Members + Non members criteria
S.W.A.T. Airsoft – Membership & P.A.S.S. Approval Requirements
Information for New and Existing Players
S.W.A.T. Airsoft welcomes both new and existing players to participate in our organised airsoft activities.
As part of our commitment to responsible airsoft participation and compliance with the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 (VCRA) and the Realistic Imitation Firearms Regulations 2007, we operate an independent player verification system known as P.A.S.S. (Player Approval Site System).
All players seeking P.A.S.S. approval must satisfy the following requirements before S.W.A.T. will confirm their verified status to participating retailers.
P.A.S.S. Eligibility and Approval Criteria
1. Minimum Age Requirement
Applicants must be 18 years of age or older before they can receive P.A.S.S. purchasing approval for Realistic Imitation Firearms (RIFs), commonly referred to as black airsoft replicas.
Being 18 or over does not automatically establish a legal defence. Applicants must also satisfy the remaining verification requirements.
2. S.W.A.T. Membership Registration
Players must be registered members of S.W.A.T. Airsoft and hold a valid, unique membership identification number (SAM number).
Membership is provided FREE of charge.
3. Qualifying Attendance and Probationary Period
Applicants must attend a minimum of three qualifying airsoft game days over a period of not less than 56 days, with attendance recorded and verified by S.W.A.T.
For the purposes of P.A.S.S. approval, only qualifying attendance at recognised S.W.A.T. airsoft venues will be accepted.
This period allows us to establish a genuine record of participation before granting P.A.S.S. approval.
4. Identity and Address Verification
Applicants must provide satisfactory identification to confirm their identity and age.
Acceptable documentation may include:
- A valid photographic driving licence.
- A valid passport.
- A recent utility bill, bank statement or other acceptable proof of residential address, where required.
S.W.A.T. reserves the right to request additional documentation where reasonably necessary to complete the verification process.
5. Final P.A.S.S. Approval
Once all eligibility requirements have been satisfied, S.W.A.T. will review the applicant's membership, attendance records and identification.
Following successful approval, the member's P.A.S.S. record will be updated to display their approval date.
This information can then be independently verified by authorised airsoft retailers.
Players Under 18 Years of Age
Players under 18 may register as S.W.A.T. members and participate in suitable airsoft activities in accordance with our venue rules and age restrictions.
Their membership details and attendance records will be maintained within our membership system.
However:
- Players under 18 will not receive P.A.S.S. purchasing approval.
- Their membership records will not display a P.A.S.S. approval date.
- Qualifying attendance may be recorded during their membership, subject to our verification requirements.
- Upon reaching 18, members must provide satisfactory identification and complete any outstanding eligibility requirements before approval can be considered.
P.A.S.S. approval is never automatic upon reaching 18 years of age.
Important Information
S.W.A.T. P.A.S.S. is an independent player verification system, not a government-issued licence.
Approval provides supporting evidence of legitimate airsoft participation. Retailers remain responsible for establishing that an applicable statutory defence exists before supplying a Realistic Imitation Firearm.
S.W.A.T. Membership – FREE
P.A.S.S. Registration – FREE
No Annual Membership or Verification Fees
S.W.A.T. P.A.S.S. – Independent Player Verification Since 2006
Membership notes
Memberships:
1. All members upon being granted membership with S.W.A.T. will be required to sign a player declaration, which will be held by S.W.A.T.
2. Membership is free.
3. All players will receive a welcome pack contining your unique membership card carrying the code SAM then a five digit number, this being their membership number for example SAM00001
4. S.W.A.T. reserve the right to cancel memberships without notice and without reason:
5. Membership does grant certain privileges, such as game fee discounts and special events that we host upon occasion.
Privacy, Data Protection & Member Verification
S.W.A.T. Airsoft takes the privacy, security and protection of its members' personal information seriously.
Through our independent P.A.S.S. (Player Approval Site System), we maintain a register of verified members to assist authorised airsoft retailers in establishing a player's approval status.
For verification purposes, the register displays only the information necessary for initial identification, including:
- Member's registered name
- Unique S.W.A.T. membership number (SAM number)
- P.A.S.S. approval date and status, where applicable
No residential addresses, postcodes, dates of birth, telephone numbers, email addresses or copies of identification documents are displayed within the register.
Secondary Security Verification
Where a retailer requires additional confirmation of a player's identity, S.W.A.T. operates a secondary verification procedure.
The retailer must contact our administration office directly using an authorised business email address.
As part of this process, the retailer may be required to provide information already obtained from their customer, such as:
- Full registered name and SAM membership number.
- Residential address and postcode.
- Date of birth, where necessary for identity verification.
The retailer must provide the customer information they already hold for S.W.A.T. to compare against our membership records.
S.W.A.T. will confirm whether the relevant details correspond with our records, subject to appropriate identity checks and data protection requirements.
We do not routinely disclose members' residential addresses, dates of birth or other confidential personal information to retailers.
This two-stage verification procedure is designed to help prevent unauthorised access, mistaken identity and misuse of membership information while supporting responsible retailer due diligence.
Our Commitment to Data Protection
Personal information is processed in accordance with applicable UK data protection legislation, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Access to member verification information is restricted to legitimate purposes, and personal data is handled in accordance with our published privacy arrangements.
For further information about how we collect, process, retain and protect personal information, please consult our Privacy Policy, available within the Legal section of this website.
S.W.A.T. P.A.S.S. – Protecting Our Players, Supporting Responsible Retailers.
P.A.S.S. – How to Obtain Your Airsoft Defence
Want to know how to become P.A.S.S. approved and establish your legitimate airsoft defence?
Simply click on the P.A.S.S. logo to the right to discover how our Player Approval Site System works, the requirements for approval and the straightforward steps you need to follow.
Learn how your S.W.A.T. membership, qualifying game attendance and identity verification can help establish the supporting evidence retailers require when selling Realistic Imitation Firearms (RIFs).
S.W.A.T. Membership is FREE. P.A.S.S. Registration is FREE.
Your airsoft journey starts here!
