# One licence, two speeds

In Avon & Somerset, the NPCC overall figure for applications completed within the four-month window is **88.64%**. In the same row, new grants are **7.59%**, while renewals are **97.49%**.

## The conclusion

The overall percentage blends different services. NPCC reports grants and renewals separately; we do not infer application counts from those percentages.

## The comparison

The Q1 2026–27 table contains **43 force rows**. New grants range from **6.35% in Northumbria** to **98.34% in Derbyshire** in the four-month measure. [Download the rows as CSV](/licenta-doua-viteze/data/firearms-licensing.csv).

## What it measures

It is a four-month completion threshold for applications completed in the 12 months to 30 June 2026. It is not average waiting time, decision quality or licensing safety.

## Different units

HMICFRS describes the system through **38 firearms and explosives licensing units**. NPCC publishes **43 forces** here. They are not the same population and are not merged into a ranking.

## Limits

Volume, case mix, backlogs and recording can affect the reading. A 6.35% result does not mean someone waits 16 times longer, and a higher percentage does not prove a safer decision.

## Sources and method

- [NPCC: 2026–27 Q1 firearms licensing data](https://www.npcc.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/media/downloads/publications/publications-log/operations/2026/2026-27-q1-firearms-licensing-data.pdf)
- [HMICFRS: Firearms licensing system not fit for purpose](https://hmicfrs.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/news/news-feed/firearms-licensing-system-not-fit-for-purpose-and-should-be-replaced-by-a-new-national-body/)

The overall is checked as `completed within four months ÷ completed`, rounded to two decimals. Grant and renewal percentages are carried through from NPCC. This is informational and does not give advice for an individual case.