FAC Grant Time

[Lever357]

I only target shoot and a fellow club member applied for the grant of a new FAC in August, 2025 with Durham police force. He emailed last week for an update as he had not received any contact whatsoever. The reply he received was that they are currently dealing with new applications from September - 2024!!!! And due to new statutory guidance from the Home Office, applications are on hold due to workload and putting new processes in place!!!!

 

[Bo Diddley]

Ever feel you're getting "Dicked about"

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

I only target shoot and a fellow club member applied for the grant of a new FAC in August, 2025 with Durham police force. He emailed last week for an update as he had not received any contact whatsoever. The reply he received was that they are currently dealing with new applications from September - 2024!!!! And due to new statutory guidance from the Home Office, applications are on hold due to workload and putting new processes in place!!!!

Yep welcome to the new world

 

[valevelo]

Mine took from June 2023 to Jan 2026

Yep, really

 

[Overlay]

Kent police 24 days from start to finish excluding the wait time on the doc report previously and including 2nd class snail mail

Never had a problem with my renewals/variations or FEO on time

 

[Lone wolf]

I'm with Durham and my grant took 2 years, a recent change of address and a 1-4-1 variation took 2 months.

Good luck my friend

 

[Archer]

Kent police 24 days from start to finish excluding the wait time on the doc report previously and including 2nd class snail mail

Never had a problem with my renewals/variations or FEO on time

Ditto. I have always found Kent FLD top notch

 

[Brad93]

PAL is at 18 months now with MET

First application for a SGC

 

[mammoth200]

Currently clocking in at 6+ months for my initial FAC application to Suffolk & Norfolk. Applied back in August last year and chased in December, their response said they have 44,000 licence holders so demand is high. Renewals and cases prioritised based on risk take precedence. I didn't get even a whiff of how long I can expect to wait. I'm glad I'm not in a rush.

Curiosity got the better of me, so I thought I'd have a look to see whether Suffolk and Norfolk Firearms licencing departments were hiring, and it seems they were hiring for new a administrator for this specific purpose back in January...... So here's hoping they've hired a decent admin who can speed up the data entry.

 

[weblyish]

Currently clocking in at 6+ months for my initial FAC application to Suffolk & Norfolk. Applied back in August last year and chased in December, their response said they have 44,000 licence holders so demand is high. Renewals and cases prioritised based on risk take precedence. I didn't get even a whiff of how long I can expect to wait. I'm glad I'm not in a rush.

Curiosity got the better of me, so I thought I'd have a look to see whether Suffolk and Norfolk Firearms licencing departments were hiring, and it seems they were hiring for new a administrator for this specific purpose back in January...... So here's hoping they've hired a decent admin who can speed up the data entry.

I mean I'm not saying you should take a job just to push your application through. I'm just saying you could.

 

[mammoth200]

I mean I'm not saying you should take a job just to push your application through. I'm just saying you could.

View attachment 463437

I looked to see exactly how long the commute to Martlesham would be... And then realised I'd struggle to pay my mortgage with the wages on offer

 

[WW.]

I mean I'm not saying you should take a job just to push your application through. I'm just saying you could.

View attachment 463437

At one point I asked my FEO if there were any part time jobs in the licensing team.

 

[mammoth200]

May as well continue here, rather than start up a new thread on well trodden ground.

I decided I'd get in touch with BASC, as my search for contact details for the Suffolk & Norfolk FLU proved fruitless, with only a generic department email address available if you wish to get in contact with them. I suppose this isn't surprising, really, the damn thing would be ringing constantly from 9-5 for folks asking after their application.

BASC responded today to confirm that new applications to Suffolk & Norfolk FLU are taking on average 24 months to reach completion, stating that service has gotten worse, quite rapidly over the last year or so. They again confirmed that additional staff have been hired, but it'll be some time before this starts to have any impact, confirmed by their recent meeting with the Police & Crime Commissioner for Suffolk - Tim Passmore.

As I don't require an FAC for work, haven't been mis-treated or find myself in any sort of special position meaning I require firearms, I'm relegated to the very back of the queue, along with all those like myself.

