Museum Firearms Licences

Schedule 2 of the Firearms (Northern Ireland) Order 2004 permit a museum to apply to the Secretary of State for a museum firearms licence that permits the management of the museum and their employees to possess prohibited weapons and ammunitions for the museum's purposes. Each person who has to have access to the firearms and ammunition would otherwise be required to have his own firearm certificate, issued by the Chief Constable, authorising them to purchase, acquire and possess them. The Secretary of State will only issue such a licence if he is satisfied that doing so does not endanger public safety or the peace and he can attach conditions to the licence.

Guidance on Northern Ireland Firearm Controls provides further information.

Applications

The application would take the form of a letter addressed to the Northern Ireland Office's National Security Operations Unit confirming –

(i) the nature of the museum's interest in firearms and ammunition or prohibited weapons and prohibited ammunition,

(ii) details of prohibited weapons and prohibited ammunition held or to be acquired,

(iii) the security precautions in place, and

(iv) that the majority of the museum's funding comes from central or local government and whether or not the museum is readily accessible to the public.

The Secretary of State will consult the Chief Constable and any other body or person he considers necessary about the application and will have to be convinced that doing so does not endanger public safety or the peace.