A plastic bullet is a type of projectile that is made from a composite material including plastic and is fired from a conventional rifle. It is intended as a less lethal weapon for riot control and is capable of penetrating human tissue. There are two types of plastic bullets that are intended for riot control:

• Plastic baton round: a large, blunt, low-velocity projectile fired from a specialized gun, intended as a less-lethal weapon for riot control.
• Plastic bullet: a conventionally sized and shaped bullet made from a composite material including plastic, fired from a conventional rifle and capable of penetrating human tissue, intended as a less lethal weapon for riot control.

Plastic bullets are generally used for riot control. Some plastic bullets are intended to be skip fired, hitting the ground and ricocheting into the intended target, while others were designed to be fired directly into the target.