Buying Knives Online in the UK: Age and ID Rules

Knife sales to under-18s are generally prohibited, with defined exceptions. Article 2(a) of the 1996 Exemption Order says section 141A(1) shall not apply to “a folding pocket-knife if the cutting edge of its blade does not exceed 7.62 centimetres (3 inches).” Article 2(b) also exempts razor blades permanently enclosed in a cartridge or housing where less than 2 millimetres of any blade is exposed beyond the specified plane ^[2]. Scotland has a further domestic-use exception for buyers aged 16 or over ^[1]. Retailers commonly apply an 18+ policy to all knives. Online sales also have delivery rules; a further photo ID check under the Crime and Policing Act 2026 had not commenced on 28 September 2026.

Three separate legal layers apply to an online knife purchase. The age of the buyer is controlled by ^[1]. The method of delivery is controlled by ^[4]. This has applied in England and Wales since 6 April 2022 and in Scotland since 28 June 2022. A new ID check for remote sales comes from the Crime and Policing Act 2026 ^[8]. That Act received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026. Its knife-sale sections were not in force on 28 September 2026.

What age do you have to be to buy a knife online?

Sales to under-18s are generally prohibited, subject to exceptions. Section 141A covers online and in-person sales of knives and knife blades in England and Wales ^[1]. Article 2 of the 1996 Exemption Order removes from section 141A(1) a folding pocketknife whose cutting edge does not exceed 7.62 centimetres (3 inches), and enclosed razor cartridges meeting its exposed-blade limit ^[2]. Scotland has a further domestic-use exception. Section 34 of the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 amended the sale rules ^[5]. Retailers commonly set an 18+ policy for all knives.

Scotland also allows a domestic-use exception. Section 141A(3A) applies in Scotland under ^[3]. It says it is not an offence to sell or let on hire a knife or knife blade to a person aged 16 or over if “the knife or blade is designed for domestic use” ^[1]. The 1996 Exemption Order separately exempts qualifying folding pocketknives and enclosed razor cartridges from section 141A(1) ^[2].

The domestic-use exception exists only in Scotland. It does not create a defence for a retailer in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland separately exempts a folding pocketknife with a cutting edge of no more than 7.62 cm (3 inches) and qualifying enclosed razor blades from article 54(1) ^[12].

Can a knife be delivered to a parcel locker?

No, in England, Wales and Scotland. It has been an offence since 2022 for a remote seller to deliver a bladed product to a locker. This includes arranging its delivery there. ^[4] makes clear that the seller commits an offence when a seller and buyer are not in each other’s presence if the bladed product is delivered into a locker. It also applies if delivery there is merely arranged. A locker means any lockable container used for buyer collection.

The seller must instead arrange delivery so the item reaches an adult directly. This is typically at a residential or business address. It should not be left for unattended collection. A defence exists under section 40 of the same Act if the seller can show they took all reasonable precautions and exercised due diligence to prevent the item reaching a locker or an under-18.

These delivery rules came into force under the ^[6]. This sits alongside the related offence in section 39 covering delivery companies that hand a bladed product to someone under 18. Section 38 has applied in England and Wales since 6 April 2022 and in Scotland since 28 June 2022. Legislation.gov.uk records no Northern Ireland commencement for it ^[4]. These rules are separate from the newer 2026 ID-check duty described below.

Do sellers have to check ID when you buy a knife online?

Sellers must avoid prohibited sales to under-18s today. The specific photo ID check has been passed into law but had not commenced on 28 September 2026. For articles covered by the sale-to-under-18s offence in ^[1], a seller needs some way to confirm a buyer’s age. Until now the law did not specify a particular ID-check method though. The 1996 Exemption Order removes its specified articles from that offence ^[2].

The Crime and Policing Act 2026 changes that. Section 32 inserts a new “Condition A” into the remote-sale offence. The seller must obtain a copy of a physical identity document, such as a UK or foreign passport, a UK driving licence, or another document specified in regulations. They must also obtain a photograph of the buyer. Together these must satisfy a reasonable person that the buyer is 18 or over. This is confirmed directly from the section text at ^[8]. The Home Office factsheet for the Act describes a further check at the point of delivery ^[7].

