How strict are gun laws in Botswana?
Restrictive
Moratorium on new firearm licenses since 1990, with no issuance in practice.
Botswana is one of 45 countries classified “Restrictive” for civilian gun ownership — 40% of the 113 with data. (Also searched as firearm laws.)
Source
- Last checked
- 7 July 2026
- How it was classified
- Classified by a language model from the source text, then checked against hand-verified reference countries.
Nearby countries
- Namibia
- Licensed / moderate Namibia allows unspecified gun ownership with may-issue permits and unloaded requirements.
- Eswatini
- Restrictive Swaziland has restrictive gun laws with permits required for ownership.
- Mozambique
- Restrictive Mozambique restricts firearm ownership to farming, hunting, or social standing with limited issuance.
- Angola
- Highly restrictive / banned Private security companies are the only authorized holders of firearms.
- Tanzania
- Varies by region Gun laws vary by region, with some areas allowing ownership under strict conditions.
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Restrictive Hunting and sport shooting allowed with licensing, restricted ownership.
Other laws in Botswana
- Death Penalty
- Retained / in use
- Military Conscription
- No conscription
Every law in Botswana → · 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.