{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/firearms-act-1937/section-12",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/firearms-act-1937/section-12.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/Edw8and1Geo6/1/12",
  "legislation_title": "Firearms Act 1937",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/firearms-act-1937",
  "path": "section/12",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "12",
  "heading": "Register of transactions in firearms",
  "text": "(1) Every person who by way of trade or business manufactures, sells or transfers firearms or ammunition to which this Part of this Act applies shall provide and keep a register of transactions, and shall enter or cause to be entered therein the particulars set forth in the Second Schedule to this Act.\n(2) Every such entry shall be made within twenty-four hours after the transaction to which it relates took place, and, in the case of a sale or transfer, every such person as aforesaid shall at the time of the transaction require the purchaser or transferee, if not known to him, to furnish particulars sufficient for identification, and shall immediately enter the said particulars in the register.\n(3) Every such person as aforesaid shall on demand allow any officer of police, duly authorised in writing in that behalf by the chief officer of police, to enter and inspect all stock in hand, and shall on request—\n(a) by any officer of police duly authorised in writing in that behalf by the chief officer of police; or\n(b) by an officer of customs and excise; or\n(c) in England, by any officer of the county council duly authorised in writing in that behalf;\nproduce for inspection the register so required to be kept as aforesaid :\nProvided that, in each case where a written authority is required by this subsection, the authority shall be produced on demand.\n(4) If any person—\n(a) fails to comply with any of the provisions of this section; or\n(b) knowingly makes any false entry in the register required to be kept under this section;\nhe shall, for each offence, be liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds, or to both such imprisonment and fine.\n(5) Nothing in this section shall apply to the sale of firearms or ammunition by auction in accordance with the terms of a permit issued under the proviso to subsection (1) of section seven of this Act.\n(6) A Secretary of State may, by rules made under this Act, vary or add to the Second Schedule to this Act and references in this Act to that Schedule shall be construed as references to the Schedule as for the time being so varied or added to.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Edw8and1Geo6/1/12/section/12",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T11:34:41.618363+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}