Laws on crossbows
Encyclopedia
The crossbow
often has a complicated legal status due to its lethality and its similarities with both firearms and other archery
weapons.
n states due to their concealable nature. Crossbows can be bought and owned by adults over 16 years of age in some states such as Northern Territory
, South Australia
and Western Australia
, while in most of the eastern states crossbows can only be owned with a special licence, for instance for members of an official sporting club. Control on transport of crossbows between states has increased to prevent unauthorised use of imported crossbows.
Recent changes to laws in Western Australia to prohibit crossbow ownership require applications to legally possess a crossbow by July 2nd 2011 before they became illegal to possess.
, it is legal to own a crossbow and has a similar designation as an airgun. No licence is required to purchase a crossbow. Though older PAL
cards say that one is allowed to acquire one, the laws designating them as firearms were struck down before they could be implemented. Crossbows designed to be fired with one hand and crossbows measuring less than 500 mm in length are prohibited.(Canadian Firearms Program FAQ)
Hunting in Canada is regulated at the provincial level, therefore the legality of crossbow hunting vary from province to province.
Currently crossbows are only illegal in: New Brunswick and Yukon Territories
, the creation or import of crossbows is prohibited by the Danish law on weapons (The "Våbenlov"), and are not recognized as legal weapons for hunting.
hunting with crossbow is not allowed. However, hunting small game with a hand-held bow is allowed. Possession of crossbows and other bows requires no licence. (Finnish law) In other legal aspects the crossbow is parallel to an air gun
.
law on weapons, crossbows and firearms are equated in their legal status as weapons (WaffG Anlage 1 1.2.2), but in contrast to guns, acquisition, possession, trade or production of crossbows requires no license (WaffG Anlage 2). Because of their definition as weapons, but without further restrictions, any crossbows can be used by minors under custody of competent adults. Fishing and hunting with crossbows is prohibited.
, crossbows are considered equivalent to firearms, and possession requires a license (Innførsel og utførsel av våpen, Tollvesenet). Hunting with crossbows is not allowed.
, crossbows are considered equivalent to firearms, and possession requires a license (Ustawa o broni i amunicji z 2003 roku). Hunting with crossbows is technically legal, however due to may-issue policy, crossbow licenses are usually issued for collecting purposes only.
, crossbows are considered equivalent to firearms, and possession requires a license (Vapenlag (1996:67)). Hunting with crossbows is not allowed.
, crossbows cannot be bought, hired or sold in England, Wales or Scotland by those under 18, even under adult supervision. The act states that crossbows may be used by persons under 18 years of age only when supervised by a person aged 21 years or over. Similar prohibitions for Northern Ireland are made in the Crossbows (Northern Ireland) Order 1988. Section 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
prevents their use for hunting birds. In Scotland, section 50 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982
makes it illegal to be drunk in a public place in possession of a crossbow.
Section 44 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006
, designed to bring crossbows into line with firearms, raised the age limit from 17 to 18 in England and Wales, with effect from 1 October 2007. The Scottish Parliament made similar changes in section 62 of the Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Act 2007 , also with effect from 1 October 2007.
, laws on crossbows vary a great deal by state
. Purchase, private ownership, and use for target shooting is legal in all states,
and most laws are only with regard to hunting.
For crossbow hunting in the US, many states require a person to have a disability or special license to use one, and they can only be used for certain game. For example, in Georgia a crossbow may be used in hunting feral hogs and any other game except waterfowl. Ohio permits crossbow hunting of deer, turkeys, hogs and other game. On the other extreme, Oregon, for example, has a complete ban on crossbow hunting.
Crossbow
A crossbow is a weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles, often called bolts or quarrels. The medieval crossbow was called by many names, most of which derived from the word ballista, a torsion engine resembling a crossbow in appearance.Historically, crossbows played a...
often has a complicated legal status due to its lethality and its similarities with both firearms and other archery
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
weapons.
Australia
Pistol crossbows are strictly controlled in all AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n states due to their concealable nature. Crossbows can be bought and owned by adults over 16 years of age in some states such as Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
and Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, while in most of the eastern states crossbows can only be owned with a special licence, for instance for members of an official sporting club. Control on transport of crossbows between states has increased to prevent unauthorised use of imported crossbows.
Recent changes to laws in Western Australia to prohibit crossbow ownership require applications to legally possess a crossbow by July 2nd 2011 before they became illegal to possess.
Canada
In CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, it is legal to own a crossbow and has a similar designation as an airgun. No licence is required to purchase a crossbow. Though older PAL
Possession and Acquisition Licence
A Possession and Acquisition Licence is a licence that allows individuals in Canada to possess and acquire firearms as well as ammunition. Licences are typically valid for five years and must be renewed prior to expiry to maintain all classes. Once licensed, an individual can apply for a firearm...
cards say that one is allowed to acquire one, the laws designating them as firearms were struck down before they could be implemented. Crossbows designed to be fired with one hand and crossbows measuring less than 500 mm in length are prohibited.(Canadian Firearms Program FAQ)
Hunting in Canada is regulated at the provincial level, therefore the legality of crossbow hunting vary from province to province.
