Knowledge Base

Crossbow Laws In The United Kingdom

Crossbows Act 1987

Please note: this is a brief summary of some of the law surrounding owning and using crossbows in the United Kingdom. For the full legislation please visit the GOV.UK website by clicking here.

Sale and letting on hire - A person who sells or lets on hire a crossbow or a part of a crossbow to a person under the age of eighteen is guilty of an offence (unless he believes him to be eighteen years of age or older and has reasonable ground for the belief).

Purchasing and hiring - A person under the age of eighteen who buys or hires a crossbow or a part of a crossbow is guilty of an offence.

Possession - A person under the age of eighteen who has with him a crossbow which is capable of discharging a missile, or parts of a crossbow which together (and without any other parts) can be assembled to form a crossbow capable of discharging a missile - is guilty of an offence, unless he is under the supervision of a person who is twenty-one years of age or older.

Powers of search and seizure etc. - If a constable suspects with reasonable cause that a person is committing or has committed an offence under section 3, the constable may search that person for a crossbow or part of a crossbow; search any vehicle, or anything in or on a vehicle, in or on which the constable suspects with reasonable cause there is a crossbow, or part of a crossbow, connected with the offence.

Exception - This Act does not apply to crossbows with a draw weight of less than 1.4 kilograms.