Legislation containing provisions to deregulate sound moderators has received Royal Assent, marking another step towards their eventual removal from firearms licensing controls in the UK.
The measure forms part of the Crime and Policing Act 2026, which was granted Royal Assent on 29 April 2026. While this represents a significant milestone, sound moderators remain classified as Section 1 firearms until the relevant clause is formally commenced by the Home Secretary.
Commencement dates for legislation commonly fall on 1 October, and while this has been suggested as a potential timeframe, no official confirmation has been given.
The change originates from a government amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill accepted at Report Stage on 25 February 2026. The amendment removes sound moderators, also referred to as silencers, and flash hiders from their current classification as Section 1 firearms.
The Bill received cross-party support during its progression through the House of Lords.
Under the new law, it will remain an offence to possess a sound moderator for a Section 1 firearm without holding a valid firearms or shotgun certificate. However, possession of moderators designed for other firearms, including shotguns or sub-12 ft/lb airguns, will not require certification once the clause is in force.
Until commencement takes place, sound moderators continue to be treated as Section 1 firearms under existing legislation.
Roger Seddon, shooting campaigns manager at the Countryside Alliance, said: “This is welcome news and comes after much hard work and campaigning by the Countryside Alliance. This legislation will have the effect of alleviating police firearms licensing departments of a huge and unnecessary administrative burden, whilst allowing legitimate users of sound moderators to buy and sell them without having to proceed through the cumbersome, costly and time consuming variation process – all of this with zero increase in risk to public safety.”
Bill Harriman, director of firearms at the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, added: “This is a welcome step in the right direction. “For many years BASC has made the case that requiring individual authority and variations for sound moderators creates unnecessary bureaucracy without improving public safety.
“Reclassifying moderators so they are no longer treated as Section 1 firearms would reduce administrative burden across the board and allow licensing units to focus their resources where they are most needed. While the proposal does not fully reflect everything we sought, it represents meaningful progress.”
