Editing Overview of gun laws by nation (section)

====France====
{{Main|Firearms regulation in France}}

In 1563, [[Charles IX of France]] had an address to the [[Rouen]] parliament about forbidding firearms in which he made the following statement:
{|
! French
! English
|-
| {{blockquote|''D'auantage cõſiderant que les meurtres, volleries, aſſaſſinats, & autres entreprinſes, qui troublent le commun repos de nosdicts ſubects, s'exercent plus par les armes à feu, que nuls aultres : Défendons treſeſtroictement sur meſmes peines à toutes personnes, de quelque eſtat, dignité & qualité qu'ils ſoyent, porter ne faire porter par leurs gens & ſeruiteurs dedans les villes, ne par les champs, aucune hacquebute, piſtolle ne piſtolet, ne d'icelles tirer: ſinon'' (...).<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k9693107x|title=La déclaration faicte par le Roy, de ſa majorité, tenant son lict de justice en ſa cour de parlement de Roüen : et ordonnance par luy faicte pour le bien & repos public de son royaume : et ce qu'il dict en ladicte cour avant la publication de ladicte ordonnance. Publiée en la cour de parlement à Paris, le vingthuictième jour de ſeptembre, 1563|author=((Charles IX (1550-1574; roi de France))) |date=1 March 1563|via=gallica.bnf.fr}}</ref>}}
| {{blockquote|Considering murders, robberies, killings & other enterprises, which disturb regular rest of ours subjects, are more exercised by firearms than any others: We forbid very strictly with same punishment for everybody, of any state, dignity & quality they are, to carry or make carry by their people & servitors neither within any town, nor in the countryside, any ''hacquebute'', pistol nor ''pistolet'', nor to use them: except (...)}}
|}

In France, a hunting license or a sport-shooting license is needed to purchase any smokeless powder firearm. In September 2015, firearms were divided into four categories that determine the regulations that apply to their possession and use.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/N287|title=Armes|trans-title=Arms|access-date=2016-09-06|language=fr|publisher=Direction de l'information légale et administrative}}</ref> Category D arms include black powder firearms designed before 1900 and compressed air arms developing between 2 and 20 joules, they can be purchased by any citizen over the age of 18. Category C firearms can be obtained with a hunting license, or sport-shooting license with a medical certificate. Category C includes mainly single-shot-per-barrel shotguns and single-shot or manual repeating rifles (including [[Centerfire ammunition|centre-fire]] rifles, for hunting or target shooting). Once legally purchased these category C arms may be kept, without using them, even when no longer licensed for hunting or sport-shooting.

Category B firearms are only available to sport-shooters licensed for at least 6 months, with a medical certificate, without any felony convictions, and additionally requires at least three shooting sessions with an instructor each separated by 2 months. Specific authorisations for purchase and possession may then be sought from a local police administration, are valid for 5 years, and are renewable. Such weapons may then only be used for sport-shooting at shooting ranges, never for hunting. Category B includes all assault type rifles, such as [[AK-47]]/AKM, AK-74 or AR-15/M16/M4, and any look-alike weapons even when chambered for [[Rimfire ammunition|rimfire cartridges]] (.22 LR). These must be semi-automatic only. All handguns, including those using rimfire ammunition, are classed as category B. It is illegal to possess these category B weapons after expiry of a non-renewed specific authorisation: the arms must be disposed of (sold to a gun shop or else destroyed, for example). Authorisations can also be revoked at any time by any of the parties involved in the authorisations delivery (Government, Prefecture, Police).

Air-guns including pistols are freely available to adults, as category D arms, provided that their energy level does not exceed 20 J (previously 10 J).{{clarify|date=November 2019}} Typical energy levels are 6 J for a target pistol and 7.5 J for a target rifle. A scoped Field Target rifle might produce 15 or 16 J (maximum authorised in FT competition). Air-soft arms, firing non-metallic pellets and not exceeding 2 J energy, are considered to be toys, rather than weapons, and so are excluded from firearm regulations.

Also freely available are category D defensive pepper sprays up to a maximum 75 g capacity. Bigger capacity sprays are considered offensive weapons, not defensive, and so are classed in category B, and require specific authorisation.

A person cannot own more than 12 centerfire firearms, and cannot own more than 10 magazines and 1,000 rounds of ammunition per firearm. A one-year carry license may be issued for persons "exposed to exceptional risks to their life" allowing them to carry a handgun with a maximum of 50 rounds. Such authorizations are extremely rare, however, as the state would normally insist on providing police protection in such cases. Since November 2015, police officers are authorised to carry their service weapons whilst off-duty.