Lapsed gun licence renewal

Centrepassage

Hi all. Just enquiring .I was out of the country for few years. Back now. Want to renew my shotgun licence. Last licence was the old green one. Don't even know if I still have a copy of it. What would be the process now. Will I have to hand in the gun while I'm waiting for it to be processed.

BattleCorp

Centrepassage wrote: »

Hi all. Just enquiring .I was out of the country for few years. Back now. Want to renew my shotgun licence. Last licence was the old green one. Don't even know if I still have a copy of it. What would be the process now. Will I have to hand in the gun while I'm waiting for it to be processed.

Yes, you'll have to hand it in to a dealer for storage while you wait for a new licence.

If you have a gun with no licence, you are in possession of an unlicensed firearm. Quite a serious offence.

Hand it in asap and then apply for a licence.

cookimonster

As a matter of interest and just been plain nosey, would that lapse be approximately coming up on 10 years?
Did no one come a knocking on the door in the mean time or have you got it in storage?
If there is not a pile of officialdoom poop heading your way, there is a section on the firearms application form asking if you had previously held a licence for that particular firearm.
Down load the form from the Garda website and start the process. There s a sticky here and Cass has posted lots of guide lines on the subject of application.
Much has changed since the old green forms

Centrepassage

Yeah probably close on ten years now. Think local guard rang my aul fella about it once and that was about it really.. he would use it occasionally when he was alive but it was in my name. Must get on top of it this week. Thanks for reply's

Centrepassage

How long would one be waiting for new licence

BattleCorp

Centrepassage wrote: »

Yeah probably close on ten years now. Think local guard rang my aul fella about it once and that was about it really.. he would use it occasionally when he was alive but it was in my name. Must get on top of it this week. Thanks for reply's

If I was you, I'd hand in the gun to a dealer for storage first thing tomorrow morning. At least then you won't be breaking the law by being in possession of an unlicensed firearm.

There's no way of knowing how long a licence will take. Some places have them done in a few weeks, others in a few months. The guidelines say that the licence should be processed within three months but I have seen it take longer.

Cass

I hate to be "that guy" but you have a series of problems:

• Possession of unlicensed firearm for at least a decade.
• Not in the country hence not actually in possession of the firearm for the same period of time
• No idea where the gun was (by that i mean you couldn't know where it was at all times)
• No idea who had access to it
• Anyone with it would also have possession of an unlicensed firearm
• Unable to guarantee secure storage

Consequences can go from "don't do that again" to "welcome to your new accommodation for the next 7 years, on yeah you owe us €25,000".

Now if someone had it licensed while you were away all is good and you simply relicense it, but if not take the advice of the lads above and get it into a dealers ASAP. Dealers only sign it in from the date you give it to them so there may still be some questions on where its been, but this is the best, safest, and legal way to start.

As for applying for a license, you need to get an FCA1 application form (from An Garda in the station or download from their website) then fill it in. Here is what you need to do.

You want to be as detailed as possible, but without writing a novel.

Fill in sections:

For the following sections, just fill them in, but for the most part extra information is not necessary:

• Section 1 - Tick Firearm Certificate and in the box below tick "I have not held a certificate for this firearm in the previous three years".
• Section 2.1 - Fill in all the personal information stuff. Everything.
• Section 2.2 - Give name, address and phone number for your GP, and any other doctor you might be visiting.
• Section 2.3 - You need two people to vouch for you. Supply their name, address and details in this section.
• Section 2.4 - Tick the boxes as appropriate.
• Section 2.5 - Supply details of your competence, or if you've done the course just write "Copy of cert attached". Then attach a copy.
• Section 3.1 - Fill in the details of the gun you've bought here. All the info will be on the docket the dealer gives you.
• Section 3.3 - Write in the dealer PULSE ID. It'll be a 4 digit number that the dealer uses. Then his name.
• Section 3.5 - Tick "YES", and then "NO". Make sure you have at least a trigger lock bought for the gun. This is the minimu security needed.
• Section 4.1 - Tick English, and below that write in the amount of rounds you want. I'd apply for betwee 250 - 500 rounds.
• Section 4.2 - Tick Hunting. No need for target shooting and you might be required to show membership if you do. You can tick it if you want, it's your chice.
• Section
• Section 5.1 - Tick yes (no need for licenses as your firearms license covers you and you're not shooting deer, only pheasant)
• Sign it, and date it.

Ignore sections:

• 3.4
• 4.3
• 4.4
• 5.2

You need to provide more information for some sections on a separate piece of paper, labelled "Additional Information". See which sections apply to you, and fill in the following for those sections:

1. Section 2.1 - Previous Address: If you have lived elsewhere provide thos addresses.
2. Section 2.5 - Proof of Competence: Supply copy of your competence certificate.
3. Section 3.5 - Secure Storage: List your security measures as you have done. For a shotgun its a trigger lock and stored in three pieces around the house. You may be asked for a safe, but the Super will let you know.
4. Section 4.1 - Amount of Ammo: I am requesting 250-500 (example) rounds of ammunition for the following reasons:
   • Empty (fired) casings are treated the same as live rounds as per the Firearms Act, 1925 where it states that "ammunition for a firearm is any ingredient or component part of any such ammunition", with component part being the bullet, the casing, the propellant or the primer. So my license must allow me to have a high enough limit to have both live and fired rounds in my possession.
   • I regularly take part in clay shoots and actively attend clay ranges for practice. As a result of this I can go through a large quantity of rounds in a short period of time.
   • Buying bulk rounds of ammunition to reduce trips to dealer and for cost implications.
   • Distance to dealer being excessive & inconvenient.
5. Section 4.2 - Reason for Gun:
   • Control of vermin on my lands
   • Control of vermin on lands nominated in my permissions
   • Clay pigeon shooting
   • Hunting of game during the open seasons.

For your first licenses you need to be as complete as possible, but for any additional licenses over the years you'll find some of the above does not need to be filled in. Also the above is copied from a previous post of mine so ignore clay shooting or range if it does not apply to you.