Is it illegal to have a sword in your house?

Owning most swords in your home is legal in England and Wales for adults. However, certain curved swords with blades over 50 cm are banned under the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons) Order 2008. The key distinction is between prohibited weapons (banned regardless of purpose) and non-prohibited bladed weapons (legal to own at home, but restricted when carried in public).

The law

Criminal Justice Act 1988, Section 141. Possession, sale, or importation of prohibited weapons. Applies to curved swords over 50 cm (with exemptions). Maximum 4 years.
Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons) Order 2008, Full Order. Designates curved swords with blades over 50 cm as prohibited weapons under s.141 CJA 1988. Hand-forged, antique, and legitimate-purpose exemptions apply.
Criminal Justice Act 1988, Section 139. Offence to have any bladed or pointed article in a public place without good reason or lawful authority. Maximum 4 years.

The penalty

Offence: Possession of prohibited weapon (s.141 CJA 1988)
Maximum: 4 years' imprisonment
Typical range: Fine to 12 months custody for straightforward possession. Longer sentences where aggravating factors (threats, prior convictions) are present.

What to do

Check whether the sword you own or intend to buy is a curved blade over 50 cm: if so, verify it qualifies for a statutory exemption.
Maintain documentation of any legitimate purpose: club membership, re-enactment participation, collection provenance.
Store swords securely at home and never carry them in public without a clear, demonstrable lawful purpose.
Do not acquire or carry any sword for self-defence: this is not a lawful purpose and can worsen any sentence.
If in doubt about a specific weapon's legal status, seek legal advice before purchase.

In detail

Sword ownership in England and Wales is legal for most types of sword in the home, but specific categories are prohibited outright and all swords face restrictions in public.

Prohibited swords: the 2008 Order

The Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons) Order 2008 (as amended) added curved swords with blades over 50 cm to the list of weapons whose possession, purchase, sale, hire, lending, and importation is a criminal offence under s.141 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988. This category was introduced primarily to address "samurai-style" swords following high-profile violent incidents.

Possession of a curved sword with a blade over 50 cm is an offence under s.141 CJA 1988 regardless of purpose and regardless of whether it is kept at home. The maximum sentence is six months' imprisonment and/or a fine on summary conviction, or four years' imprisonment on indictment.

Exemptions from the 2008 prohibition

The prohibition has statutory exemptions. A curved sword of more than 50 cm is not prohibited if it was hand-forged, is a genuine antique (made before 1954), or is used for a legitimate purpose. Legitimate purposes include: martial arts activities (such as Iaido, Kendo, or historical European martial arts), re-enactment activities, and historical or cultural study.

The exemption is not simply declaratory: the person must actually have the sword for one of these purposes, and evidence of this (club membership, participation records, or verifiable collection provenance) should be maintained.

Commercially produced decorative swords made on a factory production line are not covered by the hand-forged exemption even if they look traditional in style. This caught many buyers by surprise when the 2008 Order was introduced.

Non-prohibited swords at home

Straight swords (such as rapiers, European longswords, or military sabres), older antique swords, and hand-forged traditional blades within the exemptions can be legally owned at home. There is no registration requirement and no licence. Provided the sword is not prohibited and remains within the home, ownership is lawful.

Carrying a sword in public

Carrying any sword in a public place is heavily restricted regardless of whether the type is prohibited at home. Section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 makes it an offence to have an article with a blade or point in a public place without good reason or lawful authority. There is no minimum blade length in s.139: a sword of any length is covered.

A "good reason" is narrow and fact-specific: transporting a sword to a martial arts or re-enactment event in a case, with evidence of the purpose, may qualify. General transport or carrying for self-defence does not.

Self-defence: an important point

Acquiring, keeping, or carrying any weapon specifically for self-defence is not a "good reason" for the purposes of bladed article legislation. The courts have consistently held that self-defence is not a statutory exception, and evidence that a sword or knife was intended for self-defence can itself be an aggravating feature in sentencing.

Practical advice

Permitted swords should be stored securely at home, away from access by children. When transporting to a legitimate event, use a case, carry documentation of the purpose, and do not stop en route except where necessary. If purchasing a sword, verify whether it falls within the 2008 Order prohibition before completing the purchase.