The Home Office has opened a 10‑week consultation on a mandatory licensing regime for the sale and import of knives and other bladed articles. Published on 16 December 2025, the consultation runs until 11:59pm on 24 February 2026 and seeks views from the public, businesses, law enforcement and community organisations on how a licensing system should operate.
Ministers propose that both businesses and private individuals who sell knives would require a licence, whether they trade online, on the high street or via social media. The Home Office also proposes import licences to prevent sellers relocating overseas to avoid regulation and to give Border Force clearer enforcement powers at the border.
Under the proposals, the police would administer the scheme. Larger retailers would be required to appoint a designated licence holder, similar in concept to a designated premises supervisor in alcohol licensing, to act as the primary point of contact and ensure compliance across each licensed outlet. Licences would be issued on a full cost recovery basis, with fees set to fund administration and enforcement.
The consultation suggests a three‑year licence duration, with renewal fees payable. For multi‑site retailers, the default expectation is that each store would hold its own licence rather than a single group authorisation. The proposals also bring itinerant and temporary sellers-such as market or car‑boot traders-within scope so that knife sales outside fixed premises are covered.
Suitability checks by the police are proposed for applicants, alongside conditions attached to licences. The Home Office signals conditions under consideration that mirror recommendations from the National Police Chiefs’ Council review: robust age‑verification policies (for example, Challenge 25), retention of purchaser details available to law enforcement on request, acceptance of inspections and test purchases, and clear age‑restriction messaging in marketing. Additional conditions being tested include secure display of knives in‑store, tamper‑evident packaging for deliveries, mandatory staff training and prohibitions on promotions such as ‘mystery boxes’.
Selling knives without a licence would become a criminal offence under the proposed framework, with Trading Standards and the police responsible for enforcement. The consultation asks for views on the appropriate offence and penalty model, as well as powers to suspend or revoke licences for non‑compliance. The NPCC reports that one in four retailers failed recent test purchases during Operation Sceptre, underlining the case for stronger, consistent controls across sales channels.
The Home Office is also consulting on how import licensing should work. Options outlined range from licences for retailers only, to licences for all importers including private individuals, through to a combined sellers/importers licence to streamline administration. In each scenario, importing knives without a valid licence would be an offence, with routine checks by Border Force and seizure of non‑compliant consignments.
The proposals sit alongside measures branded as Ronan’s Law and provisions in the Crime and Policing Bill. Those measures include tougher age‑verification for online sales and delivery, a requirement on retailers to report bulk or suspicious purchases, higher maximum penalties for selling to under‑18s, new powers to seize knives suspected of being linked to violence, and the ban on so‑called ‘ninja swords’ that took effect on 1 August 2025. The licensing scheme is intended to complement, not duplicate, those changes.
Geographically, the consultation invites views from across the UK. Where proposals touch devolved competence, legislation would be pursued with the agreement of the devolved administrations. Scotland already operates a Knife Dealers’ Licence for non‑domestic knives; the proposed UK scheme would go wider by covering domestic kitchen knives and private sellers, and by introducing import licensing to close off circumvention routes.
For retailers, importers and marketplaces, the practical impact-if implemented-would be significant. Firms should plan for per‑site licences, a named responsible individual, documented age‑verification and training policies, secure in‑store storage and compliant packaging for delivery. Online sellers would need to align checkout and handover age checks with statutory standards, retain records that can be produced to law enforcement and monitor for bulk or suspicious orders. Businesses that import directly would need to budget for, and comply with, an import licensing regime.
The consultation requests evidence on market size, compliance costs and the workability of different import licensing models. Responses can be submitted via the Home Office’s online survey or by email to the consultation mailbox. After 24 February 2026 the department will publish a summary of responses and confirm next steps. Any scheme will require legislation and detailed guidance before taking effect, so businesses have an opportunity now to shape design, costs and enforcement tools before they are finalised.