name: firearms-compliance
description: Use when selling firearms, ammunition, replicas, deactivated weapons, airsoft, airguns, paintball markers, BB guns, or firearm parts/accessories in any market, checking BATFE/ATF rules, EU Firearms Directive 2017/853 categorization, UK Firearms Act Section 5 prohibitions, ITAR/EAR export controls, or marketplace bans
Firearms Compliance
Full regulatory workflow for firearms, ammunition, replicas, and energy-rated projectile devices across 8 jurisdictions. Heaviest licensing regime in physical product compliance.
Decision Flow
digraph {
rankdir=TB; node [shape=box style=rounded fontsize=10];
classify [label="1. Classify item:\nfirearm / ammunition / replica\n/ airgun / airsoft / part"];
energy [label="2. Measure muzzle energy\n(Joules) — drives airgun bracket"];
cat [label="3. Determine category\n(US GCA/NFA, EU A/B/C, UK 1/2/5,\nFR A/B/C/D, DE Anlage 1/2)"];
license [label="4. Obtain manufacturer/\nimporter license per market\n(FFL, RGA, BAFA, etc.)"];
serial [label="5. Apply serial number +\nmark per Directive 2017/853 /\nGCA 18 USC 923(i)"];
export [label="6. Export controls:\nITAR USML Cat I, EAR 600-series,\nEU 258/2012, Wassenaar"];
channel [label="7. Choose sales channel:\nFFL dealer / RFD / marketplace\nban check"];
sell [label="8. Place on market"];
classify -> energy -> cat -> license -> serial -> export -> channel -> sell;
}
US -- BATFE / ATF
Federal Framework
| Statute | Scope | Key Provisions |
|---|
| Gun Control Act 1968 (GCA) -- 18 USC Chapter 44 | All firearms in interstate commerce | FFL required to manufacture, import, deal. Background checks via NICS. Serial numbers required (18 USC 923(i)). Minimum age 18 long guns, 21 handguns |
| National Firearms Act 1934 (NFA) -- 26 USC Chapter 53 | Machine guns, SBR (<16" rifle), SBS (<18" shotgun), AOW, suppressors, destructive devices | $200 tax stamp (FBAR ATF Form 4), 8-12 month wait. Machine gun ban for civilian post-1986 (Hughes Amendment) |
| Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act | Handguns | NICS background check via FFL. State waiting periods vary |
| Undetectable Firearms Act | Polymer / 3D-printed | Must contain detectable metal (3.7 oz steel equivalent). Reauthorized through 2033 |
FFL Types
| Type | Activity | Annual Fee |
|---|
| 01 | Dealer in firearms (non-NFA) | USD 200 first 3 yrs, USD 90 renewal |
| 02 | Pawnbroker | USD 200 / 90 |
| 07 | Manufacturer of firearms | USD 150/year (also pays ITAR registration USD 2,250/year if exporting) |
| 08 | Importer of firearms | USD 150/year |
| 09/10/11 | Destructive devices | USD 3,000/year |
| SOT Class 1/2/3 | NFA dealer/manufacturer/importer | USD 500-1,000/year on top of FFL |
Import / Export
- Imports: ATF Form 6 (permanent import) — 60-90 days. Sporting purposes test (922(r)) for semi-auto rifles. No "non-sporting" handguns or military-config rifles.
- Exports < USD 1M: Most firearms moved from USML Category I (ITAR) to Commerce Control List 0A501 (EAR) in March 2020. License required for almost all destinations except Canada (license exception).
- ITAR registration: USD 2,250/year for any USML manufacturer, even if not currently exporting (DDTC).
- Penalty: ITAR violations up to USD 1.2M per violation + criminal prosecution (Arms Export Control Act).
