Firearm licensing ireland

cflaherty25. · 23-07-2025 06:04PM #1

sorry firstly I hope I have the right forum for this. Wondering if someone can give me some advice.

my father passed 6months ago and has held a gun license for a single barrel rifle for over 40years.

This gun hasn’t been decommissioned and have been told by garda who came to check it today it would be easy for me to get a license. I find this hard to believe

I am 32 with my own home no land as such no farming background and cannot part with this gun for the reason it was my fathers.

can someone please give me some advice on what I need to do.

thank you

harr · 23-07-2025 06:17PM

Join a gun club , range or a get permission from a farmer to shoot on their land then look for your gun license.. some areas are easier than others and there are conditions that need to be met. If you don’t want to use as its intended and want to keep it because of sentimental reasons get it decommissioned and get it certified as decommissioned.

cflaherty25. · 23-07-2025 06:22PM

is there anywhere in Ireland I can get this decommissioned? I am in galway

otmmyboy2 · 23-07-2025 06:39PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123663853#Comment_123663853

Ireland doesn't have a proof house which is required for getting a firearm deactivated(the proper term rather than decommissioned).
Your only option there would be getting it sent overseas to one of the proof houses in the EU, the UK is more hassle than it's worth since Brexit.

You could send a letter to your local superintendents office and ask could you hold it on an authorisation(or firearms certificate) with conditions that it not be used, stored securely etc because of sentimental value.
Some will grant it with conditions, some will not. The main difference there is a firearm cert lasts for 3 years and is 80 euro, an authorisation lasts for one year and is free.

Or, and this is the most straightforward path and would let you shoot it if you wished, gather some land permissions and apply for a firearms certificate for it.

cflaherty25. · 23-07-2025 09:07PM

thank you I am gonna try contact the super and see. I would have zero interest in using ever have a baby on the way in less than a month and 8year old in the house I just want to sleep well knowing it’s where it belongs and where it’s always been.

TheEngineer1 · 23-07-2025 10:17PM

My condolences on the passing of your father. I was in a similar position last year when a very close family member passed suddenly and I ended up inheriting a few firearms. In my situation, the guards could not have been more than helpful in sorting out the licensing.

If you have no interest in licensing the firearm yourself, then I would look to see what gun shops are nearby and ask would they hold it while you decide what to do.

While deactivating might seem like a good idea, especially if the gun is sentimental to you, as explained above it is very costly to get it done in Ireland and may not be worth the hassle as it must exported and re-imported again once the work is done.

Alternatively, would you consider selling the rifle? There is a valuations thread on here where you can post pictures of the gun and any stamps/ markings on it and people can give you a rough idea of what it might be worth.

Or better yet, would you consider giving it away for free to a youngster starting out shooting? I know in my situation it gave me great comfort and peace of mind to think that my relatives gun was giving someone the same enjoyment out in the countryside that it used to give him.

Cass · 24-07-2025 10:43AM

Condolences on your loss.

You have four options.

1)License it

2) Surrender/sell it

3) Decommission it

4) Store it.

The authorisation to hold the firearm, AFAIK, would not be valid as the law states if its a functioning firearm it requires a license.

Surrender would seem to not be an option due to the sentimental value which would also preclude the selling option so it seems your only option is to license it.

The law says you must have a valid reason for having the firearm. This, in 99.9% of cases, is for use in some form sport shooting whether that is hunting, target shooting, etc. However it does not exclude situation where a firearm is licensed because of sentimental value or simply becuase the firearm itself is of high financial value. As per the Commissioners guidelines:

"Some people will occasionally wish to purchase an old or antique firearm, or one which
is valuable because of its historical significance, for no reason other than as an
investment. This may sometimes be regarded as 'good reason' having regard to all the
circumstances, and if capable of being fired, these firearms will require a firearms
certificate."

So the land requirement may not be a necessity in your case.

When the Garda said its easy to license he is referring to the process. It's a long one, but simply.in terms of filling out a form and the waiting.

I'd be looking at this avenue because as a functioning firearm no other option would be valid otherwise everyone would opt to go for authorisation over a license as one is at the discretion of the Superintendent and the other is a detailed application with the background check and all that application entails.

The form is simple enough to complete. Here is a guide on how to. Some sections may not apply to you so feel free to ask if you need help.

BSA International · 24-07-2025 04:16PM

My Father died last year. He had a .22lr. I licenced it and will keep it, as it was his.

I was already a firearm licensee so it was an easy decision.

If you go the licence road you'll need a cabinet/safe to store the rifle in. They're not too expensive these days.

One of the easiest options is join your local NARGC/"gun" club. Ask in your local gun shop. They'll know who to contact.

mikeyboo · 24-07-2025 10:08PM

sorry for your loss. Fact you want to keep it join a local gun club or get a insurance policy, apply for a firearms license your local Garda station will help with it in what they want and what’s needed, safe etc

tonysopprano · 24-07-2025 11:25PM

Need to clarify, is the OP talking about a shotgun or rifle, as this has bearing on whether he needs a safe or not, and whether he needs a clay pigeon club/NARGC club or a rifle range.

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Firearm licensing ireland

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