Section 44 Application of Firearms Acts to sound moderators etcI1I2
England, Wales and Scotland
The Firearms Act 1968 is amended as follows.
After section 2 insert—
“Possession of a sound moderator or flash suppressor
2A(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.”
In section 57 (interpretation)—
in subsection (1)—
omit paragraph (d);
in the words after paragraph (d) omit “, and accessories to,”;
in subsection (4)—
after the definition of “registered” insert—
““relevant accessory” has the meaning given in section 2A;”;
in the definition of “shot gun”, omit the words from “and any” to the end.
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 ”.
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.
Annotations
Commencement
- I1
S. 44 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 255(1)
- I2
S. 44 in force at 29.6.2026 by S.I. 2026/689, reg. 2(1)(f)