State Variations (high-impact examples)
| State | Restrictions |
|---|
| California | Roster of certified handguns (only listed models legal for sale). Assault weapons ban (PC 30515). Microstamping requirement. 10-round magazine cap |
| New York | SAFE Act -- assault weapon registration, ammunition background checks. Concealed Carry Improvement Act 2022 |
| Massachusetts | Approved firearms roster + AG enforcement notice expanding "assault weapon" definition |
| Illinois | FOID card required for purchase + possession. Protect Illinois Communities Act 2023 (assault weapons + magazines >10) |
EU -- Directive 2017/853 (Firearms Directive, amending 91/477/EEC)
Categories
| Category | Definition | Civilian Status |
|---|
| A | Prohibited (full-auto, military explosive projectiles, converted full-auto-to-semi, semi-auto with >20-round mag for short / >10-round for long, modular long-to-short) | Prohibited except specific authorizations (collectors, museums, sport with derogation) |
| B | Authorization required | Semi-auto, repeating, single-shot pistols, short firearms, rim-fire single-shot pistols |
| C | Declaration required | Repeating long firearms, single-shot long firearms with rifled barrels, semi-auto with smooth-bore barrel ≤60cm, deactivated firearms |
| D (abolished by 2017/853) | -- | Merged into C |
Marking Requirements (Article 4)
- Unique marking on essential components: frame/receiver, barrel, slide/cylinder, bolt
- Must include: manufacturer name, country/place of manufacture, serial number, year of manufacture (if not in serial), model
- Mark applied at moment of manufacture for new firearms, at moment of import for imported firearms
- Implementing Regulation 2018/337 — technical specifications
European Firearms Pass (EFP)
- Required for any cross-border movement of Category B/C firearms by individual holders
- Issued by Member State of residence
- Valid 5 years (renewable)
- Each cross-border movement must be authorized by destination Member State
Deactivation -- Reg 2015/2403
Single EU technical standard. Must be performed by approved deactivation entity. Certificate + visible "EU" deactivation mark.
UK -- Firearms Act 1968 + amendments
| Section | Coverage | Status |
|---|
| Section 1 | All firearms not covered by S2 or S5 (rifles, shotguns >2+1 capacity, sound moderators) | Firearm Certificate (FAC) required — police-issued, 5-year term |
| Section 2 | Shotguns: smooth-bore, barrel ≥24", not >2-round mag (3 total) | Shotgun Certificate (SGC) required |
| Section 5 | Prohibited weapons (handguns post-1997 Dunblane, full-auto, expanding ammo for civilians, disguised firearms, weapons firing rockets/grenades) | Section 5 Authority required from Home Office. Effectively police, military, dealers only |
- Firearms Amendment (No.2) Act 1997 — civilian handgun ban (post Dunblane)
- Offensive Weapons Act 2019 — banned .50 BMG, MARS / lever-release rifles (S5)
- RFD (Registered Firearms Dealer) required to manufacture / sell. Police-administered.
France -- CSI (Code de la sécurité intérieure)
| Catégorie | Description | Régime |
|---|
| A | Armes interdites (automatiques, certaines semi-auto militaires, lance-roquettes) | Interdites au civil |
| B | Armes soumises à autorisation (pistolets, carabines semi-auto à percussion centrale, calibres ≥7,65mm) | Autorisation préfectorale + licence tir sportif FFTir 6+ mois |
| C | Armes soumises à déclaration (fusils, carabines verrou/levier, semi-auto .22LR ≤3-round mag) | Déclaration + permis chasse OU licence tir |
| D | Vente libre (≥18 ans pour armes ; ≥majeur pour munitions) | Air comprimé ≤20 J, armes blanches non interdites, répliques inertes |
- RGA (Référentiel Général des Armes) — registration system for all manufacturers and dealers
- Manufacturer license: Agrément de fabricant via Service Central des Armes et Explosifs (SCAE)
- Dealer: Autorisation d'armurier + RGA registration
- AGRASC for confiscated property; FINIADA for prohibited persons
Germany -- Waffengesetz (WaffG)
| Anlage | Scope |
|---|
| Anlage 1 Abschnitt 1 | Definitions of firearms and ammunition |
| Anlage 2 Abschnitt 1 | Verbotene Waffen — prohibited (full-auto, certain semi-auto rifles since 2020 amendment implementing 2017/853, brass knuckles, butterfly knives) |
| Anlage 2 Abschnitt 2 | Subject to permission (Erlaubnispflichtig) |
