BB Gun Laws UK: Are BB Guns Legal?

Are BB guns legal in the UK? It depends on what they fire. An airsoft gun firing plastic BBs within set power limits is not a firearm in Great Britain. A steel-BB gun is an air weapon. In England and Wales, neither needs a licence below set power levels; both are 18 to buy, and both can be an offence to carry in public.

This guide covers the law for each type side by side: licences, buying age, under-18s, gardens, carrying in public, and how Scotland and Northern Ireland differ. It describes the law and links to it. It is not legal advice.

Two kinds of BB gun

"BB" covers two different types of gun, and that distinction matters because different sections of the Firearms Act 1968 apply to each.

An airsoft gun fires small plastic BBs. Section 57A of the Firearms Act 1968, inserted by the Policing and Crime Act 2017, says an airsoft gun is not a firearm, provided it fires only spherical plastic missiles no bigger than 8 mm and stays within set power limits: 1.3 joules for automatic fire, 2.5 joules for any other gun. Our airsoft law guide covers the full rules on licences, two-tone guns and UKARA.

A steel-BB gun fires metal balls. Section 57(1B) of the same Act defines a firearm as a barrelled weapon that can fire a missile with more than 1 joule of kinetic energy at the muzzle. A steel-BB gun above that threshold is both a firearm and, unless it is "specially dangerous", an air weapon under section 1(3)(b) - a category that sits outside the certificate requirement in section 1.

BB gun laws at a glance

England and Wales only. Scotland and Northern Ireland differ - see the section below.

Do you need a licence for a BB gun?

In England and Wales, neither type requires a licence or certificate at standard power levels.

For airsoft guns, section 57A(1) removes them from the definition of "firearm", so the certificate requirement in section 1 does not apply. The Home Office Guide (September 2026, paragraph 2.4) confirms: "An 'airsoft' gun as defined in section 57A of the 1968 Act is not regarded as a firearm for the purposes of that Act." Our FPS and joule limits guide covers how sites check guns against those limits.

For steel-BB air guns, the exemption from section 1 certification holds unless the gun is "specially dangerous" - that is, over 12 ft lb muzzle energy for a rifle, or over 6 ft lb for a pistol, under the Firearms (Dangerous Air Weapons) Rules 1969 as amended in 1993. The Home Office Guide (paragraph 2.46) goes further for short air weapons - a barrel under 30cm or under 60cm overall: over 6 ft lb, they "are prohibited firearms".

Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules, covered at the end of this guide.

Buying one: the age rules

Both types are 18 to buy.

For airsoft guns, section 24A of the Firearms Act 1968 sets the rule: it is an offence for an under-18 to purchase an imitation firearm (section 24A(1)), and an offence to sell one to them (section 24A(2)). The seller has a defence if they reasonably believed the buyer was 18 or over (section 24A(3)).

Realistic-looking airsoft guns are also governed by the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006. Section 36 makes it an offence to manufacture, sell or import a realistic imitation firearm, with a defence for suppliers to skirmishers. Our UKARA guide explains how registration works as part of that defence. Our airsoft law guide covers the RIF rules in full.

For steel-BB air guns, section 22(1) makes it an offence for an under-18 to purchase or hire any firearm, and section 24(1) makes it an offence to sell or let on hire a firearm to them. Trade sales must go through a registered firearms dealer - section 3(1)(c) of the 1968 Act, inserted by VCRA 2006, section 31 - and must be completed in person under VCRA 2006, section 32.

Under-18s and BB guns

The rules for under-18s are different depending on the gun type.

Air weapons (England and Wales)

Section 22(4) of the Firearms Act 1968 makes it an offence for a person under 18 to have an air weapon or its ammunition with them. Section 23 sets out three exceptions:

• They are under the supervision of a person aged 21 or over.
• They are a member of an approved rifle club engaged in target shooting, or at a shooting gallery where the only firearms used are air weapons or rifles chambered for .22 rim-fire cartridges.
• They are aged 14 or over, on private premises with the consent of the occupier.