Currently crossbows are only illegal in: New Brunswick and Yukon Territories
Denmark
In DenmarkDenmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, the creation or import of crossbows is prohibited by the Danish law on weapons (The "Våbenlov"), and are not recognized as legal weapons for hunting.
Finland
In FinlandFinland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
hunting with crossbow is not allowed. However, hunting small game with a hand-held bow is allowed. Possession of crossbows and other bows requires no licence. (Finnish law) In other legal aspects the crossbow is parallel to an air gun
Air gun
An air gun is a rifle , pistol , or shotgun that fires projectiles by means of compressed air or other gas, in contrast to a firearm, which burns a propellant. Most air guns use metallic projectiles as ammunition. Air guns that only use plastic projectiles are classified as airsoft...
.
Germany
In GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
law on weapons, crossbows and firearms are equated in their legal status as weapons (WaffG Anlage 1 1.2.2), but in contrast to guns, acquisition, possession, trade or production of crossbows requires no license (WaffG Anlage 2). Because of their definition as weapons, but without further restrictions, any crossbows can be used by minors under custody of competent adults. Fishing and hunting with crossbows is prohibited.
Netherlands
In the Netherlands crossbows are regulated by the "wet wapens en munitie" (law on weapons and ammunition). Crossbows and crossbow bolts are placed in category 4, along with bows, swords, spears, etc. It is legal to possess weapons from this category providing that the individual is over 18. It is not allowed to carry those weapons in public. When transporting, the weapon should be packaged in a way that one has to perform at least 3 actions before the weapon is ready for use (this does not include the steps required to actually load and fire the weapon). Only on special occasions such as re-enactment events this is not strictly enforced. Crossbows should be used only for collecting, re-enactment or sportive purposes. Hunting with crossbows (or bows) is strictly prohibited in the Netherlands under animal cruelty laws.Norway
In NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, crossbows are considered equivalent to firearms, and possession requires a license (Innførsel og utførsel av våpen, Tollvesenet). Hunting with crossbows is not allowed.
Poland
In PolandPoland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, crossbows are considered equivalent to firearms, and possession requires a license (Ustawa o broni i amunicji z 2003 roku). Hunting with crossbows is technically legal, however due to may-issue policy, crossbow licenses are usually issued for collecting purposes only.
Sweden
In SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, crossbows are considered equivalent to firearms, and possession requires a license (Vapenlag (1996:67)). Hunting with crossbows is not allowed.
United Kingdom
No licence or registration is required to own a crossbow in the United Kingdom. Under the Crossbows Act 1987Crossbows Act 1987
The Crossbows Act 1987 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which is still in force. The Act, as amended, controls the possession of crossbows by people under the age of eighteen throughout the whole of the United Kingdom...
, crossbows cannot be bought, hired or sold in England, Wales or Scotland by those under 18, even under adult supervision. The act states that crossbows may be used by persons under 18 years of age only when supervised by a person aged 21 years or over. Similar prohibitions for Northern Ireland are made in the Crossbows (Northern Ireland) Order 1988. Section 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom and was implemented to comply with the Directive 2009/147/EC on the conservation of wild birds...
prevents their use for hunting birds. In Scotland, section 50 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982
Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982
The Civic Government Act 1982 is an Act of the United Kingdom Parliament which makes provision for a wide range of civic government matters....
makes it illegal to be drunk in a public place in possession of a crossbow.
Section 44 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006
Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006
The Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-Origin:The United Kingdom Government published a paper "Drinking Responsibly - The Government's Proposals" in 2005 setting out their proposals for introducing Drinking Banning Orders...
, designed to bring crossbows into line with firearms, raised the age limit from 17 to 18 in England and Wales, with effect from 1 October 2007. The Scottish Parliament made similar changes in section 62 of the Custodial Sentences and Weapons (Scotland) Act 2007 , also with effect from 1 October 2007.
United States
Like many other laws on weapons and hunting in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, laws on crossbows vary a great deal by state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
. Purchase, private ownership, and use for target shooting is legal in all states,
and most laws are only with regard to hunting.
For crossbow hunting in the US, many states require a person to have a disability or special license to use one, and they can only be used for certain game. For example, in Georgia a crossbow may be used in hunting feral hogs and any other game except waterfowl. Ohio permits crossbow hunting of deer, turkeys, hogs and other game. On the other extreme, Oregon, for example, has a complete ban on crossbow hunting.