National Handcuff Day Date in the current year: February 20, 2026

Handcuffs are restraints that secure a person’s wrists close together, preventing them from moving more than a few inches apart. They consist of two parts linked together by a chain, hinge, or rigid bar. Handcuffs are designed so that they can only be removed with a key, specialist knowledge, or outside assistance. Law enforcement agencies around the world use them to prevent suspects from escaping custody.

The history of handcuffs can be traced back centuries to the simple prisoner restraints used in the ancient world, such as ropes, leather cords, wooden stocks, and primitive iron shackles. These early restraints were typically placed around the neck or ankles rather than the wrists. In the Middle Ages, iron wrist manacles were occasionally used for prisoners awaiting trial, debtors, and those sentenced to public punishment. They were bulky, heavy, and uncomfortable, and they were made locally by blacksmiths, so there was no single design.

Wrist manacles became more common during the early modern period as law enforcement and legal systems developed. However, law officers still preferred to use rope because it was cheaper, lighter, and more flexible than iron manacles. The Industrial Revolution made the creation of modern handcuffs possible with its efficient and stable manufacturing processes, which allowed for more precise iron restraints.

By the early 19th century, some police forces in Europe and North America started using dedicated wrist restraints instead of rope or chains. However, these early handcuffs were still one-size-fits-all devices. This changed in 1862 when W.V. Adams invented and patented a ratchet mechanism for adjustable handcuffs that could tighten incrementally around the wrist.

In 1912, George A. Carney further improved the ratchet mechanism by inventing and patenting a “swinging bow ratchet-type” adjustable handcuff. Carney’s design enabled officers to quickly and easily tighten the handcuffs around a wrist without first positioning a key or mechanism. This made the handcuffs lighter and much easier for officers to apply, especially with one hand.

Carney’s patent was later acquired by James Milton Gill, who founded the Peerless Handcuff Company to produce and popularize the new design. The design became the industry standard for modern handcuffs and has changed only slightly since then.

National Handcuff Day was created by Handcuff Warehouse and the Peerless Handcuff Company. February 20, the date Carney received a patent for his handcuff design, was chosen as the date of the holiday. You can celebrate by reading about the history of handcuffs and their many types, watching a police movie with arrests and handcuffs, or getting kinky with your partner. Please note that police handcuffs are unsafe for bondage practices and that you will need special handcuffs for that purpose.