United Kingdom · checked 2026-10-27 · Medium confidence

Knife carry law in England & Wales

Carrying any blade or sharp point in public is an offence unless you prove good reason or lawful authority. The only exception is a non-locking folding pocketknife whose cutting edge is 3 inches (76.2 mm) or less. Locking folders, fixed blades and larger knives need a good reason. Automatic, gravity and butterfly knives are banned.

This summary rests on mostly official, partly secondary sources. Open questions are listed at the end. Treat anything marked unclear as a reason to leave the item at home.

How we apply the law

Rules are checked from the top. The first one that fits decides. Every verdict on this site comes from this list, not from hand typed cells.

1ProhibitedAny knife or tool, gravity or flick opening
Gravity/inertia knives (including butterfly/balisong knives, which are on the prohibited list) are banned: sale, import and possession (including at home) are offences, with only narrow museum-type defences.
Source
2ProhibitedAny knife or tool, automatic
Flick/switchblade/automatic knives are banned. The 1959 Act definition covers blades that open from closed or partly open to fully open by a button, spring or other device in or attached to the knife. Possession is an offence.
Source
3UnclearAny knife or tool, spring assisted
Spring-assisted knives: Home Office guidance says knives that open manually (e.g. thumb stud) are not flick knives, and neither are ones that only partly open the blade. A blade that a spring drives fully open could be caught. No case law found.
Source
4No restriction foundA folding knife, no lock, cutting edge up to 76.2 mm
A non-locking folding pocketknife with a cutting edge of 3 inches (76.2 mm) or less is outside s139. No specific restriction found for carrying it in public, but it must never be used or shown threateningly and school/prison rules still apply.
Source
5Reason neededA folding knife, no lock
A non-locking folder with a cutting edge over 3 inches (76.2 mm) is inside s139. Carrying it in public is an offence unless you prove good reason or lawful authority.
Source
6UnclearA folding knife, ring lock or other lock
Ring locks (e.g. Opinel Virobloc), friction/slip-joint-with-detent designs and locks that were disabled are not settled by any case we found. Retailer advice treats them as lock knives. Treat as needing a good reason.
Source
7Reason neededA folding knife, liner lock, frame lock, back lock, axis lock, compression lock or button lock
A folder whose blade locks open is a 'lock knife': courts require the blade to be immediately foldable at all times by simple pressure, so locking folders fall inside s139 at any blade length. You need a good reason.
Source
8No restriction foundA multitool, no lock, cutting edge up to 76.2 mm
A multitool whose blade does not lock and has a cutting edge of 3 inches or less fits the folding-pocketknife exemption on the statute's wording (Swiss Army-type). No case on multitools found; Essex Police policy treats this type as acceptable.
Source
9Reason neededA multitool
A multitool with a locking blade, or a blade edge over 3 inches, is outside the exemption. Police policy treats locking multitools as lock knives. You need a good reason (e.g. work).
Source
10Reason neededA fixed blade
Fixed blades are never within the folding-pocketknife exemption. Carrying one in public needs a good reason or lawful authority (work, religion, national costume are listed examples).
Source
11UnclearA keychain tool or scissors only
s139 covers any article with a blade or sharp point except a folding pocketknife. Small blade keyring tools or scissors are not obviously folding pocketknives; keyring blades disguised as a key are banned 'disguised knives'. No case law found.
Source
12UnclearAnything else
Combination not covered above. Assume a good reason is needed and check the statute.
Source

34 popular knives and tools, checked here

Specifications come from the makers. Where a maker does not publish the cutting edge length, a length rule can only be answered if even the full blade length falls on one side of the line. Otherwise the result is unclear, on purpose.

