Air weapons are category C — report within 8 days; airsoft is category D. The 1 Nov 2019 deadline is a myth

Updated July 2026

🎯 Do I have to register an air rifle or airsoft gun?

With conditions

Quick answer

Conditional — it depends on whether it is a real air weapon or an airsoft or paintball device. Under the Weapons Act, every rifle, pistol or revolver that uses compressed air or gas to fire a projectile is an air weapon of category C: it is bought without approval, but must be reported to police within 8 days, and it may be reported by people over 21 (or members of shooting clubs and hunters from 18). Here the widespread myth about the „deadline of 1 November 2019” falls — that date was a one-off transitional deadline for weapons already owned, while the rule that applies today is reporting within 8 days of every purchase. By contrast, devices that fire plastic or paint-filled balls (airsoft and paintball) are category D — no approval and no notification, except the mandatory report when crossing the state border.

📋 The rules

Air weapons are category C: a rifle, pistol or revolver powered by compressed air or gas must be reported to the competent police station within 8 days of purchase (Weapons Act, Art. 7).
Age to report: an air weapon of category C may be reported by people over 21, and exceptionally by active sport shooters and holders of a hunting exam from the age of 18.
Airsoft and paintball are category D: devices firing plastic or paint-filled balls are bought without approval or notification — the only duty is to report them when crossing the state border.
The 1 Nov 2019 deadline is history: that date applied to a one-off report of weapons already held; anyone who buys an air rifle today has 8 days to report it, whatever old news says.
Storage and use: a category-C air weapon is kept locked and out of reach of unauthorised people, and fired only where the safety of others is not endangered — not in a public place.

🔓 Exceptions

Sport shooters and hunters: active members of shooting clubs and holders of a hunting exam may report a category-C air weapon already from the age of 18, while for others the limit is 21.
Powerful bows and crossbows: a weapon with a string draw force over 450 N is also category C and must be reported; weaker bows (up to 450 N) are category D.
Use in a safe place: air weapons and bows may be used at proper ranges or places whose location or safety measures are such that they do not endanger the safety of citizens.

⚠️ Penalties & fines

Anyone who acquires a category-C air weapon and fails to report it to police within 8 days commits a misdemeanour for which the Weapons Act provides a fine and seizure of the unreported weapon. If an air or airsoft weapon is carried in public in a way that alarms people, or used to threaten, it becomes a prohibited weapon, bringing a fine of 130 to 660 euros and permanent seizure. The hidden costs can beat the fine: firing in a built-up area, at people or animals, can escalate into causing danger, damage to property or bodily injury, and whoever hands the device to an unsupervised child is liable too. Finally, an unreported weapon is hard to legalise afterwards and easily ends up permanently seized, so you also lose the money you spent.

📎 Official sources

Last verified: 2026-07-12

❓ Frequently asked

Must an air rifle be reported to police?

Yes, an air weapon is category C, so after purchase it must be reported to the competent police station within eight days. The report is not advance approval, but without it possession is a misdemeanour and the weapon can be seized.

Is the reporting deadline of 1 November 2019 still valid?

No, that date was a one-off transitional deadline for reporting air weapons already owned. Today the general rule applies: every newly acquired air weapon is reported within eight days of purchase, regardless of the old campaign.

Do airsoft or paintball guns have to be reported?

Airsoft and paintball devices are category D and need neither approval nor notification for keeping them in the country. The only legal duty is to report them when crossing the state border, for example when taking them to a competition abroad.

How old must I be to own an air rifle?

A category-C air weapon may be reported by people over 21, and by active sport shooters and holders of a passed hunting exam from the age of 18. Such a weapon is not sold to minors nor reported in their name.

May I shoot an air rifle in my yard?

Only if it is a place whose location or safety measures do not endanger the safety of other people. Shooting in a settlement, towards neighbours, people or animals can be a misdemeanour, and a criminal offence if you injure someone or cause danger.

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