Weapons — France
What travelers need to know about weapons in France. What is legal at home can be a serious crime here — each rule links to its official source.
Weapons in France: restricted — there are real limits travelers must follow.
France lets adults BUY pepper spray (100 ml max), switchblades, butterfly knives and stun devices freely - but carrying one outside your home, including in your car, is a crime without a legitimate reason, and self-defence is expressly NOT one. Up to 15,000 EUR and 1 year in prison.
Carrying or transporting a category D weapon (pepper spray, knives, stun devices) outside the home without a legitimate reason: 15,000 EUR fine and 1 year in prison; 30,000 EUR and 2 years if committed together with another person. If you instead hand the weapon over voluntarily to the police, a fixed fine of 500 EUR applies, reduced to 400 EUR or increased to 1,000 EUR depending on how quickly you pay. Air rifles and paintball launchers of 2 to 20 joules: 750 EUR. Visibly carrying anything resembling a weapon in public transport: fine up to 750 EUR and the object may be confiscated.
§ Service Public, published by the Direction de l information legale et administrative (Premier ministre), fiche F33658 "Peut-on porter une arme pour se defendre (couteau, bombe lacrymogene...) ?" and fiche F2248 "Armes de categorie D (acquisition et detention libres)", both marked verified 24 October 2025 and both read first-hand this run. They cite Code de la securite interieure arts. L311-2 to L311-4 (classification), L315-1 to L315-2 (port and transport), L317-7 to L317-8 (penalties) and R311-2 to R311-4-1, plus the Arrete du 4 juillet 2025 fixing the list of other weapons classed at a of category D.Verified Sep 15, 2026