Firearms Licensing: New Medical Notification Rules
Corrected the Explanatory Note of the Firearms (Amendment) Rules 2026 to clarify medical notification requirements for certificate holders.
This document issues formal corrections to the Explanatory Note of the Firearms (Amendment) Rules 2026.
It clarifies the specific medical circumstances under which firearm and shot gun certificate holders must notify the police, changing the criteria from experiencing symptoms to being diagnosed with or treated for a relevant medical condition.
The rules apply to all individuals holding firearm or shot gun certificates in the United Kingdom and specify the involvement of General Practitioners in the notification process.
Arguments For
The document states that certificate holders must notify the police if they are diagnosed with or treated for a relevant medical condition.
Proponents indicate that the rules ensure police are informed if a holder's existing symptoms relating to a previously disclosed condition worsen during the term of the certificate.
The correction specifies that notification requirements apply when an applicant interacts with their own General Practitioner or another practitioner from the same practice.
Arguments Against
Legal observers might note that the correction slip highlights potential for confusion in the original drafting regarding the threshold for "experiencing symptoms" versus formal diagnosis.
Privacy advocates may raise concerns regarding the breadth of medical data shared with police under the condition of being "treated for" a condition.
Practical difficulties may arise for certificate holders in determining exactly when symptoms have "worsened" enough to trigger a mandatory legal report to the police.
Page 48, Explanatory Note, second paragraph: 'Rule 2(2) amends Rule 3 of the 1998 Rules to require as a condition of a firearm certificate that the applicant must notify the police if they begin to experience symptoms relating to a relevant medical condition or are diagnosed as suffering from such a condition, or if their existing symptoms have worsened since their certificate was granted.' should read 'Rule 2(2) amends Rule 3 of the 1998 Rules to require as a condition of a firearm certificate that the applicant must notify the police if they are diagnosed with or treated for a relevant medical condition, or if their existing symptoms relating to a previously disclosed relevant medical condition have worsened since their certificate was granted.';
This correction modifies the mandatory conditions for holding a firearm certificate.
It replaces the requirement to report the onset of symptoms with a specific duty to report if the holder is diagnosed with or treated for a medical condition, or if a known condition deteriorates.
The rule applies to any person issued a firearm certificate under the Firearms Rules 1998.
Page 48, Explanatory Note, second paragraph: '…their General Practitioner regarding…' should read '…their General Practitioner or a General Practitioner from the same practice, regarding…';
This amendment clarifies which medical professionals are involved in the notification or verification process.
It expands the scope from an individual's specific General Practitioner to include any General Practitioner working within the same medical practice.
Page 48, Explanatory Note, third paragraph: 'Rule 2(3) amends Rule 5 of the 1998 Rules to require as a condition of a shot gun certificate that the applicant must notify the police if they begin to experience symptoms relating to a relevant medical condition or are diagnosed as suffering from such a condition, or if their existing symptoms have worsened since their certificate was granted.' should read 'Rule 2(3) amends Rule 5 of the 1998 Rules to require as a condition of a shot gun certificate that the applicant must notify the police if they are diagnosed with or treated for a relevant medical condition, or if their existing symptoms relating to a previously disclosed relevant medical condition have worsened since their certificate was granted.'; and Page 48, Explanatory Note, third paragraph: '…their General Practitioner regarding…' should read '…their General Practitioner or a General Practitioner from the same practice, regarding…'.
These corrections apply the same medical notification standards to shot gun certificate holders as those applied to firearm certificate holders.
It mandates that shot gun users report new diagnoses, medical treatments, or the worsening of existing conditions to the police. The text also confirms that these requirements involve either the holder's specific doctor or another doctor at the same practice.
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