Product	Specs	Result
Victorinox Cadet (Alox)	blade 64 mm (2.52 in); cutting edge not published	No restriction found Why A non-locking folding pocketknife with a cutting edge of 3 inches (76.2 mm) or less is outside s139. No specific restriction found for carrying it in public, but it must never be used or shown threateningly and school/prison rules still apply.
Victorinox Classic SD	blade 40 mm (1.57 in); cutting edge not published	No restriction found Why A non-locking folding pocketknife with a cutting edge of 3 inches (76.2 mm) or less is outside s139. No specific restriction found for carrying it in public, but it must never be used or shown threateningly and school/prison rules still apply.
Victorinox Climber	blade 67 mm (2.64 in); cutting edge not published	No restriction found Why A non-locking folding pocketknife with a cutting edge of 3 inches (76.2 mm) or less is outside s139. No specific restriction found for carrying it in public, but it must never be used or shown threateningly and school/prison rules still apply.
Nagao Kanekoma Higonokami SK (Niwaki-sold Kanekoma)	blade 71 mm (2.80 in); cutting edge not published	No restriction found Why A non-locking folding pocketknife with a cutting edge of 3 inches (76.2 mm) or less is outside s139. No specific restriction found for carrying it in public, but it must never be used or shown threateningly and school/prison rules still apply.
Victorinox Huntsman	blade 67 mm (2.64 in); cutting edge not published	No restriction found Why A non-locking folding pocketknife with a cutting edge of 3 inches (76.2 mm) or less is outside s139. No specific restriction found for carrying it in public, but it must never be used or shown threateningly and school/prison rules still apply.
W.R. Case & Sons Mini Trapper	blade 69.9 mm (2.75 in); cutting edge not published	No restriction found Why A non-locking folding pocketknife with a cutting edge of 3 inches (76.2 mm) or less is outside s139. No specific restriction found for carrying it in public, but it must never be used or shown threateningly and school/prison rules still apply.
Spyderco Roadie	44 mm cutting edge (1.73 in)	No restriction found Why A non-locking folding pocketknife with a cutting edge of 3 inches (76.2 mm) or less is outside s139. No specific restriction found for carrying it in public, but it must never be used or shown threateningly and school/prison rules still apply.
Victorinox Spartan	blade 67 mm (2.64 in); cutting edge not published	No restriction found Why A non-locking folding pocketknife with a cutting edge of 3 inches (76.2 mm) or less is outside s139. No specific restriction found for carrying it in public, but it must never be used or shown threateningly and school/prison rules still apply.
Spyderco Squeak	44 mm cutting edge (1.73 in)	No restriction found Why A non-locking folding pocketknife with a cutting edge of 3 inches (76.2 mm) or less is outside s139. No specific restriction found for carrying it in public, but it must never be used or shown threateningly and school/prison rules still apply.
W.R. Case & Sons Trapper	76.2 mm cutting edge (3.00 in)	No restriction found Why A non-locking folding pocketknife with a cutting edge of 3 inches (76.2 mm) or less is outside s139. No specific restriction found for carrying it in public, but it must never be used or shown threateningly and school/prison rules still apply.
Gerber Dime	blade 38.1 mm (1.50 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why s139 covers any article with a blade or sharp point except a folding pocketknife. Small blade keyring tools or scissors are not obviously folding pocketknives; keyring blades disguised as a key are banned 'disguised knives'. No case law found.
Kershaw Leek	blade 76.2 mm (3.00 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why Spring-assisted knives: Home Office guidance says knives that open manually (e.g. thumb stud) are not flick knives, and neither are ones that only partly open the blade. A blade that a spring drives fully open could be caught. No case law found.
Leatherman Micra	blade 40.6 mm (1.60 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why s139 covers any article with a blade or sharp point except a folding pocketknife. Small blade keyring tools or scissors are not obviously folding pocketknives; keyring blades disguised as a key are banned 'disguised knives'. No case law found.
Opinel No.07 Stainless Steel	blade 80 mm (3.15 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why Ring locks (e.g. Opinel Virobloc), friction/slip-joint-with-detent designs and locks that were disabled are not settled by any case we found. Retailer advice treats them as lock knives. Treat as needing a good reason.
Opinel No.08 Stainless Steel	blade 85 mm (3.35 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why Ring locks (e.g. Opinel Virobloc), friction/slip-joint-with-detent designs and locks that were disabled are not settled by any case we found. Retailer advice treats them as lock knives. Treat as needing a good reason.
CRKT Squid Assisted	blade 60.2 mm (2.37 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why Spring-assisted knives: Home Office guidance says knives that open manually (e.g. thumb stud) are not flick knives, and neither are ones that only partly open the blade. A blade that a spring drives fully open could be caught. No case law found.
