This is the result of Section 44 and Schedule 5 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 coming into force yesterday (Mon 29th June 2026).
Removing these items from the legal definition of a firearm will alleviate the admin burden on Police, who will no longer need to process these licences.
It will also benefit firearms holders who will no longer have to apply, and pay for, a variation of their licence each time they acquire or dispose of a sound moderator.
A new subsection of the Firearms Act makes is an offence to possess these
devices without having a valid firearm or shotgun certificate, or without an exemption applying. This
means that lawful ownership is the right only of those who have a legitimate purpose and have gone
through all the necessary suitability checks for a firearm. The maximum penalty for an offence is a
Level 3 fine.
Moderators for air weapons and shotguns can already be held without the need
for
a certificate and that will continue to be the case. If an air weapon
moderator is fitted to a
section 1 firearm and the owner does not have a
firearm or shotgun certificate or without an
exemption applying, they will
not be in lawful possession of either.
Police Scotland note the
commencement of Section 44 of the Crime and
Policing Act. Any pending variation applications seeking
only a sound moderator
will be refunded and returned and moderators gradually removed
from
certificates as they are renewed or varied over the coming years.
