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Moderators Off Ticket

Sound Moderators Are No Longer Section 1 Firearms

What the Law Now Says

From 29 June 2026, section 44 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 changed how sound moderators and flash suppressors are treated in England, Wales and Scotland.

No longer on-ticket

Moderators are no longer Section 1 firearms, so they no longer appear on a certificate and do not require variation.

Still certificate-only

Possession of a moderator for a Section 1 firearm now requires a valid firearm or shotgun certificate, unless a statutory exemption applies.

Scope

The change applies in England, Wales and Scotland. It does not extend to Northern Ireland, and Scottish airgun law remains separate.

In plain English: moderators are now restricted accessories for certificate holders, not individually licensed firearms. This post is general information, not legal advice.

On 29 June 2026, section 44 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 came into force in England, Wales and Scotland, removing sound moderators (and flash suppressors) from the legal definition of a firearm in the Firearms Act 1968. Moderators are therefore no longer Section 1 firearms: they no longer appear on your certificate, no variation is needed to buy one, dealers are no longer required record the transactions, they need not be kept in a gun safe, and there is no limit on how many you may own. They are not fully deregulated, however: a new offence makes it unlawful to possess a moderator for a Section 1 firearm unless you hold a valid firearm or shotgun certificate, punishable by a fine of up to £1,000. The change does not extend to Northern Ireland, and in Scotland airgun moderators remain governed by separate devolved airgun legislation.

The Changes

The following is the exact text of section 44 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 (reproduced from legislation.gov.uk under the Open Government Licence v3.0):

44 Application of Firearms Acts to sound moderators etc

(1) The Firearms Act 1968 is amended as follows.

(2) After section 2 insert:

"2A Possession of a sound moderator or flash suppressor

(1) Subject to any exemption under this Act, it is an offence for a person to have in their possession a relevant accessory unless the person holds a firearm certificate or a shot gun certificate.

(2) "Relevant accessory" means an accessory to a firearm to which section 1 applies which is designed or adapted to diminish the noise or flash caused by firing the firearm."

(3) In section 57 (interpretation):

(a) in subsection (1):
(i) omit paragraph (d);
(ii) in the words after paragraph (d) omit ", and accessories to,";

(b) in subsection (4):
(i) after the definition of "registered" insert:
""relevant accessory" has the meaning given in section 2A;";
(ii) in the definition of "shot gun", omit the words from "and any" to the end.

(4) In Schedule 6 (prosecution and punishment of offences) after the entry for section 2(2) insert:

"Section 2A — Possession of relevant accessory without certificate under this Act — Summary — A fine of level 3 on the standard scale".

(5) Schedule 5 amends the exemptions in the Firearms Act 1968 and the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988 to the requirement to hold a firearm or shot gun certificate.

What the difference means in practice

The amendment deletes moderators from the definition of a firearm entirely and replaces certificate control with a much lighter possession condition. Under the new section 2A, a moderator designed for a Section 1 firearm may be possessed by anyone who holds a current firearm or shotgun certificate (or who falls within a statutory exemption, such as borrowing arrangements carried over by Schedule 5): no listing, variation, notification or record-keeping applies.

Possession without any certificate is a summary offence with a maximum level 3 fine (£1,000), rather than the far more serious Section 1 possession offence that applied before. Moderators designed for guns outside section 1, such as shotguns and sub-12 ft·lb airguns, carry no possession offence at all, though note that an airgun moderator actually fitted to a Section 1 firearm still requires the possessor to be certificated. In short, moderators have moved from being treated as firearms to being treated as accessories restricted to the certificated community, removing roughly a third of the Section 1 licensing workload while keeping them out of uncertificated hands.

If we got to write guidance...

If we were able to write the guidance for RFDs, this is what it would be. It is not legal advice and it is not officially recognised by the police, the Home Office, or any governing body. It is simply our take on what we think the guidance should say.

Download the guidance PDF

Frequently asked questions

Sound Moderators After 29 June 2026 — FAQs

These answers are based on the legislation as it stands following the commencement of section 44 and Schedule 5 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 on 29 June 2026 (England, Wales and Scotland). Key sources: Firearms Act 1968, Crime and Policing Act 2026, s. 44, Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997, SI 2026/689 and Home Office Circular 004/2026. This is general information, not legal advice.