Leatherman Squirt PS4	blade 40.6 mm (1.60 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why s139 covers any article with a blade or sharp point except a folding pocketknife. Small blade keyring tools or scissors are not obviously folding pocketknives; keyring blades disguised as a key are banned 'disguised knives'. No case law found.
Victorinox Swiss Card Classic	blade length not published	Unclear Why s139 covers any article with a blade or sharp point except a folding pocketknife. Small blade keyring tools or scissors are not obviously folding pocketknives; keyring blades disguised as a key are banned 'disguised knives'. No case law found.
Buck 110 Folding Hunter	blade 95.3 mm (3.75 in); cutting edge not published	Reason needed Why A folder whose blade locks open is a 'lock knife': courts require the blade to be immediately foldable at all times by simple pressure, so locking folders fall inside s139 at any blade length. You need a good reason.
Leatherman Arc	blade 70.1 mm (2.76 in); cutting edge not published	Reason needed Why A multitool with a locking blade, or a blade edge over 3 inches, is outside the exemption. Police policy treats locking multitools as lock knives. You need a good reason (e.g. work).
Benchmade Bugout	blade 82.3 mm (3.24 in); cutting edge not published	Reason needed Why A folder whose blade locks open is a 'lock knife': courts require the blade to be immediately foldable at all times by simple pressure, so locking folders fall inside s139 at any blade length. You need a good reason.
Morakniv Companion (stainless, Hi-Vis Orange shown)	blade 104 mm (4.09 in); cutting edge not published	Reason needed Why Fixed blades are never within the folding-pocketknife exemption. Carrying one in public needs a good reason or lawful authority (work, religion, national costume are listed examples).
Spyderco Delica 4 (Lightweight)	65 mm cutting edge (2.56 in)	Reason needed Why A folder whose blade locks open is a 'lock knife': courts require the blade to be immediately foldable at all times by simple pressure, so locking folders fall inside s139 at any blade length. You need a good reason.
CIVIVI Elementum	blade 75.2 mm (2.96 in); cutting edge not published	Reason needed Why A folder whose blade locks open is a 'lock knife': courts require the blade to be immediately foldable at all times by simple pressure, so locking folders fall inside s139 at any blade length. You need a good reason.
ESEE Izula-II	blade 66.8 mm (2.63 in); cutting edge not published	Reason needed Why Fixed blades are never within the folding-pocketknife exemption. Carrying one in public needs a good reason or lawful authority (work, religion, national costume are listed examples).
Spyderco Ladybug 3	43 mm cutting edge (1.69 in)	Reason needed Why A folder whose blade locks open is a 'lock knife': courts require the blade to be immediately foldable at all times by simple pressure, so locking folders fall inside s139 at any blade length. You need a good reason.
Benchmade Mini Bugout	blade 71.6 mm (2.82 in); cutting edge not published	Reason needed Why A folder whose blade locks open is a 'lock knife': courts require the blade to be immediately foldable at all times by simple pressure, so locking folders fall inside s139 at any blade length. You need a good reason.
Spyderco Para 3	67 mm cutting edge (2.64 in)	Reason needed Why A folder whose blade locks open is a 'lock knife': courts require the blade to be immediately foldable at all times by simple pressure, so locking folders fall inside s139 at any blade length. You need a good reason.
Gerber Paraframe I (stainless, plain edge)	blade 76.5 mm (3.01 in); cutting edge not published	Reason needed Why A folder whose blade locks open is a 'lock knife': courts require the blade to be immediately foldable at all times by simple pressure, so locking folders fall inside s139 at any blade length. You need a good reason.
Ontario Knife Company RAT Model 1 (RAT I)	blade 88.9 mm (3.50 in); cutting edge not published	Reason needed Why A folder whose blade locks open is a 'lock knife': courts require the blade to be immediately foldable at all times by simple pressure, so locking folders fall inside s139 at any blade length. You need a good reason.
Leatherman Skeletool CX	blade 66 mm (2.60 in); cutting edge not published	Reason needed Why A multitool with a locking blade, or a blade edge over 3 inches, is outside the exemption. Police policy treats locking multitools as lock knives. You need a good reason (e.g. work).
CRKT Squid (Thumbstud)	blade 54.76 mm (2.16 in); cutting edge not published	Reason needed Why A folder whose blade locks open is a 'lock knife': courts require the blade to be immediately foldable at all times by simple pressure, so locking folders fall inside s139 at any blade length. You need a good reason.
Victorinox SwissTool Spirit X	blade length not published	Reason needed Why A multitool with a locking blade, or a blade edge over 3 inches, is outside the exemption. Police policy treats locking multitools as lock knives. You need a good reason (e.g. work).
Leatherman Wave Plus	blade 74.2 mm (2.92 in); cutting edge not published	Reason needed Why A multitool with a locking blade, or a blade edge over 3 inches, is outside the exemption. Police policy treats locking multitools as lock knives. You need a good reason (e.g. work).

