The Firearms (Northern Ireland) Order 2004

Application for firearm certificate N.I.

4.—(1) An application for the grant of a firearm certificate must—

(a) be made to the Chief Constable on a form provided by him for the purpose;

(b) contain such information as may be required by the form; and

(c) comply with any other requirements specified in the form.

(2) The application must be accompanied in accordance with any requirements specified in the form by—

(a) the appropriate fee (if any);

(b) two photographs of the applicant; and

(c) the names and addresses of two appropriate persons who have agreed to act as referees.

(3) Subject to paragraphs (4) to (6), a person is an appropriate person for the purposes of paragraph (2)(c) if he has known the applicant for at least two years and is of good character.

(4) A person is not an appropriate person for the purposes of paragraph (2)(c) if he is—

(a) a relative of the applicant;

(b) a firearms dealer;

(c) a police officer or a member of the police support staff; or

(d) resident outside the United Kingdom.

(5) If the application includes a statement that the applicant—

(a) is a member of a firearms club authorised under Article 49; and

(b) requires any firearm or ammunition in respect of which the application is made wholly or partly for target shooting,

paragraph (6) applies instead of paragraphs (3) and (4) and in paragraph (6) “firearms club” means a firearms club authorised under Article 49.

(6) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(c)—

(a) one person is an appropriate person if he—

(i) is an officer of a firearms club of which the applicant is a member but not a relative of the applicant or resident outside the United Kingdom; and

(ii) has known the applicant for at least one year and is of good character;

(b) the other is an appropriate person if he—

(i) is not a member of any firearms club or a person described in paragraph (4); and

(ii) has known the applicant for at least two years and is of good character.

(7) Before considering the application the Chief Constable must have—

(a) permission from the applicant to approach his general practitioner to obtain factual details of his medical history which the general practitioner considers relevant to the application; and

(b) the following provided by each referee in such manner as the Chief Constable may require—

(i) verification of any information provided by the applicant;

(ii) verification of the likeness to the applicant of the photographs submitted with the application;

(iii) a statement that he knows of no reason why the applicant should not be permitted to possess a firearm; and

(iv) such other statements or information in connection with the application as the Chief Constable may require.