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Firearms Act 1968
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Changes over time for: Section 22
Changes to legislation:
Firearms Act 1968, Section 22 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 26 November 2024. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.
Changes to Legislation
Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the legislation in the affected provisions. Use the ‘more’ link to open the changes and effects relevant to the provision you are viewing.
Changes and effects yet to be applied to the whole Act associated Parts and Chapters:
- Act amended by 1997 c. 5 s. 12(2) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. S. 12 was repealed (17.12.1997) by 1997 c. 64, s. 2(7), Sch.; S.I. 1997/3114, art. 3, Sch. Pt. I)
- Blanket amendment words substituted by S.I. 2011/1043 art. 3 4
Whole provisions yet to be inserted into this Act (including any effects on those provisions):
- s. 3A inserted by 2023 c. 49 s. 2
- s. 11(3A)-(4A) substituted for s. 11(4) by 2023 c. 49 s. 1(2)
- s. 51(2A) added by 1997 c. 48 s. 62(1) Sch. 1 para. 3
[F122 Acquisition and possession of firearms by minors.E+W+S
(1)[F2It is an offence for a person under the age of eighteen to purchase or hire any firearm or ammunition.]
F3(1A). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(2)It is an offence for a person under the age of fourteen to have in his possession any firearm or ammunition to which section 1 of this Act applies, except in circumstances where under section 11(1), (3) or (4) of this Act [F4or section 15 of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988] he is entitled to have possession of it without holding a firearm certificate.
(3)It is an offence for a person under the age of fifteen to have with him an assembled shot gun except while under the supervision of a person of or over the age of twenty-one, or while the shot gun is so covered with a securely fastened gun cover that it cannot be fired.
(4)[F5Subject to section 23 below, it is an offence for a person under the age of [F6eighteen] to have with him an air weapon or ammunition for an air weapon.]
(5)F7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .]
Textual Amendments
F1S. 22(1) substituted (1.10.2007) by Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 (c. 38), ss. 33(2), s. 66(2); S.I. 2007/2180, art. 3(c)
F2S. 22(1) substituted (28.7.2010) by Firearms (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/1759), regs. 1(2), 2(3)
F3S. 22(1A) omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Law Enforcement and Security (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/742), regs. 1, 59(3); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
F4S. 22(2): Words inserted by Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988 (c. 45, SIF 51:1), s. 23(4) [Editorial Note: the amending section provides that the insertion is to be made after the words "of this Act". Those words appear twice in s. 22(2), but the sense of the subsection as amended seems to require that the insertion should be made after the second occurrence of those words.]
F5S. 22(4) repealed (S.) (31.12.2016) by Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2015 (asp 10), s. 88(2), sch. 2 para. 1(4); S.S.I. 2016/130, art. 3(c)
F6Word substituted (1.10.2007) by Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 (c. 38), ss. 33(3), 66(2); S.I. 2007/2180, art. 3(c)
F7S. 22(5) repealed (20.1.2004) by Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 (2003 c. 38), ss. 38(2)(b), 93, Sch. 3: S.I. 2003/3300, art. 2(c)(ii)
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