Where a supervisor permits an under-18 to fire a missile beyond the premises, the supervisor commits a separate offence under section 23(1). Making a gift of an air weapon to an under-18, or parting with its possession outside the section 23 routes, is an offence under section 24(4). The maximum penalty for section 22(4) and section 24(4) is a fine at level 3 - £1,000.

Section 22(4) and section 23 are repealed for Scotland; the 2015 Act certificate regime applies there instead.

For airsoft guns, section 24A covers purchasing and selling only. The Firearms Act 1968 contains no express offence of giving, lending or letting an under-18 have one. Ask the Police's national guidance (Q327) says: "Given the nature of BB guns and their capabilities, it is not advisable to allow young children to be in possession of them."

Site minimum ages are a separate question from these buying rules. Our guide on how old you have to be to play airsoft covers both.

Can you shoot a BB gun in your garden?

Section 21A of the Firearms Act 1968 makes it an offence to fire an air weapon beyond the boundary of the premises it is used on, unless the occupier of the land the missile crossed had consented. The Act does not say whether airsoft guns count as air weapons for this section, and we do not advise on it.

Section 20 of the same Act makes it an offence to be on any land as a trespasser while having a firearm or imitation firearm without reasonable excuse. This applies in England, Wales and Scotland.

Neighbours and passers-by may not be able to tell an airsoft or steel-BB gun from a real firearm. Ask the Police's guidance says all calls to police involving firearms are treated as genuine. Our guide on where you can use an airsoft gun covers gardens and private land in more detail.

A site is the right place to play. That is our editorial position, not a legal claim.

Is it illegal to carry a BB gun in public?

Section 19 of the Firearms Act 1968 makes this an offence for both types - but under different sub-sections.

For a steel-BB air gun, section 19(b) makes it an offence to have an air weapon in a public place without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, whether loaded or not. For an airsoft gun, section 19(d) covers imitation firearms. The Crown Prosecution Service's firearms guidance gives the test: "The key word is 'appearance', and the test is whether the thing looked like a firearm at the time when the defendant actually had it with him." So a two-tone gun is not automatically outside section 19.

In both cases the burden is on you to show you had a lawful reason. "Public place" is defined in section 57(4) to include any highway, and any other premises the public can access whether or not they pay.

Section 19 applies in England, Wales and Scotland. In Northern Ireland, Article 61(1)(b) of the Firearms (Northern Ireland) Order 2004 covers air guns, and Article 61(1)(d) covers imitation firearms, on the same terms.

The maximum penalty for having an imitation firearm in a public place is 12 months' imprisonment under section 41 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006. The Home Office Guide (September 2026, paragraph 2.30) confirms that figure. For an air weapon, the offence is summary only.

Getting to and from a site and transport rules are covered in our guide on where you can use an airsoft gun.

Is a BB gun a weapon?

In law, the classification depends on the gun.

A steel-BB gun that fires above 1 joule is a firearm and an air weapon under section 1(3)(b). An airsoft gun that has the appearance of a real firearm is an imitation firearm under section 57(4): "any thing which has the appearance of being a firearm ... whether or not it is capable of discharging any shot, bullet or other missile."

Ask the Police (Q327) puts it plainly: "An air weapon is powerful enough to injure and kill in the right circumstances, and, does therefore fit within the definition of a firearm."

Section 16A of the Firearms Act 1968 creates a separate offence: having an imitation firearm with intent to make someone believe that unlawful violence will be used against them or another person. No law gives either gun type a self-defence use. The Crown Prosecution Service's guidance on knives and other weapons says what amounts to a reasonable excuse "is construed narrowly", and that carrying a weapon because of "a constant or enduring threat (even where genuine)" is not one. Our airsoft law guide covers section 16A and the self-defence question in full.

