Halloween falls on Saturday 31 October this year. That means trick-or-treaters on the doorstep, busy bars and house parties, and plenty of people heading home late. The clocks also go back the weekend before, on Sunday 25 October, so it’ll be getting dark an hour earlier.

Most of Halloween is harmless fun, and it should stay that way. This guide covers the few things worth sorting before the night, whether you’re taking the kids round the street, heading out with friends or staying in with the lights off. For safety advice that applies all year round, see our UK Safety Guide.

Key Takeaways

• There’s no official trick-or-treating time or age limit in the UK. Agree a route and a home time, and send younger children with an adult.
• Sort your journey home before you go out, and only use licensed taxis or minicabs you’ve booked.
• Leave realistic weapon props at home. Other people can’t tell they’re fake.
• If someone threatens you with a knife, get away first and call 999 as soon as it’s safe.
• Fire services warn that Halloween costumes aren’t subject to the same fire safety checks as everyday clothes, so swap pumpkin candles for LED lights.

Trick-or-Treating Safely

What Time Does Trick-or-Treating Start and Finish in the UK?

There’s no official time. It’s a tradition, not a rule, so it’s up to you and your street.

What matters more is that someone at home knows the plan. Staffordshire Police advise that a parent or carer knows where children are going and when to expect them back. So agree a route and a home time before anyone leaves. The same force asks trick-or-treaters not to frighten elderly or vulnerable people, which is worth keeping in mind as the evening gets later.

How Old Is Too Old for Trick-or-Treating?

There’s no age limit. The more useful question is who’s going with them.

Police advice is for children to go trick-or-treating with an adult. If your teenagers are heading out without one, Kent Police suggest they stay in a group, never go into a stranger’s home and steer clear of alcohol. Eggs and flour stay at home too. Staffordshire Police treat throwing them as anti-social behaviour.

Which Doors to Knock On

• A ‘no trick or treat’ sign means move on. Don’t knock, even once.
• No decorations or pumpkin outside? Kent Police say that household probably isn’t taking part, so it’s best to skip it.
• Younger children are best sticking to homes of people they know.

Be Seen in the Dark

With the clocks gone back, much of trick-or-treating happens in the dark. Staffordshire Police recommend a bright costume or a reflective strip, and extra care crossing roads. Stick to streets with streetlights and skip shortcuts through gardens, alleyways or parks. If the costume has a mask, check your child can actually see through it.

Halloween Night Out Safety

A Saturday Halloween means a big night out for a lot of people. Here’s how to enjoy it and still get home in one piece.

Sort Your Way Home Before You Head Out

It’s the easiest step to skip, and the one that matters most at 2 am.

• Check the last train or bus home, and have a backup if you miss it. Make sure you’ve got enough money for that backup too.
• If you’re getting a taxi, book a licensed one. Use a licensed taxi, or a minicab you’ve booked through a licensed operator. In London, TfL is clear that an unbooked minicab is illegal and unsafe, so never accept a ride from a driver who approaches you.
• Charge your phone and tell someone your plans. Let someone you trust know where you’re going and roughly when you’ll be back.
• Agree a meeting point with your friends in case you get split up. While you’re at it, check the venue’s entry rules and closing time so nobody gets caught out.

Leave the Realistic Props at Home

You know your prop knife is plastic. The people around you have no way of knowing that.

A prop being sold for Halloween doesn’t mean a venue will let you bring it in, so check the rules before you go. Better still, pick a costume that works without it.

If you see someone threatening people with an object, take it seriously. Move away, tell venue staff or a security officer, and call 999 if someone’s in immediate danger. Never go closer to check whether it’s real.

What to Do If You Think You’ve Been Spiked

Spiking is a crime, and it’s never your fault. The Home Office is clear that you shouldn’t have to change your behaviour to avoid it. For more detail, read our guide on how to tell if your drink has been spiked.

Signs in yourself or a friend include confusion, nausea or vomiting, hallucinations, poor coordination or vision, trouble speaking clearly and memory loss.

• Get medical help first. Call 999 or 111, and ask your friends or venue staff to help you.
• Report it as soon as you can, on 999 or 101. Some drugs leave the body in less than 12 hours, so the sooner the police can test you, the better. Their test is the most reliable way to find out, so don’t rely on home testing kits.
• Don’t let drugs in your system stop you reporting. The Home Office says it isn’t a crime to have them in your system, unless you’re driving.
• If it’s your friend, stay with them, get them medical help and report it for them if they can’t. Once they’re well enough, get them home.

