The Law & Life Sales

UK law states that customers must be aged 18 years or over.

Online Retailers & UK Knife Laws.

Currently, there are two acts concerning knife laws in the UK: the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and the Knives Act 1997. Online retailers need to familiarise themselves with these two items of legislation which apply to both physical and online purchases.

 

1. Criminal Justice Act 1988

“Under the Criminal Justice Act 1988, it is an offence for any person to sell to a person under 18 any:

  • knife, knife blade or razor blade

  • axe

  • other article that has a blade or is sharply pointed and is made or adapted for use for causing injury to the person

 

The prohibition does not apply to:

  • folding pocket knives if the cutting edge of the blade is less than 7.62 cm (three inches).

  • replacement cartridges for safety razors, where less than 2 mm of the blade is exposed.

 

This legislation prohibits sales of: sheath knives, kitchen knives, craft knives and carpet knives to persons under 18.

 

2. Knives Act 1997

Under the Knives Act 1997 it is an offence to market a knife and publish marketing material in relation to a knife in a way that either:

  • indicates or suggests that it is suitable for combat (the term ‘suitable for combat’ means that the knife is suitable for use as a weapon for inflicting injury or causing fear of injury to the person), or

  • is otherwise likely to stimulate or encourage violent behaviour involving the use of the knife as a weapon.

Non-Compliance Penalties.

Online retailers face unlimited fines and/or up to six months in prison for UK knife law compliance failure.

Legal Compliance & Selling Knives Online.

Penalties for non-compliance are severe. Online retailers must understand their compliance with UK knife laws and that verification measures are adequate in worst case scenario’s.

Age verification is more difficult for online retailers as they do not have physical contact with customers to check identification items/documents.

To check that their age verification measures comply with the law, online retailers can refer to:

1. PAS (Publicly Available Specification) 1296: Online Age Checking.

PAS 1296 is the industry standard for age verification, offering a code of practice for businesses that: provide age checking services or need to use these services in order to sell products. Following PAS 1296 ensures that businesses are fully compliant with the law.

 

2. AVPA (Age Verification Providers Association) Code Of Conduct.

If outsourcing your verification process, check if your supplier is an AVPA member. The associations code of conduct ensures that trading standards are followed:

  • fairness and transparency

  • independence

  • security and privacy

  • accuracy

  • use of appropriate verification methods

 

3. Voluntary Code of Conduct

Online retailers can review the principles agreed in a voluntary code of conduct and ensure they are followed correctly.

 

4. GDPR & Knife Sales

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies to all retailers and is designed to ensure that customers’ personal data is held securely and safely. This legal framework applies to online or offline knife sales, where personal customer information is taken. Any verification measures taken must be compliant with GDPR regulations.

Please be advised that the above information is provided as a guide only and for full information concerning knife sales in the UK and UK Law, please refer to the UK Government website, for the latest information.