How strict are gun laws in Costa Rica?
Licensed / moderate
Gun ownership allowed for sport shooting, collection, and hunting with licensing required.
Costa Rica is one of 28 countries classified “Licensed / moderate” for civilian gun ownership — 25% 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
- Nicaragua
- Highly restrictive / banned Civilian gun ownership is largely banned with strict licensing requirements.
- Panama
- Permissive Cannabis is legal for personal use with a permit.
- El Salvador
- Permissive Civilians can own firearms with shall-issue licensing for hunting and sport shooting.
- Belize
- Licensed / moderate Firearms ownership requires permit with some restrictions and may be issued.
- Colombia
- Varies by region Gun ownership varies by region with justification required and a moratorium in place.
- Cuba
- Restrictive Firearms ownership is restricted, mainly for hunting and sport shooting under license.
Other laws in Costa Rica
- Death Penalty
- Fully abolished
- School Corporal Punishment
- Banned
Every law in Costa Rica → · 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.