Airsoft is a sport in which players use airsoft guns to fire plastic projectiles at other players in order to eliminate them. Due to the often-realistic appearance of airsoft guns and their ability to fire projectiles at relatively high speeds, laws have been put in place in many countries to regulate both the sport of airsoft and the guns themselves. Safety regulations in many areas require an orange or red tip on the end of the barrel in order to distinguish the airsoft gun from a working firearm. They are officially classed as "soft air devices" or "air compressed toys", depending on the jurisdiction.

A handful of countries including Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam have laws that are deemed to be airsoft-unfriendly.

Importation of airsoft guns (referred officially as toy models by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection), regardless of their legal status by state, requires an Australian Customs B709 Importation of Firearms – Police Confirmation and Certification Form. These forms can be obtained from the relevant state's police department, however some states may require operators hold a valid license for the class of firearm wished to import before the forms will be issued. Due to the strict regulation of airsoft guns, gel blasters have become a popular alternative.

Possession and importation of airsoft weapons are banned outright in the states of Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, and Tasmania. Tasmania has also banned the game of airsoft, as well as paintball, stating that they are wargames.

Airsoft firearms are legal to buy in the Northern Territory, provided one has the necessary licenses.^{[citation needed]}

The Registrar of the Australian Capital Territory has a list of approved replica weapons and airsoft guns. Outside of the approved list, all airsoft guns that resemble semiautomatic or automatic military rifles or shotguns adapted for military purposes are considered prohibited weapons, as are imitations or replicas of any firearm.

In Austria, airsofts are neither covered by the relevant weapons legislation nor are they considered toys and are therefore not subject to any technical restrictions. According to commercial regulations, the sale and distribution of airsofts is only permitted for persons over the age of 18. In 4 of the 9 federal states, airsofts resembling real weapons are classified as objects harmful to minors, meaning there minors are prohibited from operating them.^{[citation needed]}

In Argentina, airsoft guns can be bought and used by anyone over the age of 18, however the import, sale and manufacture of replica guns requires a permit by federal law 26.216.