In a welcome move for the shooting community, the Government has announced that sound moderators will no longer be subject to separate firearms licensing controls.
At last, a glimmer of common sense has broken through the fog of firearms bureaucracy. The Government’s decision to remove sound moderators from specific licensing controls is a practical and proportionate move, one that shooters and stalkers have been calling for over many years.
What’s happened?
On June 17, 2025, the Government announced it will no longer require sound moderators to be listed separately under firearms licensing controls. This follows a Home Office consultation that concluded moderators are not dangerous in themselves and that their regulation has no bearing on public safety.
Sound moderators, commonly used by deer stalkers and shooters to protect hearing and reduce noise pollution, will still require the user to hold a valid firearms certificate, but they’ll no longer be treated as individual, controlled items within the licensing system.
This means that while legal possession still hinges on certification, the administrative burden on both certificate holders and police licensing departments will be significantly reduced. The Home Office intends to implement the change through primary legislation, as soon as parliamentary time allows.
There remains some uncertainty around how this change will apply to airguns and shotguns, and clarification has been called for on whether requiring a certificate still constitutes a form of indirect control. But the direction of travel is clear.
This is a clear step forward for shooters and a small but significant win for evidence-based policy. Sound moderators are tools of safety and responsibility, not threat. Their removal from unnecessary regulation reflects a more mature and accurate understanding of modern shooting practices.
Let’s hope this signals the beginning of a more pragmatic approach to firearms legislation. One that respects the needs of lawful users while continuing to uphold public safety.
If you would like to read more about the consultation please click here: Firearms licensing: sound moderators - GOV.UK
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