Walk Away When Things Get Heated

You don’t have to wait for a punch to leave. Threats, pushing, or someone repeatedly getting in your space are all reasons to move away and get help.

Give yourself a way out. Don’t argue back, step between people or hang around to film. Head towards staff or a security officer and tell them what’s happening.

If it’s your friend who’s wound up, give them an easy exit: “Come on, let’s get some space.” Don’t debate who started it. If they won’t leave, get staff to help rather than trying to pull them out yourself.

One Halloween-specific point: half the room will look terrifying. Watch what people do, not what they’re wearing.

If Someone Threatens You With a Knife

Getting away comes first. The Met Police advice is to look for a way to leave, put distance between you and the other person, tell security staff straight away if you’re in a venue, and call 999 if you can. If you can’t call during the incident, call as soon as you can.

As the Met Police says, your belongings can be replaced but you can’t, so if someone wants your phone or bag, let it go. Here’s what you should do instead:

• Ask for the police.
• Give your location and explain there’s been a knife threat.
• Mention any injuries you already know about.
• Answer the call handler’s questions and share all relevant details.

If speaking would put you in danger, call 999 from a mobile and press 55 when the recorded message prompts you. This is the police’s Silent Solution. Pressing 55 doesn’t share your location automatically, so give it as soon as you can.

For the bigger picture, read our guide to knife crime in the UK.

Lost Your Friends? Here’s What to Do

Your night isn’t over when you leave the party.

• Find someone who can help. Go to staff at the venue, or another place that’s open and staffed. Explain that you need help contacting someone or getting transport home.
• Ask for Angela. In venues that take part in the scheme, asking staff for “Angela” tells them you need help without causing a scene. They can reunite you with a friend, help you get a taxi or call security or the police. Not every venue takes part, so look out for the posters.
• Use the plan you agreed. Head to your meeting point if it’s safe to get there. Before anyone leaves on their own, check they’ve got a way home and agree to text when you’re back.
• If you think someone’s following you, head for a busy, well-lit place with people working there. Avoid quiet shortcuts and don’t confront them. Call 999 if you’re in immediate danger, as soon as you can safely do so. Our guide to walking safely has more on this.

Costume and Decoration Fire Safety

This one catches people out. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service point out that Halloween costumes aren’t subject to the same fire safety checks as everyday clothing, and some are made from highly flammable materials.

• Check the label before you buy, and buy from a retailer you trust. Making your own? Avon Fire and Rescue Service advise against flammable materials like bin liners.
• Swap candles for LED lights in pumpkins. They don’t blow out, and they’re far safer around costumes.
• Keep costumes and decorations away from any naked flame, and never leave children alone with lit candles.
• Hosting a party? Keep decorations clear of exits and walkways.

If clothing does catch fire, remember: stop, drop and roll until the flames are out.

Staying In? How to Have a Quiet Halloween

Not everyone wants knocks at the door all evening, and that’s completely fine.

• Put up a ‘no trick or treat’ poster. Many police forces have one you can download and print from their website.
• You don’t have to open the door. If you’re not taking part, or you’re not sure who’s there, leave it closed.
• Look out for your neighbours. Avon and Somerset Police note that Halloween can be stressful for people who are elderly, vulnerable or live alone. A quick hello, or an offer to check in on the night, goes a long way.
• Throwing a party yourself? Let your neighbours know, so they’re not alarmed.

If you see anti-social behaviour, report it on 101 or online. If a crime is happening right now or someone is in danger, call 999.

Have a Great Halloween, and Get Home Safe

Whether you’re taking the kids round the street, heading out with friends or keeping the lights off, a little planning covers most of it: agree a route and a home time, know how you’re getting home, keep an eye on your mates and walk away from trouble early. Then go and enjoy the night.

If you’d like to feel more confident helping when something goes wrong, our free first aid lessons are a good start. They cover CPR, the recovery position and burns and scalds, among other topics, across 15 modules (about 110 minutes in total). No registration is needed. They’re an introduction rather than a qualification.

Happy Halloween!