Any person who has a firearm in his or her possession without holding an appropriate licence is guilty of an offence under the Firearms Act 1977 s 11(1). A person under the age of 18 cannot normally hold a firearms licence but some exemptions apply. Children aged between 15 and 17 years whose employer or immediate family member has an appropriate licence and is engaged in primary production may apply for a firearms licence.

Children aged 10-17 years old may use a registered firearm under the continuous supervision of a guardian who holds an appropriate licence but children aged 10-14 may only use 'Class A' firearms [Firearms Regulations 1993 r 20 (1)( a), (2)].