# The Firearms (Revocation, Consequential Amendment and Saving Provision) Regulations 2026, Note: Explanatory note


(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations are made in exercise of the powers in sections 14(1) and 20(1)(a) and (b) of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023 (c. 28) (“the 2023 Act”).
These Regulations partially revoke the Firearms Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1420) (“the 2019 Regulations”) and make consequential amendments to them. The 2019 Regulations made provision in respect of deactivated firearms and amended the Firearms (Northern Ireland) Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/702) (N.I. 3) in order to complete the implementation in the United Kingdom of Directive (EU) 2017/853 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 May 2017 amending Council Directive 91/477/EEC on control of the acquisition and possession of weapons. Council Directive 91/477/EEC has since been codified by Directive (EU) 2021/555.
The 2019 Regulations are secondary retained EU law within the meaning of section 11(2) of the 2023 Act.
Regulation 3 revokes the 2019 Regulations so far as they extend to England and Wales and Scotland.
Regulation 4 extends to Northern Ireland and makes consequential amendments to the 2019 Regulations in light of the revocation made by regulation 3. These amendments include the omission of references to England and Wales and Scotland.
Regulation 5 makes a saving provision. Paragraphs (1) and (2) enable the notification of transfer or possession of a deactivated firearm to be given in England and Wales and Scotland on or after the date on which these Regulations come into force, where the person transferred the deactivated firearm or possessed the firearm before that date. Because the revocation made by regulation 3 does not affect any offence committed before these Regulations come into force, regulation 5(1) and (2) ensure that no such offence is committed where notice is given as soon as practicable after the transfer or possession of the deactivated firearm (even if the notice is given after the revocation date). Paragraph (3) preserves the effect of the defence at regulation 3(5) of the 2019 Regulations in England and Wales and Scotland, where a transferee forms a reasonable belief, after the date on which these Regulations come into force, that the transferor had given or would give notice of the transfer.
A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/118/note (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/firearms-revocation-consequential-amendment-and-saving-provision-regulations-2026/note
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.