Storing an air gun

For steel-BB air guns in England and Wales, section 24ZA(1) of the Firearms Act 1968 makes it an offence to fail to take reasonable precautions to prevent an under-18 from getting hold of the gun. The Firearms (Air Weapons) (England and Wales) Rules 2023 (SI 2023/768, in force 31 July 2023) specify what "reasonable precautions" include: storing the gun securely to prevent access by an under-18, keeping it out of their sight, and storing it separately from compatible ammunition - whenever the gun is not in use, being cleaned, repaired, tested or in transit. The maximum penalty is a fine at level 3 - £1,000.

In Scotland, section 30 of the Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2015 requires anyone who possesses an air weapon to take reasonable precautions for its safe custody and to report any loss or theft to the chief constable.

For airsoft guns, section 24ZA and the 2023 Rules are worded for "air weapon". The Act does not say whether they apply to an airsoft gun.

Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland

In Scotland, the Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2015 requires anyone who uses, possesses, purchases or acquires an air weapon to hold an air weapon certificate (section 2(1)). The scheme covers air weapons that fire a missile with more than 1 joule of muzzle energy. Qualifying airsoft guns are excluded from the scheme by section 1(4)(a) of the 2015 Act, and the Scottish Government's guidance confirms this.

An individual aged 14 or over may apply to the chief constable for a certificate; a parent or guardian must consent (sections 3(1) and 3(2)). An under-18 certificate holder may not purchase, hire, accept a gift of or own an air weapon (section 7(4)). The gift offence in section 24(4)(a) of the 1968 Act remains in force in Scotland.

Sections 19, 21A and 24A of the Firearms Act 1968 continue to apply in Scotland.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland has its own firearms law under the Firearms (Northern Ireland) Order 2004. There is no equivalent of section 57A. An air gun capable of firing above 1 joule needs a firearm certificate unless an exemption applies (Schedule 1, paragraph 9(2)).

Schedule 1, paragraph 8 provides an exemption at a certificated recreational facility - including a facility for combat games - where the operator holds a firearm certificate for the gun. At combat games, it does not apply to anyone under 16. We have not confirmed whether airsoft sites in Northern Ireland use it.

Article 66A, inserted by the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006, makes it an offence for an under-18 to buy an imitation firearm, or for anyone to sell one to them.

In public places, Article 61(1)(b) makes it an offence to have an air gun without lawful authority or reasonable excuse - loaded or not - and Article 61(1)(d) covers imitation firearms on the same terms. nidirect confirms: "It is illegal to carry firearms and imitation firearms in a public place without lawful authority or reasonable excuse."

Before buying, carrying or using any BB gun in Northern Ireland, check with the PSNI.

Find a site near you

Airsoft belongs on a site. Our directory lists fields across the UK and checks them weekly against the UKARA and BAC registers. Find a field near you or browse by city.

Sources

• Firearms Act 1968, section 1 (air weapons and certificates), section 16A (intent offence), section 19 (public places), section 20 (trespass), section 21A (firing beyond premises), section 22 (under-18s: purchase and possession), section 23 (under-18s: exceptions), section 24 (gifts and sales), section 24A (imitation firearms: under-18s), section 24ZA (storage), section 57 (definitions), section 57A (airsoft guns) and Schedule 6 (penalties)
• Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006, section 36 (RIF offences), section 41 (penalties for imitation firearm offences) and Schedule 2 (Northern Ireland)
• Firearms (Dangerous Air Weapons) Rules 1969, as amended by SI 1993/1490
• Firearms (Air Weapons) (England and Wales) Rules 2023 (SI 2023/768)
• Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2015, sections 1-3, 7 and 30
• Firearms (Northern Ireland) Order 2004, Articles 61 and 66A and Schedule 1
• Home Office, Guide on firearms licensing law (accessible version, September 2026), gov.uk
• Scottish Government, Air weapon licensing in Scotland: guide
• nidirect, Gun crime
• Ask the Police, Q327 (BB guns and children) and Q334 (are BB guns illegal?)
• Crown Prosecution Service, Firearms prosecution guidance (updated 27 Nov 2025) and Knife and other weapons offences (updated 28 May 2026)

Checked 4 October 2026. This is not legal advice.