Great Britain will end statutory notification requirements for deactivated firearms from 4 March 2026 under the Firearms (Revocation, Consequential Amendment and Saving Provision) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/118). The instrument was made on 9 February 2026, laid before Parliament on 11 February, and follows the sifting requirement recorded as satisfied on 28 January, according to legislation.gov.uk.
In Great Britain, Regulation 3 revokes the Firearms Regulations 2019 in so far as they extend to England and Wales and Scotland. In practice, the 2019 notification duties relating to transfers and possession of deactivated firearms will no longer apply to activity taking place on or after the commencement date.
Northern Ireland retains the 2019 regime with modifications made by Regulation 4. The “appropriate national authority” becomes the Department of Justice in Northern Ireland, and for Regulations 1 to 4 the term “firearm” now has the meaning given by Article 2(2) of the Firearms (Northern Ireland) Order 2004. Offences under Regulations 2(1) and 3(1) are punishable on summary conviction by a fine not exceeding level 1 on the standard scale.
Regulation 5 sets out saving provisions for Great Britain. Where a person transferred or possessed a deactivated firearm before commencement and did not give notice at the time required by the 2019 Regulations, notice may be given on or after 4 March 2026. The Explanatory Note confirms this ensures no offence is committed where notice is given as soon as practicable after the transfer or possession, even if submitted after revocation.
The legal basis is sections 14(1) and 20(1)(a) and (b) of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023, with the Secretary of State acting as a “relevant national authority” for section 14 purposes. The procedure requirements in paragraph 6(2) of Schedule 5 to the 2023 Act have been met, as recorded in the instrument.
Background set out in the Explanatory Note states that the Firearms Regulations 2019 completed the UK’s implementation of Directive (EU) 2017/853 amending Council Directive 91/477/EEC on control of the acquisition and possession of weapons, which has since been codified by Directive (EU) 2021/555. The 2019 Regulations are treated as secondary retained EU law within section 11(2) of the 2023 Act.
For registered firearms dealers and collectors in Great Britain, the operational impact is the removal of mandatory notices for transfers and possession of deactivated firearms from 4 March 2026. Internal compliance processes should be updated, while retaining arrangements to file outstanding notices relating to pre‑commencement activity under the saving provision.
In Northern Ireland, practitioners should continue to give notice under the 2019 Regulations as amended. The Department of Justice in Northern Ireland becomes the competent authority referenced in the text, and contraventions of the notification requirements are subject to a level 1 standard scale fine on summary conviction.
The instrument was signed by the Minister of State at the Home Office, Sarah Jones, on 9 February 2026. The Explanatory Note states that no full impact assessment has been produced because no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.
Organisations operating across both Great Britain and Northern Ireland should align procedures with the respective territorial regimes from 4 March 2026 and document any pre‑commencement transfers or possession in Great Britain so that notices can be given promptly where required by Regulation 5.