Suffrago UK Data Hub
RankingsVerificationMethods

Independent service run by Suffrago – not an official government website. Every figure comes from an official UK publisher under its open licence and is checked against that source each time the data is refreshed.

Shotgun certificates on issue by police force area, England and Wales

Accredited official statistics

Shotgun certificates on issue at 31 March in each police force area in England and Wales, in the latest year and the year before, from the Home Office's statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates.

England and Wales

457,340

31 Mar 2026 · from Table 4

Verified against source, 4 November 2026, 22:16 UTC
Shotgun certificates on issue by police force area, England and Wales
  • 31 Mar 2026
  • 31 Mar 2025
010k20k30kDevon and Cornwall24,22025,964West Mercia22,44723,039Thames Valley21,48922,102Avon and Somerset19,15820,152Metropolitan Police18,40819,736Hampshire17,98318,942Kent17,65418,380Essex17,48918,122Norfolk16,95318,372North Yorkshire16,46217,060Sussex15,90716,989Suffolk13,29814,473Staffordshire12,18112,711Wiltshire12,00212,332Dyfed-Powys11,84312,590Lincolnshire11,47611,955Derbyshire10,59011,009Lancashire10,20710,470Leicestershire9,89210,397Gloucestershire9,3529,830Cheshire9,3409,615Surrey9,29510,144West Yorkshire8,9829,490North Wales8,7229,085Northamptonshire8,3318,833Dorset8,1788,762Cambridgeshire8,1698,930Humberside7,7238,434Cumbria7,7038,189Northumbria7,4567,991Warwickshire7,2937,902South Yorkshire7,1097,388Nottinghamshire7,0037,380Hertfordshire6,8957,385West Midlands6,7117,243Greater Manchester5,7256,007South Wales4,9915,290Durham4,9515,140Gwent4,2614,605Bedfordshire4,1834,608Cleveland2,6482,764Merseyside2,6312,776London, City of2926

Source: Home Office. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Data table

43 rows

Area31 Mar 202631 Mar 2025
Devon and Cornwall E2300003524,22025,964
West Mercia E2300001622,44723,039
Thames Valley E2300002921,48922,102
Avon and Somerset E2300003619,15820,152
Metropolitan Police E2300000118,40819,736
Hampshire E2300003017,98318,942
Kent E2300003217,65418,380
Essex E2300002817,48918,122
Norfolk E2300002416,95318,372
North Yorkshire E2300000916,46217,060
Sussex E2300003315,90716,989
Suffolk E2300002513,29814,473
Staffordshire E2300001512,18112,711
Wiltshire E2300003812,00212,332
Dyfed-Powys W1500000411,84312,590
Lincolnshire E2300002011,47611,955
Derbyshire E2300001810,59011,009
Lancashire E2300000310,20710,470
Leicestershire E230000219,89210,397
Gloucestershire E230000379,3529,830
Cheshire E230000069,3409,615
Surrey E230000319,29510,144
West Yorkshire E230000108,9829,490
North Wales W150000018,7229,085
Northamptonshire E230000228,3318,833
Dorset E230000398,1788,762
Cambridgeshire E230000238,1698,930
Humberside E230000127,7238,434
Cumbria E230000027,7038,189
Northumbria E230000077,4567,991
Warwickshire E230000177,2937,902
South Yorkshire E230000117,1097,388
Nottinghamshire E230000197,0037,380
Hertfordshire E230000276,8957,385
West Midlands E230000146,7117,243
Greater Manchester E230000055,7256,007
South Wales W150000034,9915,290
Durham E230000084,9515,140
Gwent W150000024,2614,605
Bedfordshire E230000264,1834,608
Cleveland E230000132,6482,764
Merseyside E230000042,6312,776
London, City of E230000342926

Download CSVDownload JSON with full provenance

Source and licence

Publisher
Home Office
Check it yourself
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/firearm-certificates-in-england-and-wales
Licence
Open Government Licence v3.0 – Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Retrieved
4 November 2026, 22:12 UTC
Raw files fetched

Verification

Verified against source, 4 November 2026, 22:16 UTC Run at 4 November 2026, 22:16 UTC; 86 of 86 figures matched the live source.

ResultCheckDetail
PassProvenance recordedHome Office; Open Government Licence v3.0; retrieved 2026-11-04T22:12:03Z; 3 raw file(s)
PassRaw files match recorded SHA-2563 of 3 files intact
PassRe-parsing raw files reproduces figures86 of 86 figures and the headline reproduced; the meta's missing match
PassFigures are finite numbers86 figures, 0 invalid
PassLive source matches every figure86 of 86 figures match exactly after downloading 3 source file(s) again (3 byte-identical); the headline matches; the meta's missing match
PassGOV.UK table is currentlatest period 2026-03-31 ended 218 days before retrieval (limit 480), from Firearm and shotgun certificates, April 2025 to March 2026: open data tables
PassTable 4 of the same release agrees43 of 43 forces' figures at 2026-03-31 match Table_4's 'Shotgun certificates on issue as at 31 March', gaps included
PassThe forces add up to England, Wales and England and Wales3 of 3 cases of the forces' certificates on issue match the Home Office's own total
PassSource page answershttps://www.gov.uk/government/collections/firearm-certificates-in-england-and-wales – HTTP 200

Notes

  • Shotgun certificates on issue at 31 March, from the Home Office's open data tables, which give the 43 police force areas. England and Wales's figure is the Home Office's own, from Table 4 of the same release.
  • The Home Office counts each certificate holder in the police force area of their primary address, which may not be where their weapons are kept.