Firearms regulation in Taiwan

Taiwan has extremely strict gun control for all persons in the country, though some carveouts used to be made for indigenous Taiwanese persons. Some argue that the strict policy endangers the homeland to potential invasion by mainland China.^[1]

Indigenous groups

An unusual feature of Taiwan's gun control scheme was a specific provision for indigenous people, allowing black powder muzzleloader-type single shot rifles for hunting, though in the pursuit of a total gun control policy, even indigenous persons of Taiwan have lost their right to use and own even these guns as of 2021.^[2][3] The indigenous people that were allowed a carve out to the absolute-no-guns policy though are increasingly antagonistic against the mainly Han Taiwanese that are seen as foreign occupiers that restrict the natural right of indigenous peoples of Taiwan to own and use guns for hunting and other purposes.^[4]

In 2025 an indigenous member of the New Taipei City Council brought his traditional rifle to a council session as a formal protest against what he considered to be the central government's overly restrictive gun storage laws.^[5]

Sporting

There are outdoor shotgun sports ranges in Linkou and Kenting.^[6] Two major shooting sports organizations exist, the Taiwan Shooting Sports Association-Ding Fwu and the Chinese Taipei Shooting Association.^[7]

Significant Taiwanese sport shooters include Liu Wan-yu,^[8] Lin Yi-chun,^[9] Lee Meng-yuan,^[10][11] and Yang Kum-pi.^[12][13]

In 2024 the Taiwanese military rejected a request from the Legislative Yuan to consider establishing public rifle and pistol ranges overseen by the military on legal, safety, and operational grounds.^[14]

See also

• Civil defense in Taiwan
• Hunting in Taiwan