How strict are gun laws in Bolivia?
Licensed / moderate
Handguns can be licensed for sport, hunting or collecting, but personal protection alone is not a sufficient reason.
Bolivia is one of 37 countries classified “Licensed / moderate” for civilian gun ownership — 18% of the 202 with data. (Also searched as firearm laws.)
Source
- Last checked
- 17 September 2026
- How it was classified
- Read directly from the source’s own table, without interpretation.
Nearby countries
- Paraguay
- Permissive Handguns are licensed as of right, and personal protection is an accepted reason on its own.
- Brazil
- Licensed / moderate Handguns can be licensed for sport, hunting or collecting, but personal protection alone is not a sufficient reason.
- Peru
- Licensed / moderate Handguns can be licensed for sport, hunting or collecting, but personal protection alone is not a sufficient reason.
- Uruguay
- Permissive Handguns are shall-issue for personal protection, meaning self-defense is sufficient for acquisition.
- Ecuador
- Licensed / moderate Handguns are permitted for personal protection and sport, but self-defense alone is not the sole basis for shall-issue.
- Argentina
- Permissive Handguns are licensed as of right, and personal protection is an accepted reason on its own.
Other laws in Bolivia
- Death Penalty
- Fully abolished
- Military Conscription
- Active conscription
Every law in Bolivia → · 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.