{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/firearms-act-1968/section-11",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/firearms-act-1968/section-11.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1968/27",
  "legislation_title": "Firearms Act 1968",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/firearms-act-1968",
  "path": "section/11",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "11",
  "heading": "Sports, athletics and other approved activities.",
  "text": "(1) A person carrying a firearm , ammunition or a relevant accessory belonging to another person holding a certificate under this Act may, without himself holding such a certificate, have in his possession that firearm , ammunition or relevant accessory under instructions from, and for the use of, that other person for sporting purposes only ; but where the person carrying the firearm , ammunition or relevant accessory is under the age of eighteen, this subsection applies only if the other person is of or over the age of eighteen.\n(2) A person of or over the age of eighteen may, without holding a certificate, have a firearm in his possession at an athletic meeting for the purpose of starting races at that meeting.\n(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(3A) Subsection (4) applies to a person at a relevant rifle range or shooting gallery who is not the operator of the range or gallery.\n(4) The person may, without holding a certificate, have in their possession—\n(a) a miniature rifle, ...\n(b) ammunition for a miniature rifle, and\n(c) a relevant accessory,\nprovided by the operator of the range or gallery.\n(4A) In this section—\n“miniature rifle” means a rifle chambered for .22 rim-fire cartridges;\n“operator” means the person conducting or carrying on the relevant rifle range or shooting gallery;\n“relevant rifle range or shooting gallery” means a rifle range or shooting gallery at which no firearms are used other than air weapons or miniature rifles.\n(5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(6) A person may, without holding a shot gun certificate, use a shot gun at a time and place approved for shooting at artificial targets by the chief officer of police for the area in which that place is situated.",
  "extent": "E+W+S",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 11(1) substituted (29.6.2026) by Crime and Policing Act 2026 (c. 20), s. 255(1), Sch. 5 para. 1(5)(a)(i); S.I. 2026/689, reg. 2(1)(z8)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 11(1) substituted (29.6.2026) by Crime and Policing Act 2026 (c. 20), s. 255(1), Sch. 5 para. 1(5)(a)(ii); S.I. 2026/689, reg. 2(1)(z8)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 11(1) inserted (28.7.2010) by Firearms (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/1759), regs. 1(2), 2(2)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 11(2) inserted (28.7.2010) by Firearms (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/1759), regs. 1(2), 2(2)(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "S. 11(3) repealed (1.4.1997) by 1996 c. 46, s. 35(2), Sch. 7 Pt. III; S.I. 1997/304, art. 2, Sch. 1"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "S. 11(3A)-(4A) substituted for s. 11(4) (1.5.2025) by Firearms Act 2023 (c. 49), ss. 1(2), 3(3); S.I. 2025/535, reg. 2(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Word in s. 11(4)(a) omitted (29.6.2026) by virtue of Crime and Policing Act 2026 (c. 20), s. 255(1), Sch. 5 para. 1(5)(b)(i); S.I. 2026/689, reg. 2(1)(z8)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "S. 11(4)(c) and word inserted (29.6.2026) by Crime and Policing Act 2026 (c. 20), s. 255(1), Sch. 5 para. 1(5)(b)(ii); S.I. 2026/689, reg. 2(1)(z8)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "S. 11(5) omitted (31.1.2017 for specified purposes, 2.5.2017 in so far as not already in force) by virtue of Policing and Crime Act 2017 (c. 3), ss. 130(2)(a), 183(1)(5)(e); S.I. 2017/399, reg. 4(f)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1968/27/section/11",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:54:25.041392+00:00",
    "licence": "OGL-UK-3.0",
    "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."
  }
}