Selling a firearm privately in Switzerland
Sources checked on 08.10.2026
In Switzerland, a private individual may sell a weapon to another private individual, but every sale leaves a record: the buyer's weapon acquisition permit or a written contract, and almost always a report to the cantonal weapons office within 30 days. Here are the steps under the Weapons Act (WA) and the Weapons Ordinance (WO).
- For pistols, revolvers and semi-automatic weapons, the buyer must show you a weapon acquisition permit (Art. 8 WA).
- Some weapons (e.g. single-shot hunting rifles, Swiss service bolt-action rifles such as the K31 carbine) are sold without a permit, but with a written contract (Art. 10 and 11 WA).
- Within 30 days, the seller sends a copy of the permit or contract to the authority of the buyer's canton of residence (Art. 9c and 11 para. 3 WA).
- Both parties keep the contract for at least ten years (Art. 11 para. 1 WA).
- The buyer must be at least 18 and have no impediment (Art. 8 para. 2 WA).
1. Identify the weapon category
What you need for the sale depends on the weapon category. The examples come from fedpol and the law; the lists are not exhaustive. If in doubt, ask the cantonal weapons office.
| Category | Examples | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Subject to a permit | pistols, revolvers, semi-automatic rifles, lever-action rifles, pump-action shotguns, semi-automatic smoothbore shotguns | The buyer's weapon acquisition permit |
| Firearms without a permit | single-shot and multi-barrel hunting rifles, Swiss service bolt-action rifles (carbine 11, carbine 31, rifle 11), bolt-action sport rifles, single-shot rabbit slayers, replicas of single-shot muzzle loaders | Written contract + copy to the cantonal authority within 30 days |
| Non-firearms | compressed air and CO2 weapons of at least 7.5 joules or that look real, airsoft, blank and imitation weapons that can be mistaken for real ones | Written contract kept for ten years, no report |
| Prohibited | automatic weapons, semi-automatic rifles with a magazine of more than 10 rounds (e.g. assault rifles 90 and 57), silencers, butterfly knives | Only with a cantonal exceptional licence |
Note: pump-action and lever-action repeating rifles always require a weapon acquisition permit (Art. 19 para. 2 WO).
2. Check the buyer
The law excludes from acquiring weapons anyone who (Art. 8 para. 2 WA):
- is under 18;
- is subject to a general deputyship or represented by a carer appointed under an advance care directive;
- gives reason to believe they could endanger themselves or others;
- appears in the private criminal record extract for violent or dangerous acts or for repeated felonies or misdemeanours.
Citizens of Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Algeria and Albania are also excluded, unless the canton grants an exceptional licence (Art. 12 WO). Foreign nationals without a C settlement permit need a weapon acquisition permit for every weapon, including those that are normally exempt (Art. 21 WO).
If the weapon requires a permit, the buyer shows you their weapon acquisition permit: it is valid throughout Switzerland for one weapon and for six months (Art. 9b WA). A single permit may cover up to three weapons bought at the same time from the same seller (Art. 16 WO).
If no permit is required, the checks are up to you (Art. 10a WA and Art. 18 WO):
- verify the buyer's identity and age with an official document;
- for a firearm, make a copy of the buyer's passport or identity card;
- if in doubt, ask for a private criminal record extract issued no more than three months earlier, or, with the buyer's written consent, ask the cantonal office;
- unless there are signs to the contrary, you may assume there is no impediment if the buyer is a relative or member of your household, or shows a weapon acquisition permit issued less than two years ago.
3. Draw up the contract
For weapons that do not require a permit, a written contract is mandatory (Art. 11 WA). It contains the names, dates of birth, addresses and signatures of both parties, the weapon details (type, manufacturer, model, calibre, number), the date and place of transfer and the buyer's identity document. For firearms, a reference to the processing of personal data is also required.
For weapons that require a permit, the law mainly requires you to send a copy of the permit; a written contract with the same details is still useful as proof of sale.
All the details and a checklist are in the guide Firearm sale contract.
4. Report the sale within 30 days
This is the most frequently forgotten step, and it is the seller's obligation:
- Weapon subject to a permit: within 30 days of the contract, send a copy of the buyer's weapon acquisition permit to the authority that issues permits in the buyer's canton of residence (Art. 9c WA).
- Firearm without a permit: within 30 days, send a copy of the contract, together with the copy of the buyer's identity document, to the reporting office of the buyer's canton of residence (Art. 11 para. 3 and 5 WA, Art. 18 para. 4 WO). Cantons may provide other ways of reporting, for example online.
- Non-firearm: no report, but keep the contract.
The addresses are in the official list of cantonal weapons offices (fedpol, in German).
5. Handover and ammunition
Handing over the weapon in person lets you check the buyer's identity document and sign the contract together. When transporting firearms, weapons and ammunition must be kept separate (Art. 28 para. 2 WA).
Ammunition may only be sold to people entitled to acquire the corresponding weapon, with the same checks (Art. 15 WA).
Be wary of anyone who is in a hurry, wants to pay or have the weapon shipped without meeting you, or sends you links to "confirm the payment": these are typical scams. Read our anti-scam guide.
6. Post the listing
The law prohibits offering weapons in a way that does not allow the authorities to identify the person making the offer (Art. 7b WA). On Ibex Arms you post with a registered account: state the category, calibre and condition, and specify whether the buyer will need a weapon acquisition permit. That way you get enquiries from people who know the requirements.
Did you inherit the weapon? Specific rules and deadlines apply: see Inherited firearm: what to do.
Frequently asked questions
Official sources
- Weapons Act (WA, SR 514.54)
- Weapons Ordinance (WO, SR 514.541, German/French/Italian)
- fedpol — Weapon categories
- fedpol — List of cantonal weapons offices (PDF, German)
This guide summarises federal law in practical terms and is not legal advice. The legal text and the instructions of the cantonal weapons office of your canton, which may have its own forms and procedures, are authoritative. Swiss legal texts are binding only in German, French and Italian.