Free tool
Firearms licence renewal checker
Certificates run for five years, and forces are running behind. Put your dates in below and see exactly when you should be getting your renewal in — before it becomes a problem.
Nothing you type here is sent anywhere or stored. The whole calculation happens in your own browser.
The dates that matter
| Certificate runs for | 5 years |
|---|---|
| BASC advises applying | 20–24 weeks before expiry |
| Automatic temporary permit | Apply at least 8 weeks before expiry |
Why so early?
There are 43 licensing authorities in England and Wales and many of them are working through substantial backlogs. Applying five months out is not over-cautious — it is what stops you being stuck without a valid certificate in the middle of the season.
If it expires anyway
Where you applied at least eight weeks before expiry, Home Office guidance is that your force should grant a Section 7 temporary permit automatically. It carries your existing certificate's conditions for up to eight weeks, or until your application is decided — and further permits can follow if the decision takes longer. Ask your licensing department; do not assume it will arrive on its own.
Don't forget the medical
A GP medical report is required for renewals as well as first grants. Surgeries vary hugely in turnaround, so start that conversation at the same time you start the application — not after.
What this checker does and doesn't do
It does simple, transparent arithmetic on the dates you give it: five years for the certificate term, and the recommended and minimum application windows before expiry. It is a planning aid, not a substitute for your certificate or for anything your force tells you.
It cannot see your application, it does not know your force's current processing times, and it is not legal advice. Timescales and licensing practice change. The authoritative answer about your certificate always comes from your police firearms licensing department.
Certificate validity, the recommended 20–24 week application window and the Section 7 temporary permit arrangement are as described in Home Office guidance and BASC's guidance on certificate renewals. Check the current position before relying on it.