New knife sale regulations: how AgeChecked is supporting retailers

Last month, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced tougher checks on the sale of knives online in the UK.

It’s common for initial announcements of this nature to leave questions open—and naturally, businesses are looking for clarity on how these changes will affect them. At AgeChecked, we’re already receiving numerous enquiries from businesses about these new measures. However, there is still a great deal of detail that is missing. Right now, our focus is primarily on how the regulatory process will unfold and what the final requirements will look like. As these regulations begin to take shape, it is clear that retailers will need robust verification processes that go beyond simple age checks, incorporating comprehensive identity verification solutions for online knife purchases. According to the government’s proposals, online knife purchases will soon require two different types of identification from the buyer. There is discussion that the buyer may also be required to confirm their identity via a live video verification process.

At AgeChecked, we are always supportive of effective online safety measures when they can be seamlessly implemented into industry practices. We hope to see a collaborative approach from lawmakers, ensuring their requirements align with industry realities. We have a concern that overly prescriptive, method-based regulations may inadvertently stifle innovation and hinder the adoption of existing solutions that could otherwise be rapidly deployed. Instead, we advocate for an outcomes-based approach, which specifies desired results while allowing flexibility in how these outcomes are achieved. This will encourage innovation, allow for more integrated and efficient solutions, prevent conflicts with existing technology, and maintain high standards.

We are hoping for a process that prioritises consultation with industry stakeholders. This collaborative approach can help avoid the pitfalls of overly prescriptive laws that may unintentionally impede progress or create implementation challenges for retailers.

We fully back efforts to stop knife crime, and we firmly believe that an outcomes-based approach, coupled with thorough industry consultation, will yield the most effective regulations. This strategy will not only meet the desired objectives but also support continued innovation and growth within our sector.

AgeChecked CEO, Alastair Graham commented: “Regulations around age-restricted products are always changing, and it’s our job to make compliance as smooth as possible for retailers and their customers. We’re confident we can help businesses introduce these checks in a way that won’t disrupt their daily operations. This is about complying with the new regulations while continuing to serve customers responsibly, something we’ve been helping our partners with for many years now.”

How AgeChecked is helping retailers stay ahead

If you’re a business in an age-restricted sector, you’ll be no stranger to regulatory change. Over the years, we’ve worked with countless partners across online gaming, pharmaceuticals, ecommerce and other regulated industries. Our focus is always the same: guaranteeing compliance without negatively impacting the customer experience. With the upcoming knife sale regulations, it’s the same story. AgeChecked already offers comprehensive, ready-to-deploy verification solutions that will allow retailers to:

• Verify customer identities seamlessly: Ensuring compliance with the new dual-ID and live video verification requirements.

• Minimise friction at checkout: Balancing security with the purchasing experience.

• Adapt quickly to regulatory updates: Future-proofing businesses as laws and requirements continue to evolve.

For businesses, staying compliant doesn’t need to mean losing sales or putting off customers with unnecessary friction. It’s why we focus on delivering the very best solutions to integrate smoothly into your existing systems. Our multi-industry expertise in age verification is built upon deep partnerships with businesses that need to stay compliant, maintain trust, and continue to operate confidently, regardless of what regulatory changes may be on the horizon.

So, if you’re a retailer likely to be impacted by these upcoming regulations, now is the time to start preparing. Get in touch with us to learn more about how AgeChecked can support your business. Contact us today!