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
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Possession or carrying of a prohibited weapon is punished with a fine up to €25,000 (before surcharges) and/or imprisonment up to 5 years; in practice the court usually imposes a fine of several hundred euros, with a criminal record, and heavier penalties on repeat or use. The pepper spray is seized and destroyed anyway, even if it does not belong to the convicted person.
📎 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 a prohibited weapon for private individuals. You may not buy, possess or carry it, not even for self-defence. Only police and authorized services may use it.
Can I bring it in from Germany or the Netherlands?
No. Even though it is sometimes freely available there, importing it into Belgium is illegal import of a prohibited weapon. You risk seizure and criminal prosecution.
Is a taser allowed then?
No. Electroshock weapons are also prohibited weapons (art. 3, §1, 9°). So they are no legal alternative to pepper spray.
What can I use for my safety then?
Objects that are not weapons, such as a personal alarm, are legal. Carrying a prohibited weapon stays punishable, even when invoking self-defence.
🔎 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”