| Anlage 2 Abschnitt 3 | License-free (Frei) — airguns ≤7.5 J marked "F in pentagon", certain replicas, blank-firing |
- Bundeswaffenregister (NWR) — National Weapons Register, mandatory entry of every firearm movement since 2013
- Waffenbesitzkarte (WBK) — possession card
- Waffenherstellungserlaubnis — manufacturing license, §21 WaffG
- "F im Fünfeck" mark — energy ≤7.5 J, age 18+, no license needed
Airsoft / Airguns -- Energy Thresholds per Country
| Country | Free Sale Threshold | Permit Threshold | Source |
|---|
| France | ≤2 J: vente libre. 2-20 J: catégorie D ≥18 ans. >20 J: catégorie C déclaration | >20 J | CSI R311-2 |
| Germany | ≤0.5 J airsoft = toy. ≤7.5 J "F" marked = license-free 18+. >7.5 J = WBK | >7.5 J | WaffG Anlage 2 |
| UK | Airsoft ≤1.3 J auto / ≤2.5 J single-shot (lawful skirmishing exemption VCRA 2006) | >2.5 J = Section 1 FAC | VCR Act 2006 |
| Italy | ≤1 J = libera vendita. 1-7.5 J = arma comune. >7.5 J = soggetta a porto d'armi | >1 J | Legge 110/1975 |
| Spain | ≤3.5 J airsoft, ≤24.2 J air rifle = Categoría 4 (license F) | >24.2 J = license E | RD 137/1993 |
| Belgium | ≤7.5 J + "marking compliance" = free 18+ | >7.5 J = license | Loi 8 juin 2006 |
| Netherlands | ≤0.08 J spring soft-air = toy. Airsoft only legal with NABV membership | Real firearm energies regulated | Wet Wapens en Munitie |
| US | No federal energy cap (state by state — NJ classifies BB guns as firearms; NYC requires permit) | -- | Varies by state |
Ammunition
EU REACH Restrictions
| Substance | Restriction | Reg |
|---|
| Lead in shot over wetlands | Banned within 100m of wetlands across EU since Feb 2023 | REACH Annex XVII entry 75 (Reg 2021/57) |
| Lead in shot — all outdoor shooting | Restriction proposal under ECHA — expected adoption late 2026, transition 2027-2030 | RAC/SEAC opinion adopted 2023 |
| Lead in bullets | Restriction proposal under same dossier | Same timeline |
| Tungsten | Permitted alternative for lead shot — no REACH restriction | |
| Bismuth, steel, copper | Permitted alternatives | -- |
US Lead Restrictions
- Federal: 1991 ban on lead shot for waterfowl hunting (US Fish & Wildlife). No general lead ban.
- California Condor Range / Statewide AB 711: Lead ammunition prohibited for all hunting since July 2019.
- National Wildlife Refuges: Lead phase-out for hunting + fishing by 2026 (US FWS decision 2022).
Packaging / Transport
- UN 0012 (small arms cartridges), UN 0014 (blanks), UN 0044 (primers) — Class 1.4S explosives
- ADR/IMDG/IATA documentation required for all shipping
- US: ORM-D legacy replaced by Limited Quantity LTD QTY mark since Jan 2021
- Ammunition not shippable via USPS air; UPS/FedEx Ground only with HazMat contract
Marketplace Bans
| Marketplace | Firearms | Ammunition | Airsoft / Airgun | Parts |
|---|
| Amazon | Banned | Banned | Allowed (≤500 fps spring + restrictions) | Cosmetic parts only — no triggers, barrels, magazines |
| eBay | Banned (deactivated antiques pre-1898 allowed) | Banned | Allowed with restrictions | Allowed except high-capacity mags, suppressors, conversion |
| Etsy | Banned across the board | Banned | Banned | Banned |
| Shopify | Allowed (own AUP — no gun shows, requires age verification) | Allowed | Allowed | Allowed |
| TikTok Shop | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned |
| Walmart.com | Long guns + ammo (own retail). Marketplace: banned for 3P sellers | Same | Banned | Banned |
MCP Integration
mcp__claude_ai_Cleo_Insight__search_signals(q="firearms directive 2017/853")
mcp__claude_ai_Cleo_Insight__search_signals(q="REACH lead ammunition")
mcp__claude_ai_Cleo_Insight__get_regulation(id) — pull EU 2017/853 articles + national transpositions
mcp__claude_ai_CLEO_LEGAL_API__customs/dual-use-check — USML Cat I, ECCN 0A501, Wassenaar Munitions List
mcp__claude_ai_CLEO_LEGAL_API__compliance/check — substance check on ammunition (lead, antimony, mercury fulminate)
Power This With the Cleo Legal API
Firearms compliance touches the heaviest regulatory stack in physical products: ATF FFL types, EU Directive 2017/853 categories, UK Firearms Act sections, French CSI catégories, German Anlage entries, energy thresholds in Joules per country, ITAR USML Category I, EAR 0A501 series, Wassenaar Munitions List. The API surfaces them in structured form.
