Buying and carrying knives: the law
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The laws about buying and carrying a knife depend on the type of knife, your age and your circumstances.
Basic laws on knives
It is illegal to:
- sell a knife of any kind to anyone under 18 years old (16- to 18-year-olds in Scotland can buy cutlery and kitchen knives)
- carry a knife in public without good reason – unless it’s a knife with a folding blade three inches long (7.62 cm) or less, e.g. a Swiss Army knife
- carry, buy or sell any type of banned knife
- use any knife in a threatening way (even a legal knife, such as a Swiss Army knife)
Lock knives (knives with blades that can be locked when unfolded) are not folding knives, and are illegal to carry in public without good reason.
The maximum penalty for an adult carrying a knife is four years in prison and a fine of £5,000.
Good reasons for carrying a knife
Examples of good reasons to carry a knife in public can include:
- taking knives you use at work to and from work
- taking knives to a gallery or museum to be exhibited
- the kn...
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