Age Restricted Deliveries
Some of the products we sell are age restricted and cannot be sold or delivered to anyone under 18. This includes knives, axes, multi-tools with locking or fixed blades, machetes and similar bladed items. These orders are handled differently to the rest of our range, and photo ID will be required when your parcel is delivered.
Please read this page before ordering so you know what to expect. Following these steps is what allows us to keep offering bladed products to home addresses.
Which Products Are Affected
UK law restricts the sale of bladed articles to over 18s only. In practical terms this covers:
- Fixed Blade Knives - bushcraft, survival, hunting and utility knives
- Locking Folding Knives - any folder with a locking mechanism, regardless of blade length
- Non-Locking Folders Over 3 Inches - slipjoints and friction folders with a cutting edge over 3 inches (7.62cm)
- Axes And Hatchets - including camp axes, hand axes and tomahawks
- Machetes And Parangs - including golok and bolo patterns
- Saws And Multi-Tools With Blades - where a knife blade or sharp point is included
- Razor Blades - including cut throat razors
Non-locking folding pocket knives with a cutting edge of 3 inches (7.62cm) or less are not age restricted in law, but we apply an 18+ policy to all knives as a matter of company policy. Items such as scissors, screwdrivers, tent pegs, pruning saws and peelers are not age restricted.
Age restricted products are clearly marked on their product pages. If you are unsure whether an item is affected, contact us before ordering.
Buying Age Restricted Products
- You Must Be 18 Or Over - by placing the order you confirm you are 18 or over
- Age Check At Checkout - you may be asked to confirm your date of birth or complete an age verification step before your order is accepted
- Order In Your Own Name - the parcel can only be handed to the person who placed the order, so please order in the name of the person who will receive it
- Refused Orders - if we cannot satisfy ourselves that you are 18 or over, we will cancel and refund the order in full
It is a criminal offence to buy an age restricted bladed product on behalf of someone under 18. We report suspected attempts to buy on behalf of a minor.
Photo ID Is Required On Delivery
Every parcel containing an age restricted bladed product is dispatched using an age verified courier service with Royal Mail or DPD. The courier will ask to see photographic ID at the door before handing the parcel over.
We accept the following at the point of delivery:
| UK Passport | In date, photo page shown to the courier |
|---|---|
| Overseas Passport | In date, photo page shown to the courier |
| UK Photocard Driving Licence | Full or provisional, in date |
| PASS Card | Proof of Age Standards Scheme card carrying the PASS hologram |
| HM Forces ID Card | Accepted where the date of birth confirms the holder is 18 or over |
The name on the ID must match the name on the order, and the photograph must clearly be the person receiving the parcel. Photocopies, photographs of ID on a phone and expired documents cannot be accepted.
What The Courier Cannot Do
These restrictions are set by law and couriers have no discretion to work around them. For age restricted parcels the courier cannot:
- Leave In A Safe Place - no porches, sheds, bins or behind gates, even if you have a standing instruction on file
- Leave With A Neighbour - the parcel can only go to the person who bought it
- Deliver To A Locker - parcel lockers cannot be used for age restricted items under any circumstances
- Hand Over Without ID - if no valid ID is produced, the parcel goes back to the depot
- Hand Over To Anyone Under 18 - including another adult member of the household who did not place the order
If You Miss The Delivery
- Redelivery - the courier will attempt delivery again, or you can arrange a redelivery through the tracking link
- Collection From Depot - you can collect from the delivery office or depot, taking the same photo ID with you
- Returned To Us - if all attempts fail the parcel comes back to us and we will refund the order less the outbound and return carriage
Please make sure someone aged 18 or over, in whose name the order was placed, will be available. Choosing a work or business address is often easier than a home address.
Delivery Restrictions
- UK Mainland And Northern Ireland - delivered as described above with ID required at the door
- BFPO Addresses - age restricted items can be sent to BFPO addresses; please contact us before ordering as additional restrictions may apply at the destination
- International Orders - we do not ship age restricted bladed products outside the UK
- Scotland - the same 18+ rules apply; separate licensing rules govern knife dealers in Scotland
Parcels containing bladed products are clearly labelled to show they must only be handed to a person aged 18 or over. This labelling is a legal requirement and is not something we can remove on request.
Products We Do Not Sell
Certain items are banned outright in the UK and cannot be sold, imported or supplied to anyone of any age. We do not stock them. These include flick knives and gravity knives, butterfly knives, push daggers, disguised knives, knuckledusters, zombie style knives and machetes, ninja swords, telescopic truncheons and shuriken.
Upcoming Changes To The Law
The Crime and Policing Act 2026 will introduce a two step identity check for online knife sales, requiring a photographic ID document plus a current photograph of the buyer at the point of purchase, and a matching ID check at the point of delivery. These provisions have not yet been brought into force. We will update this page and our checkout process before they take effect, so you may see additional verification steps on future orders.
Questions
If you are unsure whether an item is age restricted, or you need to arrange delivery to a business address or depot collection, email sales@taskoutdoor.co.uk before placing your order and we will help.