Does the sale of a moderator by an RFD or certificate holder have to be face to face?

No. The face-to-face handover rule only ever applied to moderators because they were legally firearms. Now that they aren't, that rule no longer covers them, and no new face-to-face requirement has been created.

In detail: the in-person transfer requirement is in section 32(2)(a) of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997, which applies where "a firearm to which section 1 of the 1968 Act applies, or a shot gun" is sold, let on hire, lent or given. Section 44(3) of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 removed moderators from the definition of "firearm" in section 57 of the Firearms Act 1968, so a moderator is no longer a firearm to which section 1 applies and section 32 does not bite. New section 2A of the Firearms Act 1968 controls possession only and says nothing about how a sale or transfer must be conducted.

Can moderators be posted by RFDs to customers once a copy of a valid certificate has been emailed to the RFD?

As far as the Firearms Acts are concerned, yes — there is no legal bar on posting a moderator, and in fact no statutory requirement to see a certificate at all before selling one. The legal duty sits with the buyer: they commit an offence if they possess it without holding a certificate.

In detail: the restrictions that previously prevented posting (section 32 of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 requiring in-person transfer of section 1 firearms, and the associated notification rules in sections 32–35 of that Act) apply only to section 1 firearms and shotguns, which moderators no longer are. The only offence in the new regime is in section 2A of the Firearms Act 1968, committed by the possessor if they lack a firearm or shotgun certificate; the legislation places no verification duty on the seller. Two non-statutory caveats: first, carriers' own terms (Royal Mail, couriers) are commercial policies that may lag behind the law, so check them; second, the general criminal law on aiding and abetting an offence is untouched by the 2026 Act, so whether a seller who knew the buyer was uncertificated could face accessory liability for the buyer's section 2A offence is not answered by the firearms legislation itself and cannot be answered definitively from it — which is a good practical reason for RFDs to keep sighting certificates, as trade guidance is likely to recommend.

Is there any requirement for an RFD or certificate holder selling a moderator to check if the purchaser has a section 1 firearm of an appropriate calibre?

No. There is nothing in the legislation requiring the seller to check that the buyer owns a rifle at all, let alone one of a matching calibre.

In detail: under the old regime the calibre link arose administratively, because the moderator was entered on the certificate against a specific slot. The new section 2A(1) of the Firearms Act 1968 requires only that the person in possession "holds a firearm certificate or a shot gun certificate" — of any description. The definition of "relevant accessory" in section 2A(2) turns on what the accessory is designed or adapted for ("an accessory to a firearm to which section 1 applies"), not on what firearms the buyer owns. No provision of the Firearms Act 1968, the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 or the Crime and Policing Act 2026 imposes any matching or checking requirement on the seller.

Is there a limit to how many moderators a certificate holder can be in possession of?

No. The legislation sets no limit.

In detail: section 2A of the Firearms Act 1968 makes possession lawful if the person holds a firearm or shotgun certificate, with no quantity restriction. This contrasts with ammunition, where section 1(1)(b) of the 1968 Act expressly criminalises possession "in quantities in excess of those so authorised" by the certificate — no equivalent wording exists for relevant accessories. Since moderators no longer appear on certificates, there is also no administrative mechanism by which a number could be authorised or capped.

Can a shotgun certificate holder purchase a moderator for a Section 1 rifle?

Yes. The new law expressly allows possession by the holder of either a firearm certificate or a shotgun certificate — even though a shotgun certificate would not entitle them to possess the rifle itself.

In detail: section 2A(1) of the Firearms Act 1968 provides that it is an offence to possess a relevant accessory "unless the person holds a firearm certificate or a shot gun certificate". The purchase or acquisition of a moderator is not controlled at all — only possession is — so a shotgun-certificate holder buying and possessing a moderator designed for a section 1 rifle commits no offence under the Act. This is deliberate: the Home Office Circular 004/2026 (para. 8) explains the aim is to confine these accessories to people "who have been subject to full suitability checks", which includes shotgun certificate holders.

