UK consultation to license knife sales and imports

The government has opened a public consultation on licensing for knife sales. If you teach, parent or study in England and Wales, here’s the simple version: ministers are asking whether anyone who sells or imports knives should need a licence. The consultation opened on 16 December 2025 and closes at 11:59pm on 24 February 2026. You can share your views directly with the Home Office.

What might a licence cover? Proposals would apply to businesses and private sellers, plus importers. The police are suggested as the licensing authority, carrying out suitability checks similar to those used for firearms dealers. Conditions floated include robust age checks such as Challenge 25 in store and on delivery, training for staff, secure display and packaging, and a store‑by‑store licence for big chains, renewed roughly every three years.

Why now? An independent Home Office review led by Commander Stephen Clayman found young people can still buy knives online using adults’ ID, and that knives are resold on social media with no checks at all. That ‘grey market’ hides sellers and dodges safeguards, so a licensing scheme is being explored to make sellers visible and accountable.

Import controls are part of the same picture. Without them, sellers could shift overseas and ship into the UK one parcel at a time. The consultation therefore asks about licensing importers as well, so police and Trading Standards can trace where a knife came from and whether the seller followed the rules.

This sits alongside changes announced earlier this year. The Home Office set out two‑step age verification for online knife sales and a ban on doorstep drops, and plans to make retailers report suspicious or bulk purchases. Ministers also moved to hold senior tech executives personally liable if illegal knife content stays up, and backed a new offence of possessing a weapon with violent intent. Ninja swords were banned from 1 August 2025.

Is the strategy working? The Home Office says nearly 60,000 knives have been removed from streets in England and Wales, knife homicides are almost 20% down year‑on‑year, overall knife crime has fallen by 5%, and hospital admissions for knife assaults are down 10%. Compliance is still mixed, though: during Operation Sceptre, some local test‑purchase stings found up to one in three shops selling to children.

The name behind the reforms matters. ‘Ronan’s Law’ honours 16‑year‑old Ronan Kanda, murdered in Wolverhampton in 2022 with a weapon bought online. His family and campaigners have pushed for tighter rules so more parents don’t face the same loss, a theme that runs through the consultation and the wider package of measures.

What this means for you as an educator or parent: if licensing goes ahead, expect clearer age checks in shops and at the door, trained staff who refuse sales, and stronger traceability when incidents happen. In the meantime, keep an eye out for social media resales, bulk‑buy flips and ‘mystery knife’ offers-red flags highlighted by the police review that often bypass age safeguards.

For young readers: using someone else’s ID to buy a knife online is illegal, and couriers shouldn’t hand over bladed items if ID checks fail. The government has already announced two‑step ID for online knife sales and no doorstep drops to close those loopholes. If you feel pressure to carry, speak to a trusted adult-carrying increases risk rather than keeping you safe.

For retailers and marketplaces: the consultation suggests the police would vet applicants, apply background checks and be able to revoke licences for breaches. Selling without a licence could become a criminal offence. Larger chains may need a licence for each store, mirroring alcohol licensing, so local compliance can be enforced.

Across the UK, the picture isn’t identical. Scotland already runs a Knife Dealers Licensing scheme for certain non‑domestic knives. The consultation explores whether similar controls should apply elsewhere, with details to be agreed with devolved governments where needed.

Your voice matters here. The consultation is open until 11:59pm on Tuesday 24 February 2026. After that, the Home Office will review responses and decide whether to legislate, including through the Crime and Policing Bill that is already before Parliament. If you work with young people, this is your chance to shape a safer system.