By Travis Bader, founder of Silvercore Outdoors.
Last updated: 24 October 2026
Yes. Playing airsoft and owning an airsoft gun is legal in Canada, and you do not need a PAL for one. An airsoft gun that closely resembles a real firearm is a "replica firearm" under the Criminal Code, which makes it a prohibited device: you can keep one you lawfully own, but as an individual you cannot buy, import or make one, and you cannot sell or give one to another individual.
When is an airsoft gun a firearm?
Almost never. Subsection 84(3)(d) of the Criminal Code deems a barrelled weapon not to be a firearm under the Firearms Act where it is not designed or adapted to discharge a projectile at a muzzle velocity exceeding 152.4 m per second or a muzzle energy exceeding 5.7 joules. The RCMP Canadian Firearms Program states that an air gun must exceed both thresholds (152.4 m/s, or 500 feet per second, and 5.7 joules) to be classed as a firearm for Firearms Act purposes. Airsoft guns sit well below that line, so the licensing and registration rules of the Firearms Act do not apply to them.
What makes an airsoft gun a replica firearm?
Subsection 84(1) of the Criminal Code defines a replica firearm as any device designed or intended to exactly resemble, or to resemble with near precision, a firearm that can discharge a projectile above 152.4 m per second and 5.7 joules, and that itself is not a firearm. Replicas of antique firearms are excluded. The same subsection lists "a replica firearm" as a prohibited device.
The RCMP applies this to airsoft directly. Its specific types of firearms page says an airsoft gun firing a 0.20 g, 6 mm plastic pellet at a muzzle velocity below 111.6 m per second (366 feet per second) that closely resembles an existing make and model of firearm is a replica firearm. An airsoft gun that does not closely resemble a real firearm, such as a clear plastic model or an obvious toy, is neither a firearm nor a replica.
Can I buy, sell or import an airsoft gun?
For a realistic airsoft gun, no, not as an individual. The RCMP states:
- You do not need a licence to possess a replica firearm, and you do not register it.
- You cannot acquire, make or import a replica firearm.
- If you take a replica firearm out of Canada, you cannot bring it back in.
- You cannot sell or give a replica firearm to an individual or an unlicensed business.
- Businesses may possess, acquire or import replicas only with a valid Firearms Business Licence.
Section 91(2) of the Criminal Code carves replica firearms out of the offence of possessing a prohibited device without a licence. That carve-out is why existing owners keep them lawfully.
What changed with Bill C-21?
Bill C-21 received royal assent on 15 December 2023 as S.C. 2023, c. 32. Its replica change was narrow. It rewrote the replica firearm definition so the standard is a firearm above 152.4 m per second and 5.7 joules. Public Safety Canada's committee note on replica firearms confirms that an earlier version of the bill would have prohibited the export, import, sale and transfer of "mid-velocity" replicas, and that the Commons public safety committee voted that provision down. The same note describes those mid-velocity devices as unregulated. The rules on acquiring and importing realistic airsoft replicas described above predate Bill C-21.
Can I carry an airsoft gun in public?
Assume a police officer who sees it will treat it as a real gun. The Criminal Code applies to airsoft in several places:
- Section 88 makes it an offence to carry or possess a weapon or an imitation of a weapon for a purpose dangerous to the public peace (s. 88).
- Section 90 makes it an offence to carry a weapon or a prohibited device concealed unless authorized under the Firearms Act (s. 90). A replica firearm is a prohibited device.
- Section 85(2) makes using an imitation firearm while committing an indictable offence a separate offence carrying up to 14 years (s. 85). "Imitation firearm" includes a replica.
Transport it cased, out of sight, and go straight to the field.
Are there provincial rules in BC?
Yes. British Columbia's Firearm Violence Prevention Act came into force on 1 October 2026 with its regulations, according to the BC government. It covers BB, pellet and airsoft guns. It prohibits selling low-velocity and imitation firearms to anyone under 18, requires them to be securely stored when transported in a vehicle or boat, and prohibits them at places such as schools, hospitals, courts and places of worship. Lawful airsoft activities are exempt. Our BC Firearm Violence Prevention Act post covers the detail.
Do I need a PAL for airsoft?
No. A PAL is not required to own or use an airsoft gun below the 152.4 m per second and 5.7 joule thresholds. Higher-powered air rifles are a different story, and our post on whether you need a PAL for an airgun walks through it. If airsoft has you thinking about real firearms, the Canadian Firearms Safety Course (CFSC) is the first step. Our PAL course runs the CFSC and the restricted PAL course (CRFSC) together over two consecutive days or three consecutive evenings for $270 plus tax.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a PAL to own an airsoft gun in Canada?
No. Airsoft guns fall below the 152.4 m per second and 5.7 joule thresholds, so the Criminal Code deems them not to be firearms for Firearms Act purposes and no licence is required.
Can I buy a realistic airsoft gun in Canada?
No, not as an individual. The RCMP states that you cannot acquire, make or import a replica firearm, and an airsoft gun that closely resembles a real firearm is a replica firearm.
Can I keep an airsoft replica I already own?
Yes. Section 91(2) of the Criminal Code excludes replica firearms from the offence of possessing a prohibited device without a licence, and the RCMP states no licence or registration is needed to possess one.
Can I bring my airsoft gun back into Canada after a trip?
No. The RCMP states that if you take a replica firearm out of Canada, you cannot bring it back in.
Did Bill C-21 ban airsoft?
No. Bill C-21 amended the replica firearm definition. A proposed prohibition on the import, export, sale and transfer of mid-velocity replicas was voted down at committee.
The Silvercore Path
- Do you need a PAL for an airgun in Canada?
- BC Firearm Violence Prevention Act
- What guns are legal in Canada?
- How to get your PAL in Canada
- Silvercore Club
Rules on replicas and imitation firearms change with little notice. Silvercore Club members get regulatory updates by email, for $59 a year, with or without a PAL. Join the Silvercore Club.