Does an RFD or certificate holder need to record the sale of a moderator anywhere?

No. The record-keeping duties in the Firearms Acts attach to firearms, and moderators are no longer firearms.

In detail: the RFD register of transactions is required by section 40 of the Firearms Act 1968, with the particulars set out in Schedule 4 — both framed around firearms to which section 1 applies and shotguns. The transfer notification duties on certificate holders (notifying the police of transfers, in sections 32–35 of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997) are likewise limited to section 1 firearms and shotguns. Since section 44(3) of the 2026 Act removed moderators from the definition of a firearm, none of these duties now applies to a moderator transaction, and Home Office Circular 004/2026 (para. 7) confirms the change will "generate savings for Registered Firearms Dealers by removing the need to keep a record of transactions". Nothing prevents a dealer keeping voluntary records, and there may be sound commercial reasons to do so.

Is an RFD covered by an exemption in the Act that complies with the new 2A provision?

Yes — the 2026 Act specifically amended the exemptions so that dealers and others who could lawfully hold firearms without a certificate can hold moderators the same way. So an RFD's business stock, and staff handling it, do not need personal certificates.

In detail: section 2A(1) opens with "Subject to any exemption under this Act", and section 44(5) of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 gives effect to Schedule 5 ("Sound moderators etc: exemptions"), which amends the exemption provisions in the Firearms Act 1968 and the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988. Home Office Circular 004/2026 (para. 10) confirms the effect: the amended provisions are those "which allow a person to possess a firearm without holding a firearm or shotgun certificate", and the change "will allow a person to possess a relevant accessory as well as a firearm without holding a certificate". The dealer exemption is section 8 of the Firearms Act 1968 (business of a firearms dealer), which sits within that group of provisions; related exemptions such as section 9 (auctioneers, carriers and warehousemen) sit alongside it. For the exact amended wording of each exemption, see Schedule 5 to the 2026 Act.

Does a person need an RFD to manufacture a moderator?

No — the requirement to be a registered dealer in order to manufacture applied because a moderator was legally a firearm, and that has gone. But whoever has the moderators in their possession still needs a certificate or an exemption.

In detail: section 3(1)(a) of the Firearms Act 1968 makes it an offence, by way of trade or business, to manufacture "any firearm or ammunition to which section 1 of this Act applies, or a shot gun" without being registered as a firearms dealer. Because section 44(3) of the 2026 Act removed moderators from the definition of a firearm in section 57, manufacturing a moderator — commercially or privately — no longer falls within section 3 and no RFD registration is required by the Firearms Acts. Two follow-on points from the legislation: first, a moderator being made for a section 1 firearm is a "relevant accessory" under section 2A(2), so the maker and anyone else in possession must hold a firearm or shotgun certificate or fall within an exemption (a certificate-holding hobbyist making their own is therefore lawful; an uncertificated commercial workshop would need to consider the Schedule 5 exemptions); second, before 29 June 2026 the position was entirely different — making one was manufacturing a section 1 firearm — so anything made before that date needed to have been lawful under the old regime at the time.

Note on scope: all of the above applies in England, Wales and Scotland only. In Northern Ireland moderators remain within firearms controls under separate legislation. In Scotland, moderators for airguns fall under devolved airgun law and are outside these changes.

Firearms Act 1968 Redline

The below shows the provisions amended by section 44 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 in their entirity.  Strikethrough shows removed sections, bold shows added setions. This is exactly how the legislation reads with the surounding provisions for clarity. 

