Anime Weekend Atlanta: costume, prop and weapon rules

Last checked against the con's own rules on 2026-10-21.

A guide to Anime Weekend Atlanta's costume, prop, and weapon check rules for first-time attendees planning their cosplay.

Anime Weekend Atlanta requires every prop to pass through the Prop Check station, which is located across from the Registration windows. Staff will ask how you hold the item and then attach a removable peace-bond band somewhere out of sight so it stays hidden in photos. Props must be under seven feet (two meters) long and under fifteen pounds (seven kilograms), and they also need to fit through a standard door. If you use any prop in an offensive or defensive way during the convention, it is automatically reclassified as a restricted weapon regardless of what it looks like. On the weapons side, the policy is firm about metal blades: no swords, knives, axes, or similar items are allowed anywhere on site, and you cannot carry them in a case either. Bladed items purchased at the convention itself must remain in their sealed packaging. Projectile props such as bows, crossbows, airsoft, BB, Nerf, and paintball guns are permitted only if they have been permanently and substantially disabled. Bows and crossbows must be unstrung. Replica guns in those categories need a permanent orange tip on the muzzle, an orange stripe at least one inch wide on the grip, handle, receiver, and stock, no ammunition, no magazine, and a plugged barrel. Adding any pressurised container to a prop makes it count as a firearm under the policy, and real firearms are not permitted. Wooden and metal bats and batons are also banned; plastic or foam versions are the only options. The convention's dress code covers daytime hours (roughly 6 am to 8 pm) and after-hours separately, with daytime having stricter coverage requirements for all attendees. Stilts, roller skates, skateboards, leashes, and metal chains are not allowed on site, and costumes that closely resemble law enforcement or medical uniforms are prohibited. The policy also advises keeping props in a bag or case while travelling in public and only taking them out once you are inside the convention space. Because rules at any convention can change from year to year, you should treat the official AWA policy page at awa-con.com/rules/ as the only authority before you pack your costume. If anything in this entry conflicts with what the current page says, follow the current page. When in doubt, contact AWA staff directly ahead of the event rather than assuming last year's rules still apply.

Full details at Anime Weekend Atlanta →