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Firearms, weapons, and knives policy
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Policy overview

Most weapons can't be listed on eBay because of strict federal and state government regulations and international laws banning the sale of these items. Please review the list of items below to find out what you can and can't sell on eBay.

For certain types of weapons that can be listed, sellers have to follow our guidelines, as well as meet the following requirements:

  • The item is listed only on the eBay U.S. site.

  • The seller is located in the U.S.

  • The item is also in the U.S.

  • The seller offers only domestic shipping for the item, since international shipping would make the item available in countries where it might be prohibited.

  • The item complies with California law on the sale of weapons.

Make sure your listing follows our guidelines. If it doesn't, it may be removed, and your buying and selling privileges could be restricted.

What are the guidelines?

Imitation firearms – such as Airsoft guns, cap guns, paintball guns, replica guns, and toy guns – are designed to look like the real thing. You can list most of these items under certain conditions. See the list below for details.

Allowed

  • Paintball guns that don't look like real guns – they don't need to have blaze orange barrel markings.

Restricted

  • Airsoft guns, replica guns, or other imitation firearms that have blaze orange barrel markings or a blaze orange barrel plug permanently attached to the weapon. These imitation guns also can't be converted to shoot a lethal projectile. And remember that in most states you have to be at least 18 years old to buy an Airsoft gun.

  • Ammunition magazines for replica firearms, including imitation firearms of assault weapons that show the top of the magazine. You need to include a picture of the item in your listing to show that your item isn't a real assault weapon magazine.

  • Novelty lighters that look like guns, but the items need to have blaze orange barrel markings.

  • Miniature firearms like those that come with action figures. You need to describe the item's size in your listing, and include a picture that shows scale like a ruler or a coin.

  • Training firearms (usually brightly colored, solid plastic replicas). In your listing, you'll need to include a picture of your item showing that it's solid and that it's not real.

Not allowed

  • Airsoft guns, replica guns, or other imitation firearms that can be converted to shoot a lethal projectile

  • Any replica firearms that don't have permanent blaze orange barrel markings. If the markings look fake or temporary, the listing will be removed

  • Paintball cannons

  • Paintball guns that look like real guns and don't have permanent blaze orange barrel markings

  • Parts and accessories for replica assault weapons, including Airsoft or imitation firearms that are based on actual assault weapons

  • Replica guns that were made by converting real guns, even if you can't convert them back to a working gun

  • Silencers for Airsoft guns, replica guns, or other imitation firearms

Live ammunition and ammunition components can't be listed, though you can sell some types of historical items as long as they're not live ammunition. See the list below for details.

Allowed

  • Ammunition for BB guns, pellet guns, or Airsoft guns

  • Plastic, polymer, rubber, or wooden bullets or ammunition

  • Reloading equipment

  • Snap caps

Restricted

  • Converted brass (also known as trench art). The item has to show that it's been converted and that it can't be converted back into a usable casing.

  • Empty ammunition boxes. The listing needs to say the item doesn't contain ammunition.

Not allowed

  • Blank ammunition

  • Bullets, buck shot, or lead shot

  • Cartridges, casings, shells, or hulls

  • Dummy ammunition

  • Gunpowder or primers

  • Inert ammunition

  • Live ammunition rounds

We don't allow the sale of assault weapons and parts and accessories for assault weapons. Check out the list below for more details, as well as review the California laws on assault weapons and the assault weapons identification guide.

Allowed

  • Exploded diagrams of assault weapons that can't be used to build or convert firearms

  • Manuals, books, or instructional materials for assault weapons

Restricted

  • Accessories that fit a variety of different weapons, including assault weapons. But in your listing, you can't mention any assault weapon compatibility.

Not allowed

  • Any weapon defined as an assault weapon by federal or California law

  • Bayonets designed to fit an assault weapon

  • Blueprints, milling, or forging specifications for assault weapons

  • Flash suppressors

  • Grenade launchers

  • Instructions or blueprints on how to convert a semi-automatic to a fully automatic weapon

  • Items identified as a part for an assault weapon or as an accessory for an assault weapon

  • Listings for gun parts that don't specify the kinds of weapons the parts are used for

  • Receivers or frames for assault weapons, regardless of whether they're complete receivers and frames, components and parts of receivers and frames, or cut or 80 percent receivers

We don't allow listings for BB guns, pellet guns, or air rifles because they generally shoot a metal projectile and they're considered weapons in many states.

Allowed

  • Airsoft guns that aren't considered air rifles.

  • You can use the word “BB” to describe the ammunition for a BB gun.

  • You can use the words “Gas Blow Back” or “GBB” to describe a replica firearm with that feature.

Not allowed

  • BB guns, pellet guns, or air rifles. This includes listings for Airsoft or replica guns that use the words “BB gun” in the item title or description.

We don't allow listings for explosives, grenades, or many types of military ordnance on eBay. Check out the details below and see our military items policy for more information.

Allowed

  • Body armor that isn't military issued

  • Tannerite targets

Restricted

  • Level I, II, or III body armor or Small Arms Protection Insert (SAPI) plates, as long as you call out the specific level in your listing

  • Toy or replica grenades and other ordnance as long as your listing is very clear in calling out both of the following:

    • The item was never actual ordnance

    • The item can't be converted into actual ordnance.

Not allowed

  • Atom or nuclear weapons

  • Explosives

  • Grenades of any kind (see our military items policy)

  • Land mines

  • Level IV Small Arms Protection Insert (SAPI) plates

  • Missiles, rockets, or launchers

  • Nerve gas

Actual firearms can't be listed on eBay. However, many parts and accessories for firearms are okay to sell, but only under certain conditions. See the list below for more details.

