Last updated on 27 October 2026

Possession of weapons (wapenbezit) means having, carrying or transporting a weapon or ammunition that Dutch law prohibits. The rules are in the Weapons and Ammunition Act (Wet wapens en munitie, Wwm), which sorts weapons into four categories. Possessing a prohibited weapon is usually a serious offence (misdrijf) under Article 13 or Article 26 Wwm.

Table of contents

Legal basis

Article 2 Wwm sets out four categories. Category I includes flick knives, butterfly knives, knuckledusters, coshes and throwing stars. Categories II and III mainly cover firearms, stun guns and devices that spray tear-inducing substances. Category IV includes batons, swords and any object intended to injure people.

For category I weapons, possessing, carrying and transporting them are all prohibited (Article 13(1) Wwm). For categories II and III, possession without a licence is prohibited (Article 26(1) Wwm). A category IV weapon may sometimes be owned, but you may not carry it (Article 27(1) Wwm).

Penalties are in Article 55 Wwm. For a category I weapon, the maximum is nine months in prison or a fourth-category fine. For a category II weapon or a category III firearm, the maximum is eight years or a fifth-category fine. These are serious offences (Article 56 Wwm). Carrying a category IV weapon is a minor offence (overtreding) with a third-category fine (Article 54 Wwm).

How it works in practice

Weapons are often found during a stop, a search of your person or a search of a home or car. The police seize the weapon and draw up an official report (proces-verbaal). The public prosecutor (officier van justitie) then decides. For a knife or knuckleduster, the prosecutor can impose a penalty order (strafbeschikking) without a court hearing. This is allowed for offences with a maximum of six years in prison (Article 257a Code of Criminal Procedure, Sv).

A firearm carries a higher maximum, so the case goes to the criminal court with a summons (dagvaarding). The Public Prosecution Service uses its sentencing guideline on weapons and ammunition when deciding what penalty to ask for.

Common pitfalls

Many people assume a knife carried for self-defence is allowed. It is not. An object intended to injure falls under category IV, and you may not carry it in public. A folding knife can even fall under category I, for example when it is longer than 28 centimetres when opened.

Possession is not limited to what is in your pocket. A weapon in your car or home can count if you knew it was there and could use it. For a firearm, the maximum is eight years in prison, so a quick statement to the police can have serious consequences.

Paying a penalty order without thinking means accepting a penalty for a serious offence. It is recorded in the judicial records and can later block a certificate of good conduct (VOG). You can object (verzet) within fourteen days (Article 257e Sv).

Our criminal lawyers assist suspects and victims in cases involving possession of weapons.