Can I carry pepper spray?
No. Pepper spray is a prohibited weapon for private individuals in Belgium — you may not buy, possess, carry, transport, sell or import it. The official list of prohibited weapons (FPS Justice) expressly names self-defence spray cans and sprays, and the federal police place tear-gas and pepper sprays under art. 3, §1, 10° of the Weapons Act of 8 June 2006. The exemption exists only for police and strictly authorized services. Electroshock weapons (tasers, stun guns) are also prohibited (art. 3, §1, 9°), so they are no legal alternative. Important: even invoking legitimate self-defence does not make possessing or using a prohibited weapon legal. Ordering a spray from a foreign webshop or bringing it in from Germany or the Netherlands is illegal import of a prohibited weapon. This is still the case in 2026.
📋 The rules
- Pepper spray = prohibited weapon (art. 3, §1, 10°): a general and absolute ban for civilians
- You may not buy, possess, carry, transport, sell or advertise it
- Only police and authorized services may use pepper spray
- Tasers and stun guns are also prohibited (art. 3, §1, 9°) — no legal alternative
- Self-defence is no justification to possess or use a prohibited weapon
- Ordering or bringing it from abroad = illegal import of a prohibited weapon
🔓 Exceptions
- Only police and strictly authorized services may carry and use pepper spray
- Non-weapons (e.g. a personal alarm) are legal, because they are not weapons
- There is no self-defence exception: even someone who feels threatened may not buy, carry or use pepper spray
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Owning or carrying a prohibited weapon carries a fine of up to 25,000 euros (before surcharges) and/or up to 5 years in prison. In practice a court usually imposes a few hundred euros — but with a criminal record, and more heavily on repeat offences or actual use. The spray is seized and destroyed in any case, even if it does not belong to the convicted person. Ordering one from a foreign webshop or bringing one back from Germany is, on top of that, illegal importation of a prohibited weapon. And self-defence does not make possession lawful.
📎 Official sources
- FPS Justice · prohibited weapons →
- Police · what the Weapons Act says →
- ejustice · Weapons Act of 8 June 2006 →
❓ Frequently asked
Can I buy pepper spray for self-defence?
No. Pepper spray is on the list of prohibited weapons: you may not buy, own or carry it, not even out of fear of an assault. Only police and authorized services are allowed to use it.
Can I bring pepper spray in from Germany or the Netherlands?
No. Even where it is freely sold abroad, bringing it into Belgium is illegal importation of a prohibited weapon. You risk seizure, destruction of the spray and criminal prosecution. The same goes for ordering one from a foreign webshop.
Is a taser allowed then?
No. Electroshock and stun weapons are prohibited weapons too (art. 3, §1, 9° of the Weapons Act). They are not a legal alternative: the same ban and the same penalties apply, whether or not you ever press the trigger.
Can I keep pepper spray in my car or handbag?
No. The ban covers not only using it, but also owning, carrying and transporting it. A can forgotten in your glovebox is therefore just as punishable as one in your coat pocket. Only police and authorized services may have one at all.
What may I carry for my own safety?
Objects that are not weapons, such as a personal alarm, remain entirely legal. Carrying a prohibited weapon stays an offence even if you never use it and only keep it out of fear. Self-defence is no justification for owning one.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “pepper spray banned belgium”
- “buy pepper spray self-defence”
- “bring pepper spray abroad”
- “taser prohibited weapon”
- “pepper spray fine”
- “pepper spray in car belgium”