| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act to make provision for regulating the distribution of video recordings and for connected purposes. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 1984 c. 39 |
| Introduced by | Graham Bright MP |
| Territorial extent | England and Wales Scotland Northern Ireland |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 12 July 1984 |
| Commencement | 1 September 1988 |
| Repealed | 21 January 2010 (but immediately brought back) |
| Other legislation | |
| Amended by | |
| Repealed by | Video Recordings Act 2010 (repealed and immediately brought back the 1984 Act) |
Status: Current legislation | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Revised text of statute as amended | |
The Video Recordings Act 1984 (c. 39) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that was passed in 1984. It states that commercial video recordings offered for sale or for hire within the UK must carry a classification that has been agreed upon by an authority designated by the Home Office. The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), which had been instrumental in the certification of motion pictures since 1912, was designated as the classifying authority in 1985. Works are classified by the BBFC under an age-rated system (see motion picture rating systems); it is an offence under the Act to supply video works to individuals who are (or appear to be) under the age of the classification designated. Works that are refused classification cannot, under the Act, be legally sold or supplied to anyone of any age unless it is educational, or to do with a sport, religion or music and does not depict violence, sex or incite a criminal offence. The BBFC may also require cuts to be made, either to receive a certain age rating, or to be allowed a classification at all.