Laws and regulations

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The laws and regulations regarding crossbows, archery bows and blowguns differ by country. Down below, you will find a brief overview of what is known to us. We are not sure whether this information is correct or not. Please do your own research to be sure that the product you are buying is legal in your country. We deny any responsibility for direct or indirect damage of any nature that may arise from the information on this page.

Austria

  • Hunting with archery bows is forbidden

Belgium

  • Hunting with archery bows is forbidden

Bulgaria

  • Fishing and hunting with crossbows or archery bows is forbidden

Croatia

  • Hunting with archery bows is allowed at some private and fenced grounds
  • Hunting with crossbows is forbidden unless a special law states differently

Czech Republic

  • Possession of crossbows requires no licence
  • Possession of crossbows is legal for persons aged 18 years or over
  • It is not allowed to wear crossbows visibly
  • Crossbows can be used at private places (where is no danger to health or property), at licensed shooting ranges and at visibly marked places over-sighted by a designated person

Denmark

  • Importing a crossbow without a license is prohibited
  • Hunting with crossbows is forbidden
  • Hunting with archery bows is allowed up to and including roe deer, archers must pass a bowhunting exam

Germany

  • Acquisition, possession, trade or production of crossbows requires no license
  • Crossbows can be used by minors under custody of competent adults
  • Fishing and hunting with crossbows or archery bows is forbidden
  • Possession and use of blowguns is allowed

Estonia

  • Buying crossbows is legal for persons aged 18 years or over
  • Since 2019 there is no longer a maximum allowed draw weight for crossbows
  • Hunting with crossbows or archery bows is forbidden

Finland

  • Hunting with crossbows is forbidden
  • Hunting with archery bows is allowed
  • Possession of crossbows or archery bows requires no licence, in other legal aspects a crossbow is parallel to an air gun

France

  • Hunting with archery bows is allowed, but an education program is mandatory for each archer

Greece

  • Right now, we do not have information about the laws and regulations in Greece

Hungary

  • Hunting with crossbows is forbidden
  • Hunting with archery bows is allowed, archers must pass a bowhunting exam

Ireland

  • Possession of crossbows requires a licence
  • Possession, trade and production of blowguns is not allowed

Italy

  • In nearly all regions small-game hunting with archery bows is allowed, wild boar hunting is only allowed in Tuscany and Lombardy

Latvia

  • Right now, we do not have information about the laws and regulations in Latvia

Lithuania

  • Crossbows with a draw weight higher than 500N (roughly 110 LBS) are illegal
  • Hunting with crossbows or archery bows is forbidden

Luxembourg

  • Right now, we do not have information about the laws and regulations in Luxembourg

The Netherlands

  • Possession and acquisition of crossbows is legal for persons aged 18 years or over
  • Carrying crossbows in public is forbidden
  • When transporting, crossbows must be packaged in such a way that they are not available for immediate use
  • Possession and use of archery bows is allowed
  • Possession and use of blowguns is allowed
  • Fishing and hunting with crossbows, archery bows or blowguns is forbidden

Norway

  • It is prohibited to acquire or own crossbows without the permission of the chief of police, there is an age limit of 18 years to obtain such a permit
  • Blowguns are forbidden

Poland

  • Crossbows are considered equivalent to firearms
  • Possession of crossbows requires a licence
  • Hunting with crossbows is technically legal, however crossbow licences are usually issued for collecting purposes only

Portugal

  • Hunting with archery bows is allowed, but archers must have completed the International Bowhunter Education Program (IBEP)

Romania

  • Hunting with archery bows is forbidden

Slovakia

  • Hunting with archery bows is forbidden

Slovenia

  • Hunting with archery bows is allowed at small fenced grounds, but forbidden in free nature and at large grounds

Spain

  • Possession of crossbows requires a licence
  • Hunting with archery bows is allowed upward of 50 LBS draw weight, archers must have completed the International Bowhunter Education Program (IBEP)

Sweden

  • Crossbows are considered equivalent to firearms
  • Possession of crossbows requires a licence
  • Hunting with crossbows is forbidden
  • Archery bows are regulated in the same way as low powered air rifles (less than 10 joules)

United Kingdom

  • Possession of crossbows requires no licence or registration
  • Buying and selling crossbows is legal for persons aged 18 years or over
  • Possession and use of crossbows by persons aged 17 years or under is legal under supervision of a person aged 21 years or over
  • Hunting with crossbows or archery bows is forbidden
  • Possession, trade or production of blowguns is not allowed
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