Shipping Balisong to CA

T

Terizent

Joined
May 18, 2014
Messages
5
Hi everyone,

I would like to purchase a very specific balisong that's only available on the secondhand market, so I would very likely have to have it mailed to me over state lines. I live in CA, and I know that it is legal to own balisongs, but have read that it is illegal to transport them over state lines. I'm not sure what the second line means, does it mean it's illegal for a seller who is not in CA to ship them into CA? If so does this mean I will be unable to buy them from a seller who ships from another state?

Thanks.
 
You can own any size balisong at home and only carry one's 2.5 inches or less. It is illegal per the federal government to ship balisongs across state line though so we're kinda in a box here in California lol. Im sure you could get it but you'd run the risk of getting it confiscated and possibly fines or something.
 
I'm willing to take the risk of it being confiscated, but would out of state sellers be willing to even sell to me?

What are the legal consequences to the buyer in CA and the seller out of state if the knife was found and confiscated?
 
I live in California, and according to my attorney, whom I inquired with before I started ordering switchblades, Federal law applies to the person who is shipping the knife, not the person who receives the knife. In other words, the person receiving the knife would not face prosecution, fines, or any other penalty.

Under California state law, balisong/butterfly knives with blades 2" or longer are defined as "switchblades". Under California state law, it is not illegal in this state to order, receive, or purchase switchblades/balisong knives.

I have ordered and received several switchblades here in California (so many I would have to take a moment to count them all), and I plan on ordering more. Some of the knives I ordered from a major knife retailer. And I do so with no worries whatsoever.

And here are the relevant statutes from the California penal code, linked directly from California's official government website-

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/f...Num=17235.&highlight=true&keyword=switchblade

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/f...Num=21510.&highlight=true&keyword=switchblade

Unless the Fed's are specifically monitoring the phones and email of the seller, the only way the knife could be discovered and confiscated would be if the package were sent via the Postal Service, and if the package broke open in transit and the knife were discovered.

Or, if the knife were sent UPS or Fedex, the package broke open, and the employee who discovered that it was in fact a switchblade/balisong handed it over to their superiors, and they turned it in to the Fed's.
 
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It was also my understanding that the federal law does not apply to balisongs (only switchblades) or at the very least that it has been interpreted as not applying, to the point it has no effect. In my state of MD, balisongs are legal for sale and concealed carry, so they are regularly available in knife stores even if they were clearly made out of state or imported from foreign countries.
 
In California, we can legally own switchblades and butterfly knifes of any size.
You can also order them as I have and they are sent to me no problem. I have 2 OTF's and 2 side openers I've ordered no problem.
Just avoid sites that say military and LE only and all that crap.
Keep it in your house and wear/use it in your house..private property :thumbup:
 
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