Firearms Act 1968 — provisions amended by s. 44 Crime and
Policing Act 2026, shown as a redline
Text struck through = omitted by the amendment. Text in bold = inserted by the
amendment. Section 2A is an entirely new section and therefore appears wholly in bold.
Base text is reproduced word for word from the revised Firearms Act 1968 on
legislation.gov.uk (version up to date to 6 June 2026, i.e. immediately before the
amendments took effect on 29 June 2026), under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Editorial amendment markers ([F1] etc.) have been removed for readability. Rows of dots
appear in the official text where earlier definitions were repealed and are reproduced as
published.
PART I — PROVISIONS AS TO POSSESSION, HANDLING AND
DISTRIBUTION OFWEAPONS AND AMMUNITION;
PREVENTION OF CRIME AND MEASURES TO PROTECT
PUBLIC SAFETY
General restrictions on possession and handling of firearms and ammunition
New section 2A (shown wholly in bold) is inserted here, in Part I of the Firearms Act 1968
under the cross-heading above, between the existing sections 2 and 3, which are set out in
full so the insertion point can be seen. Sections 1, 2 and 3 themselves are not amended.
1 Requirement of firearm certificate
(1) Subject to any exemption under this Act, it is an offence for a person—
(a) to have in his possession, or to purchase or acquire, a firearm to which this section
applies without holding a firearm certificate in force at the time, or otherwise than as
authorised by such a certificate;
(b) to have in his possession, or to purchase or acquire, any ammunition to which this
section applies without holding a firearm certificate in force at the time, or otherwise than
as authorised by such a certificate, or in quantities in excess of those so authorised.
(2) It is an offence for a person to fail to comply with a condition subject to which a firearm
certificate is held by him.
(3) This section applies to every firearm except—
(a) a shot gun within the meaning of this Act, that is to say a smooth-bore gun (not being an
air gun) which—
(i) has a barrel not less than 24 inches in length and does not have any barrel with a bore
exceeding 2 inches in diameter;

(ii) either has no magazine or has a non-detachable magazine incapable of holding more
than two cartridges; and
(iii) is not a revolver gun; and
(b) an air weapon (that is to say, an air rifle, air gun or air pistol which does not fall within
section 5(1) and which is not of a type declared by rules made by the Secretary of State
under section 53 of this Act to be specially dangerous).
(3A) A gun which has been adapted to have such a magazine as is mentioned in subsection
(3)(a)(ii) above shall not be regarded as falling within that provision unless the magazine
bears a mark approved by the Secretary of State for denoting that fact and that mark has
been made, and the adaptation has been certified in writing as having been carried out in a
manner approved by him, either by one of the two companies mentioned in section 58(1) of
this Act or by such other person as may be approved by him for that purpose.
(4) This section applies to any ammunition for a firearm, except the following articles,
namely:—
(a) cartridges containing five or more shot, none of which exceeds ·36 inch in diameter;
(b) ammunition for an air gun, air rifle or air pistol; and
(c) blank cartridges not more than one inch in diameter measured immediately in front of
the rim or cannelure of the base of the cartridge.
2 Requirement of certificate for possession of shot guns
(1) Subject to any exemption under this Act, it is an offence for a person to have in his
possession, or to purchase or acquire, a shot gun without holding a certificate under this Act
authorising him to possess shot guns.
(2) It is an offence for a person to fail to comply with a condition subject to which a shot gun
certificate is held by him.
2A Possession of a sound moderator or flash suppressor
(1) Subject to any exemption under this Act, it is an offence for a person to have in their
possession a relevant accessory unless the person holds a firearm certificate or a shot
gun certificate.
(2) "Relevant accessory" means an accessory to a firearm to which section 1 applies
which is designed or adapted to diminish the noise or flash caused by firing the firearm.
3 Business and other transactions with firearms and ammunition
(1) A person commits an offence if, by way of trade or business, he—
(a) manufactures, sells, transfers, repairs, tests or proves any firearm or ammunition to
which section 1 of this Act applies, or a shot gun; [in Scotland: or]

