Apply for a prohibited weapons (section 5) authority

How to apply

Prohibited weapons and ammunition (section 5) authority

You need a section 5 authority to handle prohibited weapons, component parts and prohibited ammunition.

Section 5 authorities are usually only issued to businesses that have a specific commercial need. 

Members of the public can find out how to apply for other types of firearm certificate on the Police Scotland website.

How to apply for or renew a section 5 authority

You should complete the attached application form. 

You will need the following to complete your application:

• reasons for possessing the prohibited items
• details of the type and amount of prohibited weapons you wish to authorise - see chapter 3 of the Home Office guide to firearms licensing for a description of the different categories of prohibited weapons
• your current authority number if you are applying to renew or amend an existing authority
• if you will be storing prohibited items, details of how and where these will be stored
• your registered firearms dealer number if applying as a dealer
• additional supporting documents to support your application, for example invoices or contracts

Email your completed application to firearms.enquiries@gov.scot or post it to the address in the contact section below.

How to amend an existing section 5 authority

If the details on your current section 5 authority have changed then you should complete pages 1 and 4 of the attached form and send it to us by email or post.

Fees

Section 5 authority applications are subject to a fee. Fees were introduced by the Home Office on 1 October 2019 and apply across Great Britain.

When we receive a section 5 application form we will write to you with details of the fee and how to pay. See below for information on the corresponding fees for each authority and the different variations. 

You can read more information the different categories in the Home Office circular: Circular 006/2019: Firearms (Fees) Regulations 2019

Section 5 dealer fees

• new grant: £796*
• renewal: £747*
• variation A: £425
• variation B: £206
• variation C: £36

* when applying for a section 5 dealer authority that is aligned with the expiry date on your registered firearms dealer certificate, a £200 reduction will apply.

Section 5 carrier fees

• new grant: £569
• renewal: £540
• variation A: £361
• variation B: £206
• variation C: £36

What happens next

We will review your application and contact you if we need more information. We will ask police to carry out certain checks, including inspecting any security or handling arrangements.

We will write to you with details of the applicable fee, and how you can pay.