How strict are gun laws in Zimbabwe?
Licensed / moderate
Handguns are obtainable under license, but self-defense alone is not explicitly sufficient for a license.
Zimbabwe 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
- Classified by a language model from the source text, then checked against hand-verified reference countries.
Nearby countries
- Mozambique
- Restrictive Handguns are licensed only at the authorities' discretion, or only to club members or existing owners.
- Botswana
- Highly restrictive / banned Civilians cannot obtain handguns.
- Zambia
- Restrictive Handguns are licensed only at the authorities' discretion, or only to club members or existing owners.
- Malawi
- Restrictive Handguns are licensed only at the authorities' discretion, or only to club members or existing owners.
- Eswatini
- Restrictive Handguns are licensed only at the authorities' discretion, or only to club members or existing owners.
- Lesotho
- Restrictive Lesotho requires a good reason for firearms, with handguns limited to revolvers and long guns to shotguns.
Other laws in Zimbabwe
- Death Penalty
- Abolished for ordinary crimes
- Military Conscription
- No conscription
Every law in Zimbabwe → · 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.