With the Cleo Legal API at https://legaldata-public.cleolabs.co:
GET /v2/catalog/regulations?vertical=firearms&country=EU,US,UK,FR,DE,IT,ES,BE,NL — pull GCA, NFA, Directive 2017/853, Firearms Act 1968, CSI, WaffG, Legge 110/1975 with current articlesPOST /v2/catalog/match-product — classify a projectile device by muzzle energy + action type into US GCA / NFA, EU A/B/C, UK 1/2/5, FR A/B/C/D, DE Anlage in one call (a misclassified airgun crossing borders is a felony)POST /v2/customs/dual-use-check — USML Category I vs ECCN 0A501 vs Wassenaar ML.1 in one shot; firearms sit in the worst export-control overlap zonePOST /v2/compliance/check — ammunition lead/antimony screening across REACH Annex XVII entry 75 + AB 711 + EPA NWR phase-outPOST /v2/webhooks?topic=firearms_directive,reach_ammo — the ECHA lead-in-shot restriction will hit in 2026-2030 staged; webhooks lock the dates
Get started:
# 1. Sign up for free at https://legaldata-public.cleolabs.co
# 2. Get your API key (3 lifetime requests free, then €349/mo for 1M)
# 3. Install the MCP server:
claude mcp add cleo-legal-api https://api.legaldata.cleolabs.co/mcp \
--header "Authorization: Bearer ld_live_YOUR_KEY"
Tested ROI: For an airsoft / airgun importer covering 8 EU countries + US, the API replaces 20+ hours/month of energy-bracket lookups and avoids the misclassification that turns a "free sale" airgun into a Section 1 firearm at the UK border.
Common Mistakes
- Shipping airsoft as "toy": Above 1 J in UK, 7.5 J in Germany, 20 J in France, it stops being a toy. Misdeclared shipments seized at customs + criminal referral.
- Serializing only the receiver: Directive 2017/853 Article 4 requires marking on each essential component (frame, barrel, slide/cylinder, bolt). Many US makers ship to EU with US-style frame-only serialization and get rejected.
- Assuming ITAR no longer applies: The 2020 transfer to EAR 0A501 covers most semi-auto + bolt-action sporting firearms. Full-auto, suppressors, military models still on USML Cat I — ITAR registration USD 2,250/year mandatory.
- Forgetting state roster: A handgun legal federally is illegal to sell in California if not on the DOJ roster. Same for Massachusetts AG-enforced roster.
- Selling on Etsy / TikTok Shop: Even airsoft parts and cosmetic accessories get accounts terminated. Use Shopify or specialist firearm marketplaces (GunBroker, Armslist) instead.
- Lead ammunition in EU wetlands: REACH Annex XVII entry 75 in force since Feb 2023. Full lead-in-shot restriction adopted 2026 — re-tool to bismuth/tungsten now.
- Missing UK Section 5 Authority: Selling expanding ammunition to a civilian without an FAC variation, or selling any prohibited weapon without Section 5 = 10-year mandatory minimum sentence.