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Airgun law · World

Are Airguns Legal in United Kingdom?

Yes, with conditions.

Generally legal, but with real rules to follow — usually age verification, and in some places a low-power threshold.

Tier 3 — Moderate

Threshold-based licensing — permit-free band for low-power, licence required above.

GB

The picture at a glance

Each measure below scores how restrictive United Kingdom is on that part of owning or transferring an airgun, from permissive (green) to firearm-level (red).

ClassificationThreshold-based
Age rule18+
PossessionFree for adults
Transfer / saleDealer records
TransportCased + carry restricted
AuthorityNational statute
Before you buy or sell
  • Three different legal regimes within one country — confirm which UK nation you're shipping to or visiting.
  • Post-Brexit EFP no longer covers UK ⇄ EU movement.

The rules in detail

Classification
Threshold-based
Major internal variation across the four nations. England & Wales: airguns under 12 ft-lb (16.3 J) for rifles or 6 ft-lb for pistols are unlicensed. Scotland: ALL air weapons require an Air Weapon Certificate since December 2016. Northern Ireland: any airgun above 1 J requires a firearm certificate.
Age rule
18+
18+ for unsupervised possession in England & Wales. Air Weapon Certificate / Firearm Certificate processes are 18+ in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Possession
Free for adults
Lawful for adults below the GB threshold; certificate required above. In Scotland and NI a certificate is required at all power levels.
Transfer / sale
Dealer records
Face-to-face transfer only for unlicensed airguns; record-keeping by Registered Firearms Dealers above threshold.
Transport
Cased + carry restricted
In a slip or case, secured against unauthorised access. On public transport rules vary by operator; airguns cannot be carried on UK rail or bus services in most cases.
Authority
National statute
National statute (Firearms Act 1968 + devolved Scottish and NI legislation). Local authority discharge bylaws apply on top.

Hunting with an airgun

Sub-12 ft-lb air rifles widely used for vermin, rabbits, squirrels, corvids; deer not legal with airgun.

Deer
Unresolved / not addressed
—
Turkey
Unresolved / not addressed
—
Small game
Unresolved / not addressed
—
Predators
Unresolved / not addressed
—
Other big game
Unresolved / not addressed
—

Import & travel

Energy threshold
12 ft-lb (16.3 J) rifle / 6 ft-lb pistol — England & Wales
Caliber rule
No statutory caliber limit; .177 and .22 dominate the sub-12 ft-lb market.
Travel note
Post-Brexit the European Firearms Pass is no longer accepted. UK shooters need country-specific procedures for EU travel.

Local & import notes

England & Wales (visitor)
Sub-12 ft-lb air rifles do NOT require a Firearm Certificate. Whether a Visitor's Permit is needed for low-power airguns is a grey area — BASC advises contacting airguns@basc.org.uk.
Scotland (visitor)
Air Weapon Certificate or Visitor Permit required for ALL air weapons regardless of power. Apply via Police Scotland Form AWL3.
Northern Ireland (visitor)
Firearm Certificate required for airguns over 1 J. Apply via PSNI at least 4 weeks ahead.

Keep exploring

Open the interactive mapSee how this compares across the map and switch between legal and hunting views.→Ballistics toolkitCheck energy, velocity, and range for any airgun and load.→Ammo databaseBrowse 600+ pellets and slugs by caliber and weight.→

This is a plain-language summary compiled from primary statutes and official guidance, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules vary, so verify the current rules with the relevant authority before buying, selling, or hunting.