Okay, here's an extract from The Firearms Act 1968:
48 Production of certificates.E+W+S(1)A constable may demand, from any person whom he believes to be in possession of a firearm or ammunition to which section 1 of this Act applies, or of a shot gun, the production of his firearm certificate or, as the case may be, his shot gun certificate.
[F138(1A)Where a person upon whom a demand has been made by a constable under subsection (1) above and whom the constable believes to be in possession of a firearm fails—
(a)to produce a firearm certificate or, as the case may be, a shot gun certificate;
(b)to show that he is a person who, by reason of his place of residence or any other circumstances, is not entitled to be issued with a document identifying that firearm under any of the provisions which in the other member States correspond to the provisions of this Act for the issue of European firearms passes; or
(c)to show that he is in possession of the firearm exclusively in connection with the carrying on of activities in respect of which, he or the person on whose behalf he has possession of the firearm, is recognised, for the purposes of the law of another member State relating to firearms, as a collector of firearms or a body concerned in the cultural or historical aspects of weapons,
the constable may demand from that person the production of a document which has been issued to that person in another member State under any such corresponding provisions, identifies that firearm as a firearm to which it relates and is for the time being valid.]
(2)If a person upon whom a demand is made under this section fails to produce the certificate [F139or document] or to permit the constable to read it, or to show that he is entitled by virtue of this Act to have the firearm, ammunition or shot gun in his possession without holding a certificate, the constable may seize and detain the firearm, ammunition or shot gun and may require the person to declare to him immediately his name and address.
(3)If under this section a person is required to declare to a consta ble his name and address, it is an offence for him to refuse to declare it or to fail to give his true name and address.
[F140(4)It is an offence for a person who is in possession of a firearm to fail to comply with a demand under subsection (1A) above.]
So....To summarise, there is no law that says you have to have your certificates with you. But there is a law that says a Police Officer can require you to produce it. In practice, this rarely happens these days because it can be checked electronically. Like your driving documents. But if you are required to produce your driving documents, you get 7 days to do it. In practice, it is reasonable for someone to produce their firearm/shotgun certificate within a reasonable time too, although this isn't catered for in law, this is what happened in the past. But it is open to the officer to consider seizing your firearms under some circumstances if you can't produce your certificates and for whatever reason he can't check electronically.
As has also been said therefore, there are times and places when it may well be advisable to have your certificates, if not on you, close to hand (in the car, for example). But that is down to the individual and how they see their circumstances.
Hope that makes things clear. I'm off to the fridge for a tinny now.
48 Production of certificates.E+W+S(1)A constable may demand, from any person whom he believes to be in possession of a firearm or ammunition to which section 1 of this Act applies, or of a shot gun, the production of his firearm certificate or, as the case may be, his shot gun certificate.
[F138(1A)Where a person upon whom a demand has been made by a constable under subsection (1) above and whom the constable believes to be in possession of a firearm fails—
(a)to produce a firearm certificate or, as the case may be, a shot gun certificate;
(b)to show that he is a person who, by reason of his place of residence or any other circumstances, is not entitled to be issued with a document identifying that firearm under any of the provisions which in the other member States correspond to the provisions of this Act for the issue of European firearms passes; or
(c)to show that he is in possession of the firearm exclusively in connection with the carrying on of activities in respect of which, he or the person on whose behalf he has possession of the firearm, is recognised, for the purposes of the law of another member State relating to firearms, as a collector of firearms or a body concerned in the cultural or historical aspects of weapons,
the constable may demand from that person the production of a document which has been issued to that person in another member State under any such corresponding provisions, identifies that firearm as a firearm to which it relates and is for the time being valid.]
(2)If a person upon whom a demand is made under this section fails to produce the certificate [F139or document] or to permit the constable to read it, or to show that he is entitled by virtue of this Act to have the firearm, ammunition or shot gun in his possession without holding a certificate, the constable may seize and detain the firearm, ammunition or shot gun and may require the person to declare to him immediately his name and address.
(3)If under this section a person is required to declare to a consta ble his name and address, it is an offence for him to refuse to declare it or to fail to give his true name and address.
[F140(4)It is an offence for a person who is in possession of a firearm to fail to comply with a demand under subsection (1A) above.]
So....To summarise, there is no law that says you have to have your certificates with you. But there is a law that says a Police Officer can require you to produce it. In practice, this rarely happens these days because it can be checked electronically. Like your driving documents. But if you are required to produce your driving documents, you get 7 days to do it. In practice, it is reasonable for someone to produce their firearm/shotgun certificate within a reasonable time too, although this isn't catered for in law, this is what happened in the past. But it is open to the officer to consider seizing your firearms under some circumstances if you can't produce your certificates and for whatever reason he can't check electronically.
As has also been said therefore, there are times and places when it may well be advisable to have your certificates, if not on you, close to hand (in the car, for example). But that is down to the individual and how they see their circumstances.
Hope that makes things clear. I'm off to the fridge for a tinny now.
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