Knife Laws Vary from State to State

Have you ever wondered how knife laws vary from state to state? Well, we can say that here at Exquisite Knives, we definitely have. It is something that could quite possibly impact your life as you may have to amend your knife-carrying practices slightly from state to state, especially when carrying them in public.

Different Knives Require Different Laws

A few concepts you might wanna familiarize yourself with in terms of knife law are: carry law, ownership law, fixed-blade, folding knife and switchblade (as a knife connoisseur, you are probably familiar with the knife types mentioned).

  • Carry law simply entails what you can have on you outside your home.
  • Ownership law is different from carry law in that it dictates whether you simply can or cannot own a specific type of knife.
  • Fixed-blade knives are knives without folding mechanisms, folding knives are those knives in which the knife folds into the handle and switchblades are knives in which there is a sliding blade contained in the handle that can pop out!
  • Switchblades are of particular legislative importance, there was even a Federal Switchblade Act written in 1958. It defines them as “The term ‘switchblade knife‘ means any knife having a blade which opens automatically – (1) by hand pressure applied to a button or other device in the handle of the knife, or (2) by operation of inertia, gravity, or both.”

So enough with what the different knives are. If you are on exquisiteknives.com, you probably know that already! So, where are places you can absolutely never carry a knife? Well, you can’t carry a knife in schools, courts, planes, federal buildings and other government buildings in state and local principalities. If you want a knife that you can take more places than not, it is advisable to purchase a utility knife like a Swiss Army knife, and one that is 2.5 inches or less (regarding the blade measurement).

So now down to the nitty-gritty. How do knife laws vary from state to state? Well, we’ll keep it brief in this blog post and only mention the states with more surprising knife laws. If you want the rundown on knife laws for every state, we suggest a quick google search.

Knife Laws By State

If you find yourself in Alaska, gravity knives and switchblades are generally illegal. If you find yourself in Arizona, you can carry any damn knife you please- same for Arkansas. If you’re in California, no dirks, stilettos, daggers or ballistic knives. If you’re in Florida, trying to conceal a knife, it better be four inches or less. In Georgia, you need a permit for a concealed knife over 5 inches. In Illinois, no switchblades, ballistic knives or throwing knives! In Kentucky, there aren’t any knife laws, in Louisiana you can’t have a switchblade. You can’t conceal stilettos in Michigan. In Nevada, you can’t have a belt buckle knife. In New York, you can’t own a knife unless you’re a U.S. citizen. In Pennsylvania, you can’t own a dagger, sword cane or automatic knife. In Virginia, you can’t conceal anything “scary looking,” and the same goes for West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Visit Our Knife Shop

If you took the time to learn about knife laws, you’re probably pretty damn interested in knives, so while you’re here check out all the beautiful, custom knives Exquisite Knives has to offer.

March 3, 2018