{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/firearms-act-1968/section-8",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/firearms-act-1968/section-8.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1968/27",
  "legislation_title": "Firearms Act 1968",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/firearms-act-1968",
  "path": "section/8",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "8",
  "heading": "Authorised dealing with firearms.",
  "text": "(1) A person carrying on the business of a firearms dealer and registered as such under this Act, or a servant of such a person may, without holding a certificate—\n(a) have in their possession, purchase or acquire, a firearm or ammunition, or\n(b) have a relevant accessory in their possession,\nin the ordinary course of that business.\n(1A) Subsection (1) above applies to the possession, purchase or acquisition of a firearm or ammunition , or the possession of a relevant accessory, in the ordinary course of the business of a firearms dealer notwithstanding that the firearm , ammunition or relevant accessory is in the possession of, or firearm or ammunition is purchased or acquired by, the dealer or his servant at a place which is not a place of business of the dealer or which he has not registered as a place of business under section 33 or 37 of this Act.\n(2) It is not an offence under section 3(2) of this Act for a person—\n(a) to part with the possession of any firearm or ammunition, otherwise than in pursuance of a contract of sale or hire or by way of gift or loan, to a person who shows that he is by virtue of this Act entitled to have possession of the firearm or ammunition without holding a certificate; or\n(b) to return to another person a shot gun which he has lawfully undertaken to repair, test or prove for the other.",
  "extent": "E+W+S",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 8(1) substituted (29.6.2026) by Crime and Policing Act 2026 (c. 20), s. 255(1), Sch. 5 para. 1(3)(a); S.I. 2026/689, reg. 2(1)(z8)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 8(1A) inserted (1.7.1997) by 1997 c. 5, s. 42(1); S.I. 1997/1535, art. 3(b), Sch. Pt. I"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 8(1A) inserted (29.6.2026) by Crime and Policing Act 2026 (c. 20), s. 255(1), Sch. 5 para. 1(3)(b)(i); S.I. 2026/689, reg. 2(1)(z8)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 8(1A) substituted (29.6.2026) by Crime and Policing Act 2026 (c. 20), s. 255(1), Sch. 5 para. 1(3)(b)(ii); S.I. 2026/689, reg. 2(1)(z8)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 8(1A) inserted (29.6.2026) by Crime and Policing Act 2026 (c. 20), s. 255(1), Sch. 5 para. 1(3)(b)(iii); S.I. 2026/689, reg. 2(1)(z8)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1968/27/section/8",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:54:25.041392+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."
}