How to use these sentencing guidelines

To find an offence-specific guideline, you can do any of the following:

  • enter the name of the offence in the box below,
  • use the offence-type drop-down list to select a related group of offences such as sexual offences or public order offences,
  • search for keywords, eg bribery, knives, sex,
  • enter the name of the relevant Act and/or section, eg Explosive Substances Act 1883, Public Order Act, section 5, or
  • scroll down the A to Z list of offences (guidelines not yet in effect are listed in purple).

To find an overarching guideline:

  • on this page, click on the heading Overarching Guidelines,
  • on any page, click the icon in the left-hand menu.

Right click to open a guideline in a new tab.

To print or create a temporary pdf of any guideline:

  • with the page open, click on , then select your printer or "Adobe PDF" to create a pdf. To include hidden content, open drop-down box before printing. Do not retain these copies. Only the online version of a guideline is guaranteed to be up to date.

  • Cultivation of cannabis plant

    Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, s.6(2)
    marijuana,s.6(2),s6(2),section 6(2),
  • Fraudulent evasion of a prohibition by bringing into or taking out of the UK a controlled drug

    Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, s.3; Customs and Excise Management Act 1979, s.170(2)
    CE79186,CE79187,CE79188,s.170(2),s.3,s170(2),s3,section 170(2),section 3,
  • Importing or exporting a psychoactive substance

    Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, s.8
    PS16005,PS16006,s.8,s8,section 8,
  • Permitting premises to be used

    Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, s.8
    MD71042,MD71045,MD71343,MD71344,MD71345,MD71346,MD71347,MD71348,MD71349,MD71350,MD71352,MD71356,MD71357,MD71358,MD71359,MD71360,MD71361,MD71362,MD71363,MD71365,MD71470,MD71471,MD71472,MD71473,MD71474,MD71475,MD71509,MD71511,MD71518,MD71535,MD71537,MD71538,MD71539,MD71540,MD71541,MD71559,MD71561,MD71563,MD71565,MD71567,MD71569,MD71579,MD71580,MD71587,MD71598,MD71605,MD71606,s.8,s8,section 8,
  • Possession of a controlled drug

    Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, s.5(2)
    class a,MD71022,MD71211,MD71212,MD71213,MD71214,MD71215,MD71219,MD71220,MD71225,MD71396,MD71507,MD71530,MD71574,MD71596,MD71599,posession,possession,s.52,s52,section 52,
  • Possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply it to another

    Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, s.5(3)
    class a,controlled drug,posession,possession,s.53,s53,section 53,
  • Possession of psychoactive substance with intent to supply

    Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, s.7(1)
    .7(1),s71,section 71,
  • Producing a psychoactive substance

    Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, s.4
    PS16001,s.4,s4,section 4,
  • Production of a controlled drug/ Cultivation of cannabis plant

    Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, s.4(2)(a) or (b), Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, s.6(2)
    MD71090,MD71091,MD71092,MD71093,MD71094,MD71095,MD71099,MD71100,MD71105,MD71110,MD71111,MD71112,MD71113,MD71114,MD71115,MD71119,MD71120,MD71125,MD71430,MD71431,MD71432,MD71433,MD71434,MD71435,MD71440,MD71510,MD71512,MD71520,MD71522,MD71529,MD71531,MD71558,MD71562,MD71564,MD71566,MD71583,MD71584,MD71591,MD71592,MD71607,MD71608,s.4(2)(b),s.42A,s.6(2),s4(2)(b),s42A,s6(2),section 4(2)(b),section 42A,section 6(2),
  • Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug/ Possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply it to another

    Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 s.4(3), Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, s.5(3)
    MD71130,MD71131,MD71132,MD71133,MD71134,MD71135,MD71139,MD71140,MD71145,MD71150,MD71151,MD71152,MD71153,MD71154,MD71155,MD71159,MD71160,MD71165,MD71170,MD71171,MD71172,MD71173,MD71174,MD71175,MD71179,MD71180,MD71185,MD71190,MD71191,MD71192,MD71193,MD71194,MD71195,MD71199,MD71200,MD71205,MD71230,MD71231,MD71232,MD71233,MD71234,MD71235,MD71239,MD71240,MD71245,MD71441,MD71442,MD71445,MD71446,MD71447,MD71448,MD71449,MD71450,MD71451,MD71452,MD71453,MD71454,MD71455,MD71456,MD71492,MD71503,MD71504,MD71508,MD71517,MD71519,MD71523,MD71524,MD71525,MD71526,MD71528,MD71532,MD71533,MD71534,MD71544,MD71545,MD71547,MD71548,MD71550,MD71551,MD71553,MD71554,MD71556,MD71557,MD71571,MD71572,MD71575,MD71576,MD71577,MD71578,MD71585,MD71586,MD71588,MD71589,MD71590,MD71593,MD71594,MD71595,MD71597,MD71600,MD71601,MD71602,MD71603,MD71604,PWITS,s.4(3),s.53,s4(3),s53,section 4(3),section 53,
  • Supplying or offering to supply a psychoactive substance/ Possession of psychoactive substance with intent to supply

    Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, s.5(1) or 5(2), Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, s.7(1)
    PS16002,PS16003,PS16004,s.51,s.52,s.71,s51,s52,s71,section 51,section 52,section 71,