As from 6th June 2022 it is against the law to deal or sell Ivory of any age (with 5 exemptions) within the UK.
You cannot deal in items containing or made of Ivory, unless they are registered as exempt or certified as exempt, under the Ivory Act 2018. See www.gov.uk for more details.
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Ivory Act 2018
The Ivory act covers ivory items of all ages, not just those produced after a certain date. By covering ivory items of all ages and adopting narrow exemptions, the UK’s ban will be one of the toughest in the world. The maximum penalty for breaching the ban will be an unlimited fine or up to five years in jail.
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The exemptions include:
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Items made before 1947 which comprise of less than ten per cent ivory by volume. The ivory must be integral to the item as a whole, i.e. removing it would be difficult or damage the item.
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Musical instruments with less than 20 per cent ivory content which were made prior to 1975. This is when Asian elephants were added to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
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Portrait miniatures painted on thin slivers of ivory made before 1918 with a surface area of no more than 320cm2.
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Rarest and most important items of artistic, cultural or historic significance made prior to 1918. 'Such items will be subject to the advice of specialists at institutions such as the UK’s most prestigious museums'.
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Commercial activities to, and between, museums which are accredited by the Arts Council England, Welsh Government, Museums and Galleries Scotland or the Northern Ireland Museums Council. Museums outside the UK must be accredited by the International Council of Museums .
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