Fancy replacing the police's troubled firearms database? Here's £17m

The new system will need to "adaptive to change" as the police bring more systems into the cloud.

Updated May 12, 2025 5:07 PM / Published May 12, 2025 11:43 AM 3 min read

A person walks with a disarmed shotgun in their hand. The National Firearms Licensing Management System tracks all gun licenses in England and Wales — The national firearms database has faced criticism for being slow, hard to use and outdated. Image Credit: https://unsplash.com/@gieling

Updated May 05, 5:05pm BST with comment from BASC.

An outdated 20-year-old national firearms database for police in England and Wales may finally be getting a replacement as a £17 million contract goes out to tender, three years after plans were first revealed.

The National Firearms Licensing Management System (NFLMS) will be run by the Police Digital Services agency, replacing a system built in the mid-2000s and riddled with issues ever since.

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Noah Bovenizer

Noah Bovenizer is a reporter with The Stack. He previously covered the transportation sector for Global Data. He has a first class degree in journalism and has also worked as a newsreader for Gaydio.