A group of MPs has written to the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to oppose the 245 percent increase to shotgun certifications.
In a letter open to signatories from across all parties, they have slammed the firearm increases as ‘hugely exorbitant’.
The new fee structure, announced by the government without prior warning last month, will come into effect on 5 February.
Fees for owning a licenced firearm will surge by 4.5 times inflation since 2015, when the fees were last set.
A shotgun certificate grant will increase £79.50 to £194 – 244% of the current fee, while a shotgun certificate renewal shoot up from £49 to £126, or 257%.
The Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, a Conservative MP, said the cost increases would put pressure on hundreds of thousands of people in rural communities.
"Inflation since 2015 has been 35%, meaning these increases are up to a disproportionate 4.5 times inflation," he explained.
"This is wholly unjustified and only adds insult to injury for the hard-working people in rural communities whose livelihoods the Labour government has already threatened."
Sir Geoffrey Clifton Brown, a Tory MP and co-chair of the APPG for Shooting and Conservation, said the fees were 'extortionate' and came without consultation.
"Following on from the family farm tax, this is yet another attack on the rural communities," he added.
"I sincerely hope that as a result of bringing this to the attention of the Home Secretary, she will reconsider the level of fee increases and ensure that all police forces offer a quick and efficient service."
With the new fee structure coming into effect from 5 February, for any licence application received by the police and paid for on or before 4 February, the original fee paid will be honoured.
The Home Office advised that usual timescales for licence renewals should be followed and that 'extra early' renewal applications should be avoided and may be returned by police who will ask for the new fee to be paid.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council advise that most forces accept renewals up to four months before the expiry date.
