UK tightens lead ammunition rules from April 2026
If you teach science, citizenship or environmental studies, here is a live policy change you can map from classroom to countryside. The UK has formally updated its chemicals law to limit lead in ammunition. The statutory instrument was made on 2 March 2026, laid before Parliament on 3 March 2026, and comes into force on 1 April 2026. It extends to the UK and applies in England, Wales and Scotland, according to the UK legislation website.
A quick orientation helps. UK REACH is the national version of the EU system that controls hazardous substances in products. This amendment sits in Annex 17, the section that lists restrictions. It targets lead and its compounds in “projectiles” - anything intended to be expelled from a firearm - and adds new limits on use and placing on the market.
Why now? The Secretary of State says they weighed the socio‑economic impact and the availability of alternatives before acting, and asked the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to prepare the technical dossier. HSE’s final opinion sets out costs and benefits. The aim is to cut lead contamination that harms wildlife, soil and water while keeping space for legitimate sport, research and safety work.
Two dates do most of the work. From 1 April 2028, “other projectiles” (bullets or slugs that are not pellets) containing 3% or more lead by weight must not be used at an outdoor shooting range unless the range meets strict conditions. From 1 April 2029, lead shot at 1% or more and other projectiles at 3% or more must not be used or placed on the market, except where the law grants a derogation.
Let’s pin down the vocabulary you’ll see in the instrument. “Shot” means pellets, typically used in shotgun cartridges. “Other projectiles” covers bullets and slugs that are not pellets. “Calibre” is the internal diameter of the barrel and the projectile, and 6.17 millimetres is the key threshold used in several rules. These definitions matter for exams and for compliance.
If you run an outdoor range, there is a compliance route after 1 April 2028. You must take action to reduce risks to ruminants and grazing wildlife, soil and water as far as reasonably practicable, keep documentation, and submit details to the enforcing authority at least once every three years. That submission includes your range name, address and grid reference, a responsible safety contact, and a declaration confirming action taken. You must also update the authority whenever those details change, and make your documentation available on request.
Enforcement bodies have homework too. The relevant enforcing authority, as defined in the REACH Enforcement Regulations 2008, must publish and maintain a list of ranges that have provided the required information. For students, that public list becomes a real‑world dataset to track how compliance unfolds over time.
Air weapons are treated differently. The restrictions in paragraphs 11 and 12(b) do not apply to other projectiles used in, or placed on the market for use in, an air weapon as defined in the Firearms Act 1968. This is an explicit carve‑out in the law, so clubs using air weapons should still read the detail but note the exemption.
Elite sport gets a narrow, time‑limited path to continue using lead shot. The ban on lead shot from 1 April 2029 does not apply to “elite athletes” - those selected by a National Olympic or Paralympic Committee for a discipline that uses lead shot, or athletes still in the selection window who are training with finances in place and have won a medal at national or international level. They must notify the Agency (as defined in UK REACH) every 12 months with identity details, evidence of eligibility and the expected number of cartridges, and report changes as soon as possible. The Agency acknowledges each notification and keeps a record. Suppliers must record whom they supply and how many cartridges, and provide that to the Agency annually or when details change.
There are further derogations for other projectiles after 2029. If the calibre is under 6.17 millimetres and the purpose is live quarry shooting (including zeroing), the restriction in paragraph 12(b) does not apply. Indoor target shooting is also outside paragraph 12(b), and other projectiles may be placed on the market for use at an outdoor range. Remember that actual use at an outdoor range must still follow the range conditions set out earlier from 2028.
From 1 April 2029, labelling becomes a clear signal to buyers. Packaging for other projectiles containing 3% or more lead and of calibre 6.17 millimetres or above must be labelled “Must not be used for live quarry shooting”. The label must be indelible, visible on the packaging at the point of sale and on the product page for online sales, and clearly distinct from other information. Retailers should start planning artwork and product‑page changes well before the deadline.
Some uses sit completely outside the restriction. Projectiles covered by a certificate that says they are not to be fired are exempt. So are police, security service, Border Force and military uses; private maritime security; manufacturers and test houses carrying out technical testing and proofing; forensic analysis; historical and technical research by academic institutions; and licensed museum collections. For classes, this is a neat way to explore how law draws lines between environmental protection, public safety and heritage.
What this means for you. If you manage a club or shop, map your stock and activities against the 2028 and 2029 dates, check whether you fall under an exemption, and begin the documentation you’ll need for range submissions or retailer labelling. If you’re teaching, set a timeline exercise: define “shot”, “other projectiles”, “indoor” and “outdoor” target shooting, then test whether different scenarios are in or out of scope - and ask why the 6.17mm threshold and public reporting were chosen to balance sport with environmental protection.