Knife retail rules: What SA businesses need to do by 1 July 2026

South Australian Business News

Cathi Buttfield

Thursday, October 9th 2025

South Australia’s third and final tranche of knife-crime reforms will introduce new storage, signage and online sales rules for knife retailers.

Affected businesses include supermarkets, convenience stores, hardware and outdoor retailers, hospitality and restaurant suppliers, market stalls and pop-ups, plus online sellers delivering into SA.

What changes on 1 July 2026

Mandatory “no sales to under-18s” notices: If you sell knives from retail premises you must display a prohibition notice.
Secure storage in publicly accessible areas:“Prescribed” knives must be locked in a cabinet/container or securely tethered so the public can’t access them without staff help. Exemptions cover low-risk items (e.g. butter/table knives, disposable food knives, and razor blades permanently enclosed in cartridges).
Extra obligations for online/direct sales: If you sell knives online for delivery or pickup in SA, you must publish the prescribed information on your website or give that information to the customer.

Fishing & tackle stores — potential exemption flagged

Recognising the financial impact of the current algal bloom, the State Government has indicated it will amend the regulations before 1 July 2026 to exempt fishing and tackle stores from the secure-storage requirement.

As details are still to follow, the Chamber will continue to monitor this through the Algal Bloom Reference Group. We suggest that those retailers should still plan for signage and other obligations.

What you can do now to prepare

Audit your range: identify which knives will be “prescribed” and need locking/tethering.
Order signage that meets the regulation’s format/wording requirements.
Plan fixtures (locked cabinets/tethers) and allow for lead times and centre-management approvals.
Update your website/checkout to show or provide the prescribed information for SA deliveries/pickups.
Train staff on ID checks and compliant handling of customer inspections.

For official guidance and updates, visit https://www.agd.sa.gov.au/law-and-justice/legislation/knife-crime-laws

Need support?

To discuss how these changes might affect your business, contact the SA Business Chamber Policy Team.