(b) exposes for sale or transfer, or has in his possession for sale, transfer, repair, test or proof
any such firearm or ammunition, or a shot gun, or
(c) sells or transfers an air weapon, exposes such a weapon for sale or transfer or has such a
weapon in his possession for sale or transfer,
[paragraph (c) and the preceding "or" apply in England and Wales only; they are repealed
for Scotland]
without being registered under this Act as a firearms dealer.
(2) It is an offence for a person to sell or transfer to any other person in the United Kingdom,
other than a registered firearms dealer, any firearm or ammunition to which section 1 of this
Act applies, or a shot gun, unless that other produces a firearm certificate authorising him
to purchase or acquire it or, as the case may be, his shot gun certificate, or shows that he is
by virtue of this Act entitled to purchase or acquire it without holding a certificate.
(3) It is an offence for a person to undertake the repair, test or proof of a firearm or
ammunition to which section 1 of this Act applies, or of a shot gun, for any other person in
the United Kingdom other than a registered firearms dealer as such, unless that other
produces or causes to be produced a firearm certificate authorising him to have possession
of the firearm or ammunition or, as the case may be, his shot gun certificate, or shows that
he is by virtue of this Act entitled to have possession of it without holding a certificate.
(4) Subsections (1) to (3) above have effect subject to any exemption under subsequent
provisions of this Part of this Act.
(5) A person commits an offence if, with a view to purchasing or acquiring, or procuring the
repair, test or proof of, any firearm or ammunition to which section 1 of this Act applies, or a
shot gun, he produces a false certificate or a certificate in which any false entry has been
made, or personates a person to whom a certificate has been granted, or knowingly or
recklessly makes a statement false in any material particular.
(6) It is an offence for a pawnbroker to take in pawn any firearm or ammunition to which
section 1 of this Act applies, or a shot gun.
(7) It is an offence for a pawnbroker to take in pawn an air weapon within the meaning of
section 1 of the Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2015.
(8) Subsection (7) applies to Scotland only.
Section 57 — Interpretation
(1) In this Act, the expression "firearm" means—
(a) a lethal barrelled weapon (see subsection (1B));
(b) a prohibited weapon;

(c) a relevant component part in relation to a lethal barrelled weapon or a prohibited
weapon (see subsection (1D));
(d) an accessory to a lethal barrelled weapon or a prohibited weapon where the accessory is
designed or adapted to diminish the noise or flash caused by firing the weapon;
and so much of section 1 of this Act as excludes any description of firearm from the category
of firearms to which that section applies shall be construed as also excluding component
parts of, and accessories to, firearms of that description.
(1A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(1B) In subsection (1)(a), "lethal barrelled weapon" means a barrelled weapon of any
description from which a shot, bullet or other missile, with kinetic energy of more than one
joule at the muzzle of the weapon, can be discharged.
(1C) Subsection (1) is subject to section 57A (exception for airsoft guns).
(1D) For the purposes of subsection (1)(c), each of the following items is a relevant
component part in relation to a lethal barrelled weapon or a prohibited weapon—
(a) a barrel, chamber or cylinder,
(b) a frame, body or receiver,
(c) a breech block, bolt or other mechanism for containing the pressure of discharge at the
rear of a chamber,
but only where the item is capable of being used as a part of a lethal barrelled weapon or a
prohibited weapon.
(2) In this Act, the expression "ammunition" means ammunition for any firearm and
includes grenades, bombs and other like missiles, whether capable of use with a firearm or
not, and also includes prohibited ammunition.
(2A) In this Act "self-loading" and "pump-action" in relation to any weapon mean
respectively that it is designed or adapted (otherwise than as mentioned in section 5(1)(a))
so that it is automatically re-loaded or that it is so designed or adapted that it is re–loaded by
the manual operation of the fore–end or forestock of the weapon.
(2B) In this Act "revolver", in relation to a smooth-bore gun, means a gun containing a series
of chambers which revolve when the gun is fired.
(3) For purposes of sections 45, 46, 50, 51(4) and 52 of this Act, the offences under this Act
relating specifically to air weapons are those under sections 22(4), 22(5), 23(1), 24(4) and
24ZA(1).
(4) In this Act—
"acquire" means hire, accept as a gift or borrow and "acquisition" shall be construed
accordingly;
"air weapon" has the meaning assigned to it by section 1(3)(b) of this Act;