Of course I expected a wait. The data available from back when I applied suggested an average of 4 months, so I figured I'd be waiting til December/January. I seem to have put my application in at the exact time the proverbial hit the fan, as it were. Looking at the data report from January 2026 for licencing, it seems a huge number also chose to apply in September 2025. I guess my timing here is particularly terrible. Also as a side note, the fact that each constabulary posts their licencing data separately despite Suffolk & Norfolk being a combined unit, is stupid.

I'm thankful I can still get out with my mentor and stalk using his guns. The delay won't stop me, but good grief it's a long time to wait!

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

May as well continue here, rather than start up a new thread on well trodden ground.

I decided I'd get in touch with BASC, as my search for contact details for the Suffolk & Norfolk FLU proved fruitless, with only a generic department email address available if you wish to get in contact with them. I suppose this isn't surprising, really, the damn thing would be ringing constantly from 9-5 for folks asking after their application.

BASC responded today to confirm that new applications to Suffolk & Norfolk FLU are taking on average 24 months to reach completion, stating that service has gotten worse, quite rapidly over the last year or so. They again confirmed that additional staff have been hired, but it'll be some time before this starts to have any impact, confirmed by their recent meeting with the Police & Crime Commissioner for Suffolk - Tim Passmore.

As I don't require an FAC for work, haven't been mis-treated or find myself in any sort of special position meaning I require firearms, I'm relegated to the very back of the queue, along with all those like myself.

Of course I expected a wait. The data available from back when I applied suggested an average of 4 months, so I figured I'd be waiting til December/January. I seem to have put my application in at the exact time the proverbial hit the fan, as it were. Looking at the data report from January 2026 for licencing, it seems a huge number also chose to apply in September 2025. I guess my timing here is particularly terrible. Also as a side note, the fact that each constabulary posts their licencing data separately despite Suffolk & Norfolk being a combined unit, is stupid.

I'm thankful I can still get out with my mentor and stalk using his guns. The delay won't stop me, but good grief it's a long time to wait!

The glory days are long gone I’m afraid, have you thought about fishing?

 

[mammoth200]

The glory days are long gone I’m afraid, have you thought about fishing?

Now there's a licencing scheme I can get behind, 2 minutes on the gov website, quick application, email to your phone, job jobbed

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

Now there's a licencing scheme I can get behind, 2 minutes on the gov website, quick application, email to your phone, job jobbed

Damn sight Cheaper too!

 

[wytonpjs]

At one point I asked my FEO if there were any part time jobs in the licensing team.

One of my RAF "office" Team took a FLO job in Cambridgeshire when he retired at 55 and I always envisaged doing the same if I could. However, as I posted here, there are no part-time jobs in Avon & Somerset and the pay is abysmal compared to what I currently earn as a part-time Civil Servant. Frankly, with the wages, requirement for full-time working, the incessant pressure on the FLD and an increasingly risk adverse society in general, I've completely parked that idea, period!

 

[Donkey Basher]

One of my RAF "office" Team took a FLO job in Cambridgeshire when he retired at 55 and I always envisaged doing the same if I could. However, as I posted here, there are no part-time jobs in Avon & Somerset and the pay is abysmal compared to what I currently earn as a part-time Civil Servant. Frankly, with the wages, requirement for full-time working, the incessant pressure on the FLD and an increasingly risk adverse society in general, I've completely parked that idea, period!

I have a friend who is a retired policeman & who then became an FEO. He's very open about the fact that it’s a crap paid job & that it’s kept low paid so it only attracts candidates who are retired from the ‘job’ & looking g for a top up to their pension.

Like @wytonpjs I’ve thought on a number of occasions that it might be something I might do, but I’ve also come to the same conclusion as him & for the same reasons.

 

[Greenmist]

Suffolk & Norfolk FLU are taking on average 24 months to reach completion

What an absolute disgrace

 

[Norfolk Deer Search]

What an absolute disgrace

Welcome to the new world, like I said before!

I’ve now seen 3 FEO retire I’m now on my 4th and it ain’t getting any better I will assure you.