What the verdict does not cover

Public transport and restricted zones: 'Public place' includes any highway and anywhere the public may enter, on payment or not, so trains, buses, shops and car parks count. UK airport security refuses a knife with a sharp/pointed blade or blade over 6 cm in hand luggage (gov.uk hand-luggage page); check airline for hold luggage. Prisons: s40CA Prison Act 1952 offence applies to anyone, including visitors, even for a folding knife over 3 inches (per CPS summary); We did not read the section itself.
Schools, workplaces and events: s139A makes it an offence to have a s139 article (or offensive weapon) on school premises or, since 6 April 2022, further-education premises. The 3-inch folding exemption still applies to the article test, but an offensive weapon or any intent to harm is separate. Defences: good reason/lawful authority, work, educational purposes, religion, national costume; the carrier must prove them. Venues and employers can set stricter rules. Police can enter schools and search (s139B).
In a vehicle: 'Has with him' is wider than carrying but narrower than possession: CPS says it covers a knife nearby and immediately accessible, e.g. under a car seat or in a bag next to you. Work tools left in a glovebox on a non-work day weakened a work defence (Garry v CPS [2019] EWHC 636 (Admin), as summarised by CPS). A car on a public road is a public place.
Age limits: Selling a knife or blade to under-18s is an offence (s141A); the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons) (Exemption) Order 1996 exempts non-locking folding knives with an edge of 3 inches or less. No separate minimum age to carry was found; s139 applies to everyone.
Buying and importing: Residents may buy knives online from sellers who meet the age-check and delivery rules. OWA 2019 s38: the seller commits an offence by delivering a 'bladed product' to residential premises or a locker, unless a s40 defence applies (age-checking procedures and delivery into the hands of an adult). In practice that means delivery must be handed to an 18+ person. Banned weapons (flick, gravity, butterfly, zombie, etc.) cannot be imported; Border Force seizes them and the maximum sentence is up to 10 years (gov.uk). Ordinary knives are not import-licensed, but we found no primary text saying so (BASC, secondary, says no licence needed).
Penalties: s139: up to 4 years' prison and/or unlimited fine on indictment; summary conviction up to 6 months on the text we read. A second weapon/knife offence at 16+ brings a mandatory minimum (6 months for adults) unless exceptional circumstances (Sentencing Code s315, CPS). Prohibited weapon possession in private: up to 51 weeks (rising to 2 years once Crime and Policing Act 2026 s29 is in force).
Recent changes: 6 Apr 2022: s139A extended to further-education premises; online-sale/delivery rules (OWA 2019 ss38-42) in force. 14 Jul 2021: flick-knife definition widened; possession of flick/gravity knives and listed weapons banned even at home. 24 Sep 2024: 'zombie-style knives/machetes' added to banned list (SI 2024/583). 1 Aug 2025: ninja swords banned (SI 2025/681). 29 Apr 2026: Crime and Policing Act 2026 passed; only s44 (sound moderators) of its weapons provisions found in force (29 Jun 2026).
Pending changes: Crime and Policing Act 2026 (not in force per legislation.gov.uk as of 19-26 Oct 2026): new s139AB offence of possessing a blade/offensive weapon with intent to use unlawful violence (max 7 years) (s28); higher maxima for private possession of banned weapons and sales to under-18s (2 years) (s29); police power to seize bladed articles from private premises (s30); photo-ID age checks for online knife sales and ID-checked delivery (ss32, 35); bulk-sale reporting (s42); online-platform content removal notices (ss13-27). Commencement Nos 1 and 4 regulations were read; Nos 2 and 3 only partly checked. Home Office consultation on licensing knife sellers and importers closed 24 Feb 2026; outcome not yet published.

