How strict are gun laws in the Netherlands?
Restrictive
The Netherlands does not accept personal protection as a reason for firearm ownership, limiting licenses to hunting and target shooting.
The Netherlands is one of 87 countries classified “Restrictive” for civilian gun ownership — 43% of the 202 with data. (Also searched as firearm laws.)
Source
- Last checked
- 17 September 2026
- How it was classified
- Classified by a language model from the source text, then checked against hand-verified reference countries.
Nearby countries
- Belgium
- Licensed / moderate Handguns can be licensed for sport, hunting or collecting, but personal protection alone is not a sufficient reason.
- Luxembourg
- Licensed / moderate Handguns can be licensed for sport, hunting or collecting, but personal protection alone is not a sufficient reason.
- Germany
- Licensed / moderate Handguns can be licensed for sport, hunting or collecting, but personal protection alone is not a sufficient reason.
- Denmark
- Licensed / moderate Handguns can be licensed for sport, hunting or collecting, but personal protection alone is not a sufficient reason.
- France
- Licensed / moderate Handguns can be licensed for sport, hunting or collecting, but personal protection alone is not a sufficient reason.
- United Kingdom
- Highly restrictive / banned Civilians cannot obtain handguns.
Other laws in Netherlands
- Death Penalty
- Fully abolished
- Military Conscription
- No conscription
Every law in the Netherlands → · How strict are gun laws around the world? →
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.