Justice Minister defends ‘extreme’ rise in gun licence application cost

Under a proposed increase which is out for public consultation, the cost of a five-year firearm certificate is to rise from £98 to £250.

Ms Long said the fee was last increased in 2016 from £50, adding that costs must be recovered as she revealed that it cost the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) £2 million to subsidise applications last year.

She said that comes in the context of the PSNI being £5 million short to cover pay increases for police officers.

During questions for the Justice Minister in the Assembly, Ms Long was quizzed by DUP MLA Keith Buchanan and Sinn Fein MLA Emma Sheerin over delays in terms of appeals in the process.

Ms Long said the number of appeals received annually varies, from between 40-70 on an average year, to more than 100 some years.

She said there were just 22 appeals in 2025 which has seen the backlog starting to clear.

“There are 14 of those currently being progressed,” she told MLAs.

“We have nine appeals decided by a senior officer and brought to completion so far in 2026, and the branch has received 11 appeals to date,” she said, describing a “very small team”.

She said: “Whilst we’ve recently added an additional senior officer to progress those appeals, it is quite challenging, because the current firearms team are also responsible for other statutory responsibilities, including the firearms consultation process, engaging with the stakeholders and Justice Committee, and also the consultation responses.”

Ms Sheerin put to Ms Long that the proposed 153% increase in the fee for firearms licensing is “extreme, given the length of time it takes to acquire the licence”, and also pointed to the pressures those in farming and rural communities are under with the increase in fuel and fertiliser costs.

Ms Long said the PSNI is the licensing authority in Northern Ireland and must be “appropriately funded in order for the PSNI to be able to safeguard the public”.

She said it is currently not a full cost recovery model, and that it cost £2 million of the PSNI budget.

“That is not a sustainable position going forward, given the limited revenue the PSNI have to deliver frontline policing, and ultimately having a firearm is a responsibility that does come at a cost,” she said.

“The appeals, for example, are completely unfunded, and we haven’t consulted on charging for appeals, but they can cost anywhere from £2,000 to £4,000 for my officers to process, and yet there’s no cost attached, which actually incentivises people bringing forward appeals.

“I am aware of the concerns that people have regarding the increase in cost, but I would also remind people that when we are spending money and subsidising firearms licence applications, we’re taking it away from frontline policing services.”

Meanwhile, UUP MLA John Stewart called the proposed price increase “extortionate” and raised the case of those who formerly served in the security forces and carried personal protection weapons (PPW).

He urged they be exempted from the firearm licence fees because of the threat to their lives, and the requirement for them to carry PPWs.

Ms Long responded: “I would prefer that nobody had to carry a PPW because we would want to be in a very different situation, I want to put that on record.

“In terms of any exemptions or how those are handled, there is a consultation and I would encourage the member to come forward, but I think members also want to reflect on where they want that £2 million to come from within the policing budget because at the moment it is coming directly from frontline policing.

“I feel like this is a proportionate response given that there hasn’t been an increase for so long, and given that it is an expensive thing to own a firearm, to buy the ammunition and to do all those other things like have a cabinet where you can safely lock them.

“This is not a cheap endeavour for anybody involved, and therefore I think paying for the licence is only fair.”