UK knife law, plainly explained

This page explains the law in England and Wales, with notes on Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is a plain-English guide, not legal advice. If you're unsure, ask your local police or a solicitor.

Can I carry a knife in the UK?

It is an offence to have a bladed or sharply pointed article in a public place without good reason or lawful authority (Criminal Justice Act 1988, section 139). There is one exception: a folding pocketknife with a cutting edge of 3 inches (7.62 cm) or less.

Anything else, a fixed blade, a lock knife or a folding knife over 3 inches, needs a good reason. The law gives three examples:

• for use at work, for example a chef, a tree surgeon or a smith carrying tools of the trade;
• for religious reasons, such as the kirpan carried by some Sikhs;
• as part of any national costume, such as a sgian dubh worn with Highland dress.

Other reasons can count, but a court decides. Self-defence is not accepted as a good reason. Stricter rules apply on school premises, where even a small folding knife needs a good reason.

In England and Wales the maximum penalty for carrying a knife illegally is 4 years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both, and a second conviction usually means prison.

Are lock knives legal in the UK?

Yes, to own and to buy if you're 18 or over. But a knife that locks open is not a "folding pocketknife" in law, even if its blade is under 3 inches. The courts decided this in 1993 (Harris v DPP). So carrying a lock knife in public, including a locking multitool, needs a good reason, just like a fixed blade.

What knives are banned in the UK?

It is illegal to own, sell, buy, import, hire, lend or give away these, with limited exemptions:

• flick knives, gravity knives, switchblades and other automatic knives;
• butterfly knives (balisongs);
• disguised knives, such as belt-buckle, comb or pen knives;
• push daggers, swordsticks and stealth knives made to avoid metal detectors;
• zombie knives and, since 24 September 2024, zombie-style knives and machetes: blades over 8 inches with a plain edge and a point, plus serrations, spikes, more than two sharp points or more than one hole in the blade;
• ninja swords, since 1 August 2025: straight blades of 14 to 24 inches with two cutting edges, a blunt spine and a tanto or reverse-tanto point;
• curved swords with a blade of 50 cm or more, measured in a straight line from the top of the handle to the tip, with exemptions such as antiques and some martial arts and re-enactment uses.

There are also bans on items such as knuckledusters, throwing stars and telescopic truncheons. Knives over 100 years old are generally exempt, except flick and gravity knives.

How old do you have to be to buy a knife?

18, for almost every knife. The one exception is a folding pocketknife with a cutting edge of 3 inches or less that doesn't lock. In Scotland, 16- and 17-year-olds can buy kitchen knives and cutlery.

The Crime and Policing Act 2026 will tighten this further: online sellers will have to check photo ID, couriers will check ID on delivery, and the maximum penalty for selling a knife to someone under 18, or for possessing or supplying a banned weapon, rises to two years in prison. These parts become law only when the government brings them into force, which hadn't happened when we last checked; see the factsheet linked below.

Can I take my knife home from a knife making course?

Yes. Taking a knife home from the course where you made it is a good reason to carry it. Make it obvious you're transporting it, not carrying it for use:

• wrap it or keep it in its sheath, inside a bag, not on your belt or in a pocket;
• go straight home, without stopping off at a pub or a shop on the way;
• if you're travelling by train or bus, keep it packed away out of sight.

Most courses are for adults. If you're under 18, the forge may keep your knife until a parent or guardian collects it.

Selling knives you make

If you sell knives, you must not sell to anyone under 18. Once the Crime and Policing Act 2026 rules come into force, online sellers will also have to carry out photo-ID checks. Banned knife types can't be sold at all. If you plan to sell regularly, check the current rules on gov.uk.

Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland has similar rules under the Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995, section 49, including the 3-inch folding knife exception. There the defence is a "reasonable excuse" (work, religion and national costume are named), and the maximum penalty is 5 years. Northern Ireland has similar rules under its own legislation; see nidirect.gov.uk for details.