Enacted. Not yet in force on 28 September 2026. The Act received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026. Sections 28 to 43 were not included in any of the commencement regulations made so far: SI 2026/689, SI 2026/939 or SI 2026/960. This includes section 32 and the other knife-sale sections. Nor were they included in the first Northern Ireland commencement order, SR 2026/153 ^[9]. Treat the photo ID check as law that has been passed but is not yet a live legal duty.

The same Act also creates a new offence in England and Wales. It is inserted as section 139AB of the Criminal Justice Act 1988. This covers having a bladed article with intent to use unlawful violence. The maximum is 7 years’ imprisonment. Section 29 raises the maximum penalties for the sale offences under ^[1] and the 1959 Act. These are likewise passed into law but not yet in force.

Does Northern Ireland have separate rules?

Yes. Northern Ireland runs its own knife-sale regime under the Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 1996. Article 54 generally prohibits sale of a knife, knife blade or razor blade to anyone under 18 ^[11]. The age threshold in article 54(1) was raised from 16 to 18 with effect from 1 October 2007. The article heading still says “under 16” though. There is no domestic-use exception. Article 2 of the 1997 Exemption Order exempts from article 54(1) folding pocketknives whose cutting edge does not exceed 7.62 cm (3 inches) and razor blades permanently enclosed in a cartridge or housing with less than 2 mm of blade exposed beyond the specified plane ^[12].

The Offensive Weapons Act 2019 inserted a separate article 54A. It sets out Northern Ireland’s equivalent of the remote-sale and delivery rules described above for the rest of the UK. Section 34 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 amends article 54A to add the same physical-ID-plus-photograph “Condition A” check described above ^[10]. Section 43 of the same Act inserted a new article 54B. It sits alongside article 54A. Neither is in force. This matches the equivalent Great Britain sections. SR 2026/153 is the only Northern Ireland commencement order so far. It does not include them.

What must the courier check when delivering a knife?

The delivery company itself must confirm the recipient is 18 or over. This is separate from the seller’s own age check. ^[14] creates a distinct offence for the courier. A seller may arrange delivery of a bladed product through a delivery company operating in the UK. That company commits an offence if it hands the item to anyone under 18 at the delivery address.

This puts the compliance duty on two different businesses at two different points. The seller checks age and delivery method when the order is placed. The courier checks age again when the parcel is handed over. A courier that fails to check and delivers into the hands of someone under 18 is liable to a fine under section 39(7), regardless of what the seller did earlier in the process.

What defences exist for sellers and couriers?

A seller or courier has a defence if they can show they took all reasonable precautions and exercised due diligence. The general defence, under ^[15], applies against the section 38 and 39 offences, alongside narrower defences for specific situations.

A seller has a defence if the bladed product was made or adapted to the buyer’s own specifications for a particular use. A seller also has a defence if they reasonably believed the buyer wanted it for a recognised sporting purpose or historical re-enactment ^[15]. In Scotland a seller or courier also has a defence if they took reasonable steps to verify age through acceptable documentation. The same applies if nothing about the buyer’s appearance would have led a reasonable person to suspect they were under 18 ^[15].

None of these defences remove the underlying duty to check age. They protect a seller or courier who made a genuine, documented attempt to comply and was still deceived. They do not protect one who skipped the check altogether.

What happens if a retailer sells a knife to someone under 18?

A retailer who sells an article covered by section 141A to someone under 18 commits an offence, whether the sale is online or in person. The offence does not cover the folding pocketknife and enclosed razor cartridge specified in the 1996 Exemption Order ^[2]. A seller charged under ^[1] may have a defence where they took all reasonable precautions and exercised due diligence to avoid the offence. Northern Ireland has a separate article 54 regime with equivalent exemptions for qualifying folding pocketknives and enclosed razor blades ^[12].

See the guide to carrying a pocket knife in the UK for the separate question of what happens after you own a UK-legal knife. See knives when travelling for posting a knife once you own it.

This is legal information. It is not legal advice. Get advice from a solicitor or Citizens Advice if you run a business selling knives online. The same applies if you have a specific question about a delivery or an age-check failure.