replacement certificate
To enquire about replacement certificates Firearms - Contact Us - Dorset Police
Please tell us:
- Your certificate number (if known)
- Why you need a replacement certificate (i.e. lost / stolen and the circumstances of the loss)
- Your crime reference number (if you reported a stolen certificate)
Privacy Notice
Dorset Police handle personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 – for more detail please see the Privacy Notice on our website or this can be sent to you on request. Link - Privacy Notice