Allowed

  • Caliber conversion information or blueprints

  • Magazine holders, speed loaders, stripper clips, or moon clips

  • Manuals or instruction materials about firearms

  • Non-pneumatic spear guns

Restricted

  • Accessories and parts for guns such as butt plates, cases, cleaning supplies, dies, grips, holsters, molds, racks, pistol grips, scopes, slings, stocks, storage cases, or trigger guards. The listing must include a description of the type of firearm the accessory or part is used for. If it doesn't, the listing may be removed.

  • Muzzle loader or black powder gun parts or accessories, as long as each item is offered in one listing at a time. (However, having separate listings for items that can be used to build a gun is prohibited.)

Not allowed

  • En-bloc clips

  • Firearms regardless of their ability to fire, how old they are, or their status as collectibles

  • Firearm kits that are used to create a firearm

  • Flash suppressors

  • Gun parts, including:

    • Barrels

    • Bolts

    • Choke tubes

    • Cylinders

    • Firing pins

    • Frames, including grip frames

    • Hammers

    • Magazines – regardless of their capacity – or magazine extenders

    • Receivers, including parts, upper or lower, cut, or 80 percent receivers

    • Slides

    • Trigger assemblies

  • Pictures of any firearms in a listing, even if the firearm is just part of the picture

  • Pneumatic spear guns

  • Powerheads, stick guns, or their equivalents because they work like firearms

  • Sears

  • Silencers

  • Starter pistols or blank guns, regardless of their markings

  • Zip guns

Some hand-to-hand combat weapons and martial arts weapons can't be listed. See the list below, as well as the knives section, for more details.

Allowed

  • Instruction or training manuals on how to use hand weapons

  • Wii Nunchuk controllers for the Nintendo Wii

Restricted

  • Miniature brass knuckles. In your listing, you'll need to include a picture of your item that shows scale like a ruler or a coin.

  • Training or practice batons, night sticks, nunchakus, or tonfas that are made of rubber foam, dense foam, or foam with plastic interior tubes – you have to specify this detail in your listing. However, weapons that are foam padded or foam with a metal interior aren't allowed.

Not allowed

  • Brass knuckles, including those made from other materials

  • Knives with raised knuckle guards or knuckle dusters

  • Leaded canes, crutches, staffs, or sticks

  • Nightsticks, billy clubs, war clubs, batons, PR 24s, Monadnock batons, ASPs, tonfas, truncheons, and similar items

  • Nunchakus (also called nunchucks or numchuks), chain sticks, or two-section staffs

  • Sansetsukon or three-section staffs

  • Saps, sand clubs, sandbags, slung shots, or blackjacks

There are many restrictions on the sale and shipment of knives, though certain types can be listed. See the list below, and review our international trading policy for information on shipping restrictions.

Allowed

  • Books, informational materials, and training on Shuriken-jutsu

  • Katana or stick swords

  • Oversized balisong knives – the kind that require two hands to open

  • Tactical daggers

  • Throwing knives

Restricted

  • Parts for switchblades, as long as they can't be used to make a complete switchblade. Sellers have to list each item individually, in one listing at a time.

  • Practice balisong or butterfly knives that have holes in the blade and can't be sharpened

  • Spring-assisted knives. There has to be manual movement of the blade by a thumb stud or screw that's clearly visible on the blade.

  • Training or practice throwing stars that are made of resin and are not sharp enough to penetrate the body

Not allowed

  • Automatic knives

  • Balisong knives

  • Butterfly knives

  • Dual-action knives

  • Gravity knives

  • Hidden or disguised knives such as air gauge knives, belt buckle knives, lipstick case knives, or writing pen knives

  • Out-the-front (OTF) knives

  • Paratrooper knives

  • Push knives – they're also called push daggers, punch daggers, punch knives, push dirks, and T-handled knives

  • Replica or imitation switchblades

  • Shuriken

  • Switchblade knives (knives with a blade that open automatically – for example, by pressing a button or through inertia or gravity)

  • Sword canes

  • Throwing stars, ninja stars, throwing cards, Batman symbols, or Cyclone knives

Some personal defense items, such as pepper spray and mace, can be listed as long as you follow the law on the sale of these items. Before buying or selling these items, check your city and state laws.

Allowed

  • Blowgun darts

  • Bows and arrows

  • Crossbows

  • Information or instructions on how to make a potato gun

  • Paintball blowguns

  • Pepper spray, disguised pepper spray, or mace

  • Slingshots

  • Spud pistols

Not allowed

  • Blow guns

  • Dart guns

  • Flare guns or flares

  • Potato guns such as bazookas, cannons, or launchers

  • Tear gas

Stun guns are illegal in several places in the U.S. Before buying or selling these items, check your city and state laws.

Allowed

  • Stun gun holsters

Restricted

  • Sellers need to state in their listings that they won't accept bids from people located in places where stun guns are illegal. This includes Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Washington, D.C., and Wisconsin.

Not allowed

  • Disguised stun guns

  • Stun batons

  • Stun gun listings that offer shipping to cities or states where stun guns are prohibited

  • Tasers or taser attachments

Why does eBay have this policy?

For safety concerns and in order to follow laws and regulations, we restrict the kinds of weapons and accessories that can be sold on eBay. Be sure to follow all laws and regulations – as well as eBay policies – before buying or selling these items.

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