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Facts About Owning a Sword & Other Weapons in S’pore Which You Might Want to Know Now

2022-03-16 , 1:23 pm

With the number of incidents involving blades on Monday, you might have wondered where the men got their weapons from or whether owning a sword in Singapore is even allowed.

Whatever it is, we are about to answer all your burning questions right now.

Owning a Sword is Legal in Singapore

To address the elephant in the room first, it is actually legal to own a sword in Singapore. Surprise, surprise.

However, you have to be at least 18 years of age before you can even purchase one. Sorry kids, you can’t live out your samurai dreams till then.

In fact, located at Plaza Singapura is a well-known sword store, Caesars. There, you will be able to see a display of all the weapons they sell.

While it is not illegal to buy swords here, the store will take down all your personal particulars and contact details when you do so. For obvious reasons.

When It Becomes Illegal

You might be all excited thinking about purchasing your very own sword.

But wait, there’s more that you need to know.

Owning a sword is legal, but using or being in possession of it in public is illegal.

That is why the man swinging his sword around at Buangkok was arrested. In cheem legal terms, his charge would be for possessing an offensive weapon in a public space.

On top of that, he had caused hurt to another man which would further add to his charges.

But even if he had just held his sword in public, that would be enough to warrant an arrest.

Other Legal Weapons

Swords are not the only weapons that are allowed in Singapore.

According to the Singapore Police Force (SPF), they fall under the category of controlled items. This means that importing or exporting these items will require a license.

Other weapons that fall into this category are:

Firearms
Airsoft guns
Spear guns
Tasers
Swords
Daggers
Explosives
Pepper sprays
Flares

This list is non-exhaustive and you can find the full list compiled by the SPF on their website.

To be in possession of these weapons also requires a license, so while you can own them, you would have to go through the hassle of declaring why you need one.

This applies especially to firearms, which understandably should not be carried by everyone.

If you are caught in possession of these without a license, it could mean some serious trouble with the law. Currently, unlawful possession of a gun is an offence punishable with a jail term between five to 10 years, and with at least six strokes of the cane.

So if you really need to fire some shots, you should probably choose the safer option of paintball.

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Permitted Weapons That Don’t Need a License

While Singapore has many rules on weapons, there are some that are permitted and don’t require a license.

These include, but are not limited to:

Your trusty kitchen knives
Survival knives
Parangs
Blow pipes
Bow & arrow
Swiss Army Knives
Fencing Swords

But of course, anything can become a weapon.

Like the razor blade incident at Queenstown and the knife-throwing one at Bukit Batok, if these items are used to cause harm, they will then be considered as offensive weapons.

The user will also have committed an offence under the Offensive Weapons Act.

Prohibited Weapons

Maybe you saw a cool weapon in a movie, but you can’t seem to find it in the list of controlled or permitted items.

Well, sorry to bring you the news, but it is most likely under the category of prohibited items aka you will never see them in Singapore.

This list comprises:

Flick knives
Knuckleduster
Concealed weapons
Throwing knives
Wasp knives
Shurikens
Catapults
Crossbows
Fireworks

Yep, we are all familiar with the last one. But the rest which you probably have come across many times in entertainment will sadly remain as something you see only on screen.

It’s all for your safety though.

Replica Weapons

Now you might be thinking, what about fake weapons?

The good news is you can possess imitation or replica weapons such as toy guns. This is because they are deemed to be unlikely to be effective to cause injuries or death.

So rest assured, you can still keep your Nerf guns.

However, if your Nerf gun or any replica gun was used to commit or encourage certain offences, you may be penalised for exhibiting an imitation arm, along with an offence for the main criminal act.

Self-Defence Weapons

Singapore might be safe, but some people feel safer carrying around a weapon for self-defence.

Well, unfortunately that is not allowed here. Under the right of self-defence, you are allowed to defend yourself, or your property, against an offence.

However, you are not allowed to use greater force than necessary to defend yourself. Thus, if your attacker does not use a weapon, your actions might be considered excessive should you use a weapon for self-defence.

TLDR: You can own some weapons legally in Singapore, just don’t anyhow bring it around or use it in public. If you do, you better have a good reason for it or else you will be in big trouble with the law.

But of course, it is because of these complicated laws that Singapore can remain safe for everyone.