Secure storage is a condition of every certificate, the one thing the firearms enquiry officer will definitely inspect, and the part of the application people leave too late. Here's what the law actually requires, how to choose and fit a cabinet, and what to do about ammunition, keys and vehicles.
Every firearm and shotgun certificate carries a condition that your guns and ammunition are stored securely at all times, to prevent access by anyone not entitled to them. The law doesn't name a specific product; in practice police forces work to the Home Office Firearms Security Handbook, and the accepted benchmark for home storage is a steel cabinet made to BS 7558 or an equivalent standard, properly fixed to the building.
Get the cabinet bought and fitted before your home visit: the enquiry officer will want to see it on the wall, not in a box. Applying soon? Read our FAC guide first.
The Spika range we stock runs from compact to full-height:
Section 1 ammunition must be stored securely, and the guidance recommends it be locked separately from the rifles: a lockable internal compartment in your cabinet is fine, as is a separate ammunition safe such as the Spika S3A. Shotgun cartridges carry no specific storage condition, but keeping them locked away is good practice and keeps the enquiry officer happy.
A sub-12 ft·lb air rifle in England and Wales needs no certificate and no cabinet by law, but you must take reasonable precautions to stop anyone under 18 getting unauthorised access: locked away, or secured out of use, not propped in a corner. A cabinet remains the easy answer, and in Scotland air weapons are certificated anyway.
Not in those words: your certificate requires secure storage, and the police assess it against the Home Office security handbook, where a BS 7558 or equivalent cabinet, properly fixed, is the accepted benchmark for home storage. In practice, buy the cabinet.
Keep it inside the house if you possibly can. Garages and outbuildings are damper, easier to work on unseen, and the police will usually expect additional security there.
Yes, if it's in a separately locked compartment, which most cabinets offer. A dedicated ammunition safe does the same job.
Expect it at grant: the enquiry officer visits your home, sees the cabinet fixed in place and talks through your arrangements. Have it fitted before the visit, not after.
Fewer than six, once scopes, moderators and slings are involved. Treat a scoped, moderated rifle as two slots and size up accordingly.
Not by law in England and Wales under 12 ft·lb, but you must take reasonable precautions to keep under-18s from unauthorised access, and a locked cabinet is the simplest way to do that. In Scotland, air weapons need an Air Weapon Certificate and secure storage expectations follow.
Last reviewed 7 November 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.