Reasons the authorities have accepted

Use at work (s139(5)(a)) - needs a real link to work: transporting to or from a job or having it for the task; not just 'we am a chef/builder' generally
Religious reasons, e.g. the Sikh kirpan (s139(5)(b))
Part of national costume, e.g. sgian-dubh (s139(5)(c))
Taking knives you bought straight home, or to a museum, re-enactment, film/theatre, or class (gov.uk lists these as examples; the court decides)

Sources

Criminal Justice Act 1988 s139 (blade/point in public place)
“This section applies to a folding pocketknife if the cutting edge of its blade exceeds 3 inches.”
Criminal Justice Act 1988 s139A (school and further education premises)
“Any person who has an article to which section 139 of this Act applies with him on school premises or further education premises shall be guilty of an offence.”
Restriction of Offensive Weapons Act 1959 s1 (flick and gravity knives)
“Any person who possesses any knife of a kind described in subsection (1) is guilty of an offence.”
CPS: Knife and Other Weapons Offences (burden of proof; lock-knife)
“A “lock-knife” does not come into the category of “folding pocketknife” excluded from the section because it is not immediately foldable at all times.”
Sharma v DPP [2018] EWHC 3330 (Admin) (summary on CrimeLine)
“turned on whether the blade was immediately foldable at all times simply by applying pressure to it”
GOV.UK: Selling, buying and carrying knives and weapons
GOV.UK: Crime and Policing Act 2026 knife crime factsheet
GOV.UK: Import controls on offensive weapons

What we could not confirm

No reported case on ring locks (Opinel Virobloc), friction/detent locks, or folders whose lock was deliberately disabled in England & Wales.
No reported case found on multitools; Brooker v DPP [2005] EWHC 1132 (Admin) concerned a butter-knife blade, not a multitool.
Whether a spring-assisted knife counts as a 'flick knife' is untested in sources read.
We could not read the full text of Deegan or Harris; relied on CPS, Home Office FAQ, and CrimeLine summaries.
Treatment of scissors and keyring blades.
Checked 2026-10-27: the earlier-commencement table in SI 2026/1090 (Commencement No. 4, made 15 Oct 2026) lists no commencement for ss28-43 in Nos 1 to 3; the blade provisions are still not in force. Re-check legislation.gov.uk before publishing, because No. 5 could start them with little notice.

Keep going

General information, not legal advice. Know something we got wrong? Tell us and include a source.