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Guidance

Supplying explosives precursors and poisons

What businesses and professionals need to do when using and supplying certain chemicals.

Updates to this page

From:
Home Office
Published:
5 August 2014
Last updated:
3 July 2026
Show all updates

  1. Volunteers are no longer required.

  2. The guidance has been updated to reflect the change of requirements for all poisons act substances.

  3. A list of poison exemptions has been added.

  4. The guidance has been updated.

  5. Added details for people who want to get involved with research to understand how the Control of Explosives Precursors and Poisons Regulations (CEPPR 2023) changes are working in practice for businesses involved in the manufacture, supply or retail of regulated chemicals.

  6. Clarified the step-by-step processes for supplying different substances to different customers, and reporting suspicious activity. Added a section on training employees.

  7. Added a link to join the 'report suspicious chemical activity' research panel.

  8. Added magnesium sulfide: CAS RN 12032-36-9 and sodium sulfide: CAS RN 1313-82-2 to the chemical list.

  9. Explosives precursors and poisons guidance has been updated.

  10. Updated to reflect changes made by the Controls of Explosives Precursors and Poisons Regulations 2023, which come into force on 1 October 2023.

  11. Updated to clarify the photographic identification requirement for sales of regulated explosive precursors to professional users.

  12. Updated to reflect changes made by the Controls of Explosives Precursors and Poisons Regulations 2023, which come into force on 1 October 2023.

  13. Updated the information and links.

  14. Change of page title and summary, various changes to html guidance.

  15. Added a note that under the Offensive Weapons Act 2019, sales of corrosives are also restricted to those under 18.

  16. Added a link to the new Report suspicious chemical activity service.

  17. Updated list of explosive precursors.

  18. Guidance to help you check a licence added.

  19. Guidance updated in line with changes to the law that take effect from 26 May 2015.

  20. First published.

Documents

Supplying explosives precursors and poisons

HTML

List of chemicals

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List of exemptions

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Details

This guide tells you what steps you must follow when selling, supplying or using:

  • explosives precursors (chemicals that can be used to make explosives)
  • poisons

These are detailed in the list of chemicals.

This guide should be used by:

  • businesses
  • employees
  • professional users of chemicals - for example, cleaners

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