Starting Saturday, September 1st, 2024, all retailers in Queensland will be required to implement new age requirements on the sale of knives for both brick-and-mortar and online stores.

This new law, the Summary Offences (Prevention of Knife Crime) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023, was passed in February 2024 to reduce knife-related crime and improve community safety, especially in relation to crimes committed by minors.

The major requirements for retailers include:

• Prohibiting the sale of knives and other controlled items to minors under 18 years
• Requiring age checks for purchases
• Mandating staff instruction on the new requirements
• Requiring in-store signage about age restrictions
• Imposing advertising restrictions
• Mandating secure storage for certain controlled items

These measures are intended to make it more difficult for young people to obtain potentially dangerous items, while also promoting responsible selling practices among retailers. This short FAQ guide is designed to give you a high-level overview of the requirements for your business, including if the law affects you, and how to comply.

What types of knives, gel blasters or other products require age verification?

The Queensland Knife Guide for Sellers defines four categories for types of products affected:

• Controlled: Knives with a single-sided blade such as a kitchen or steak knife, or a box cutter
• Controlled Secured: Knives with double-sided edges, or particularly dangerous items such as axes, swords, or machetes. These items also need to be secured under lock while in storage.
• Restricted: Replica weapons such as gel blasters that could be mistaken for real weapons
• Exempt: Knives with dull or rounded tips such as butter knives, cheese knives, or scissors. These are exempt and do not require age verification or secure storage.

Are online retailers required to verify age?

Yes, online sellers have the same responsibilities as physical stores in preventing sales to minors, and they need to implement effective age verification methods to comply with the law.

Specifically, self-reporting age pop-ups are not sufficient to prove age, and merchants must take reasonable steps to ensure controlled knives are not being sold to minors.

How do we verify age online?

The Queensland Police Service recommends using 3rd party ID verification apps to reasonably check if the ID is valid and the customer is of age for these controlled items.

A basic pop-up asking for date of birth or a checkbox asking if the customer is of age is not sufficient to reasonably prove age.

Customers must present a form of ID for online sales of controlled items.

Below is an example of an ID verification gate you can set up through Real ID on your online store front to verify age before, during or after checkout:

What are the acceptable forms of verification?

Acceptable evidence of age includes:

• Australian photo driver license
• Australian or overseas passport
• Australian proof of age card (formerly 18+ card)
• A digital copy of evidence that displays their name, photo, and date of birth

Display signage for age restriction

Online retailers are also required to display signage on their websites that communicates that controlled items on their store are for 18+ customers only.

These signs must be placed either at the point-of-sale so it's clearly visible when the person is purchasing a controlled item (i.e., your cart and/or checkout pages on your eCommerce store), or where the controlled item is displayed (i.e., the product page on your website).

Instructing your staff

Staff must be instructed and warned that it is illegal to sell a controlled or restricted item to a minor, with staff acknowledging this in writing.

Merchants are responsible for instructing all employees about the prohibition of selling controlled items to minors, the requirement for age verification by ID before fulfillment of the controlled item, and the legal consequences of selling to a minor.

Do not promote for violence or combat

This law prohibits the promotion of knives and other controlled items for violence or combat. Promoting knives or controlled products like gel blasters for household use, trades, or sport is within allowed promotion.

This includes content such as:

• Images or content on the item itself
• Images or words on advertisements
• Images or words on your website (including collections or product pages)
• Images or words on the packaging for the items
• The product names themselves

This includes content that might insinuate crime, violence, or fictional criminal characters.

Secure storage

Products considered Controlled Secured, such as daggers, swords, machetes, spear guns, etc., must be stored securely on premises. This is to prevent theft of these dangerous products that can cause fear, harm, and even death.

Options for securely storing these goods include:

• A locked room
• A locked cage
• A locked counter
• A locked cabinet
• A cord or device designed to allow the customer to view the product, but not remove the product without assistance from store staff

Special note on Gel Blasters

These requirements don't only apply to knives, but also to gel blasters (also known as gel guns, hydro blasters, or gel ball blasters) that shoot plastic or gel pellets and are designed to look like or replicate a firearm.

Even though these items do not present a lethal danger, they can cause real psychological harm if they are mistaken for a real firearm.

These items are considered Controlled Secured products, and must not be sold to minors. They require age restriction signage, must be kept under secure storage, and cannot be promoted with combat or violence suggestions.