Underage Sales

Knives And Offensive Weapons
Knives image

There is concern about the ownership and sale of lethal weapons, including knives. The legislation has recently been extended to prohibit sales to under 18s, and the Home Office have asked Trading Standards and the Police to work together.

If you need help or advice on this matter please contact either of the above.


What are the restrictions on the sale of knives and other bladed Items?

The Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 amended previous legislation and makes it illegal to sell to young people under eighteen years old:

  • any knife, knife blade or razor blade

  • any axe

  • any article that has a blade or which is sharply pointed and which is made or adapted for causing injury to the person.


The prohibition does not apply to:

  • a folding pocket knife with a blade of less than 3 inches or 7.62 cm

  • a razor blade permanently held in a cartridge or similar housing where less than 2mm of the blade is exposed.

Whether a particular article is a knife is a question of fact, but using a wider definition this legislation prohibits sales of e.g. sheath knives, kitchen knives, craft knives and carpet knives to persons under the age of 18.

These restrictions are not intended to apply to articles such as scissors or compasses.

Penalties

Anyone found selling these items to young people under the age of 18 years risks a maximum fine of £5,000 or a term of imprisonment up to six months.

Useful Links

PDF: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/knife-sales.pdf (Adobe PDF Document - download Acrobat Reader)

The above guidance is intended for traders and offers practical advice. It is not a definitive statement of the law.