Swiss paintball legislation

Acquisition of a paintball launcher in Switzerland

According to the legislation in force, paintball launchers are considered weapons and are subject to declaration. When acquiring a paintball marker, the seller must be able to verify the identity of the buyer by means of a valid identity document ¹⁾ , whether the buyer is over 18 years old and it meets the conditions of Art. 8 of the Arms Act (LArm) ²⁾

The buyer and the seller complete a sales contract which must be kept for 10 years by both parties. The seller has the obligation to make available to the police all information related to the transaction. The sale is not possible depending on the nationality of the buyer ³⁾

¹⁾ valid identity card or passport + settlement permit for foreigners (Art. 10a LArm).
²⁾ the buyer must be of legal age, free from curatorship, capable of discernment, have a clean criminal record of acts involving violence (Art. 8 and Art. 10a LArm). A criminal record can be requested by the seller in case of doubt from the buyer.

³⁾ Serbia , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Kosovo , North Macedonia , Turkey , Sri Lanka , Algeria and Albania (Art. 7 LArm and Art. 12 OArm).

Acquisition of a launcher abroad and import into Switzerland
The acquisition of a paintball launcher abroad is permitted provided that an import application is filed with the Federal Office of Police before the acquisition. During customs clearance, the launcher must be presented, as well as the federal import authorization. The acquisition rules are the same as when acquiring in Switzerland.

BEWARE OF THE TEMPTATION TO BUY A LAUNCHER DURING AN EVENT ABROAD, CUSTOMS WILL CONFISCATE ANY LAUNCHER ACQUIRED WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION.

Legal references
Weapons Act
Weapons Ordinance
Weapons in a nutshell