Do you need a licence to start target shooting?

This is the question that stops more people getting into shooting than any other. The answer is reassuring: you do not need a licence to start target shooting. Here’s the full picture, in plain English.

A quick but important note before we begin: firearms law in the UK is detailed, differs between England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and changes over time. This is general guidance to help you understand the lie of the land, not legal advice. Always confirm the current rules on GOV.UK and with your club and local police firearms licensing team.

The short answer

To try target shooting, and to keep shooting while you learn, you need no certificate and no firearm of your own. You shoot the club’s firearms, on the club’s range, under supervision. People do this for years.

A certificate only becomes relevant when you decide you want to own a firearm yourself. That’s a later decision, not a starting requirement.

The two certificates

When the time does come, there are two kinds of certificate in Great Britain:

• A Shotgun Certificate (SGC) covers shotguns. It’s the more straightforward of the two.
• A Firearm Certificate (FAC) covers rifles and other Section 1 firearms. For target rifle shooting, this is the one you’d apply for.

Both are issued by your local police force and last five years.

How a firearm certificate works for target shooting

A firearm certificate is granted for a “good reason”. For target shooting, the recognised good reason is being an established, active member of an approved target shooting club, and the club has to be named on your certificate. That’s a big part of why joining a club is the first step: without it, you don’t yet have your good reason.

The application involves a few things:

• A medical certificate. This is now a mandatory part of every application, grant or renewal. Your GP provides it; if they won’t, or charge a high fee, providers such as BASC’s ShootCert can help.
• Referees, who give an honest opinion of your suitability.
• Police checks. The final decision always rests with the police.

It takes a little time, but for an established club member with a genuine good reason, it’s a well-trodden path, not an obstacle course.

What it costs

Fees are set by the Home Office and reviewed from time to time, so always check the current figure. As of 2026:

Certificates last five years, so the cost works out modest spread across that time. For the current schedule, see GOV.UK.

Air weapons: often no certificate at all

Air shooting is the lowest-barrier way into the sport, partly because of the simpler rules. In England and Wales, an adult can own an air rifle under 12 ft·lb of muzzle energy, or an air pistol under 6 ft·lb, without any certificate. Above those limits, an air rifle becomes a Section 1 firearm needing a certificate, and more powerful air pistols are prohibited.

Two things to remember:

• You must be 18 to buy or hire an air weapon. Under-18s can still use them under supervision.
• Scotland is different. Since 2016, owning any air weapon in Scotland has required an Air Weapon Certificate.

There’s more on this in our guide to air rifle and air pistol shooting for beginners.

A word on Scotland and Northern Ireland

The picture above is for England and Wales. Scotland adds the Air Weapon Certificate for air guns, and administers firearms licensing through Police Scotland. Northern Ireland has its own firearms law, administered by the PSNI, and notably still permits conventional target pistols, which are banned in Great Britain. If you’re shooting in Scotland or Northern Ireland, check the rules that apply there.

So, do you need a licence?

To get started: no. Find a club, learn on their firearms under supervision, and enjoy the sport. The certificate question is one you can leave until you’ve decided you want a firearm of your own, by which point your club will guide you through it.

Still weighing it up? Our complete beginner’s guide walks through the whole journey, and you can find a club near you whenever you’re ready to start.