. . .
"area" means a police area;
. . .
"British Transport Police Force" means the constables appointed under section 53 of the
British Transport Commission Act 1949;
"certificate" (except in a context relating to the registration of firearms dealers) and
"certificate under this Act" mean a firearm certificate or a shot gun certificate and—
(a) "firearm certificate" means a certificate granted by a chief officer of police under this Act
in respect of any firearm or ammunition to which section 1 of this Act applies and includes a
certificate granted in Northern Ireland under section 1 of the Firearms Act 1920 or under an
enactment of the Parliament of Northern Ireland amending or substituted for that section;
and
(b) "shot gun certificate" means a certificate granted by a chief officer of police under this
Act and authorising a person to possess shot guns;
"civilian officer" means—
(a) as respects England and Wales—
(i) a person employed by a chief constable established under section 2 of the Police Reform
and Social ResponsibilityAct 2011,
(ii) a person employed by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, or
(iii) a person employed by the Corporation of the City of London who is under the direction
and control of the Commissioner of Police for the City of London;
(b) as respects Scotland, a member of police staff within the meaning of the Police and Fire
Reform (Scotland) Act 2012;
. . .
"European weapons directive" means the directive of the Council of the European
Communities No. 91/477/EEC (directive on the control of the acquisition and possession of
weapons);
"firearms dealer" means a person who, by way of trade or business,
(a) manufactures, sells, transfers, repairs, tests or proves firearms or ammunition to which
section 1 of this Act applies or shot guns; or
(b) sells or transfers [in Scotland: manufactures, sells, transfers, repairs or tests] air
weapons.
"imitation firearm" means any thing which has the appearance of being a firearm (other
than such a weapon as is mentioned in section 5(1)(b) of this Act) whether or not it is
capable of discharging any shot, bullet or other missile;

"member of a police force" means—
(a) as respects England and Wales, a constable who is a member of a police force or a special
constable appointed under section 27 of the Police Act 1996;
(b) as respects Scotland, a constable within the meaning of section 99 of the Police and Fire
Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 (2012 asp 8);
"member of the British Transport Police Force" includes a special constable appointed
under section 25 of the Railways and Transport SafetyAct 2003;
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"premises" includes any land;
"prescribed" means prescribed by rules made by the Secretary of State under section 53 of
this Act;
"prohibited weapon" and "prohibited ammunition" have the meanings assigned to them by
section 5(2) of this Act;
"public place" includes any highway [in Scotland: road within the meaning of the Roads
(Scotland) Act 1984] and any other premises or place to which at the material time the
public have or are permitted to have access, whether on payment or otherwise;
"registered", in relation to a firearms dealer, means registered either—
(a) in Great Britain, under section 33 of this Act, or
(b) in Northern Ireland, under section 8 of the Firearms Act 1920 or any enactment of the
Parliament of Northern Ireland amending or substituted for that section,
and references to "the register", "registration" and a "certificate of registration" shall be
construed accordingly, except in section 40;
"relevant accessory" has the meaning given in section 2A;
"rifle" includes carbine;
"shot gun" has the meaning assigned to it by section 1(3)(a) of this Act and, in sections 3(1)
and 45(2) of this Act and in the definition of "firearms dealer", includes any component part
of a shot gun and any accessory to a shot gun designed or adapted to diminish the noise or
flash caused by firing the gun;
"slaughtering instrument" means a firearm which is specially designed or adapted for the
instantaneous slaughter of animals or for the instantaneous stunning of animals with a
view to slaughtering them; and
"transfer" includes let on hire, give, lend and part with possession, and "transferee" and
"transferor" shall be construed accordingly.
(4A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(5) The definitions in subsections (1) to (3) above apply to the provisions of this Act except
where the context otherwise requires.
(6) For purposes of this Act—
(a) the length of the barrel of a firearm shall be measured from the muzzle to the point at
which the charge is exploded on firing; and
(b) a shot gun or an air weapon shall be deemed to be loaded if there is ammunition in the
chamber or barrel or in any magazine or other device which is in such a position that the
ammunition can be fed into the chamber or barrel by the manual or automatic operation of
some part of the gun or weapon.

Schedule 6, Part I — Prosecution and punishment of offences (inserted entry)

Schedule 6 is the table setting out the mode of prosecution and punishment for every offence in the Act; the only change made by the 2026 Act is the insertion of one new row immediately after the entry for section 2(2):

Section of this Act creating offence General nature of offence Mode of prosecution Punishment
Section 2A Possession of relevant accessory without certificate under this Act Summary A fine oflevel 3 on the standard scale

Sources

Statutory text reproduced under the Open Government Licence v3.0. This post is general information, not legal advice.

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