What "is" legal in your neck of the woods?

Nimick

Nimick

Joined
Jul 26, 2005
Messages
2,600
Every day there is another person asking about the knife laws in a particular state. Often times they are told to use the search function. The search function often gives confusing results to first time users.

In addition, different municipalities often have laws that differ slightly from state/federal laws.

In an attempt to make things a little easier on some folks. I thought it might be good to make a place where people who Know what is legal in their locality could post it for others who are interested in visiting/moving there.

Edited to add. It would probably be wise not to claim ownership of any type of knive lest you be mistaken about its legality.


To Start.

I know that in Rochester, Monroe county, NY, balisongs are not considered gravity knives because they do not lock automatically upon opening. they are legal at the local and state level.
 
SlimWhitman said:
In addition, different municipalities often have laws that differ slightly from state/federal laws.
Click to expand...
It depends on the definition of neck. In a large metropolitan area, such as where I live, I routinely travel through several municipalities just running errands...all of which have different definitions and laws.

What you describe would be massively useful, but would require an enormous effort to compile.

And require the periodic review of local law enforcement: we've had numerous cases in this forum in which something is potentially or likely illegal, but a helpful LEO from that jurisdiction says he would never confiscate it except in rare circumstances. That changes from day to day, and from LEO to LEO. Doesn't change the wording of the law, but the interpretation is usually more crucial than the exact wording.
 
Ya' know,actually it depends on the LEO and the situation.We have some great Law Enforcement folks in my neck of the woods,PA/Ohio area.New Castle/Youngstown. :thumbup: :cool:
 
Watchful said:
It depends on the definition of neck. In a large metropolitan area, such as where I live, I routinely travel through several municipalities just running errands...all of which have different definitions and laws.

What you describe would be massively useful, but would require an enormous effort to compile.

And require the periodic review of local law enforcement: we've had numerous cases in this forum in which something is potentially or likely illegal, but a helpful LEO from that jurisdiction says he would never confiscate it except in rare circumstances. That changes from day to day, and from LEO to LEO. Doesn't change the wording of the law, but the interpretation is usually more crucial than the exact wording.
Click to expand...

I am talking about laws only. the fact that a particular LEO wouldn't confiscate an illegal knife in certain situation does not make it legal.

The laws in and court decisions on those laws in NY say that balisongs are not illegal.

The laws also say that if you threaten someone with your balisong it becomes a dangerous weapon, which is illegal to carry. But you have to threten someone.

the thread would be for folks who want to visit or move to place XXXX and want to know whether their edc is legal or not and whether it might be confiscate simply for existing. or whether they should sell their CUDA MAXX before they move. etc.
 
OH Canada!!!! The land of any knife as long as it can't be opened by :mechanisim,gravity,or centrifical force.Or a blade that won't scare our Royal Canadian sheep force.
 
savagesicslayer said:
OH Canada!!!! The land of any knife as long as it can't be opened by :mechanisim,gravity,or centrifical force.Or a blade that won't scare our Royal Canadian sheep force.
Click to expand...
- and make sure ya have to open it with two hands?
- and if ya ever say to one of the horseman it's fer self-defense, then it does a magic-show; it goes from bein' a knife to a prohibited weapon! - poof! - just like that!
- and of course yer then no longer a cool livin' bushman, yer a criminal...poof! - just like that!
- no armed self-defense in canada...! - gotta rely on callin' the cops ??? - now that's scary!!
 
The nearest cop of any kind to where I live is at least 35-40 mins away.I hope the guy takes his time killing me.If not it gives me lots of time to dig a hole for the poor bastard.(p.s. I cary fixed blades to avoid all this BS)
 
I live in Arlington, Virginia, commute daily to my job in a federal office in Washington, DC, and frequently go to stores, restaurants, and other establishments in other jurisdictions in Virginia and in Maryland. Each of those jurisdictions has its own laws and regulations regarding what is legal in the way of knives to carry, so I could fill a small book with the laws and all of their various interpretations.

The most important ones to me are that federal law restricts knife carry in a federal office to a pocket knife with a blade of less than 2.5", Washington, DC, restricts knife carry to folders with blades of 3" or less and Arlington, as with most of Northern Virginia, does not have any restrictions. All jurisdictions locally proscribe switchblades and most forms of gravity knives, including balisongs, as I understand it. I've never really looked into the balisong question as they simply do not interest me.
 
Here in Colorado its anything over 3.5 inches. Also, I can't buy knives through mail order. :mad:
 
I am also in the Rochester NY area, currently in Henrietta. I have always encountered mixed opinions as to whether balisongs are legal here. Some believe they are; some do not. Most LEO's say that they aren't.

Also, all the cutlery retailers carry the cheap chinese Jaguar Balisongs, but nobody has any high-end balisongs. This has always confused me. If I can purchase a cheap one at a local store, why don't the larger sporting goods retailers carry Benchmades?

Does anyone know for certain what the official laws are here in Rochester? What is the maximum blade length, and can one wear a sheath-knife in public?

Sort of confused,
TheSurvivalist
 
TheSurvivalist said:
Does anyone know for certain what the official laws are here in Rochester?
Click to expand...

I dare say I have a pretty good idea.

TheSurvivalist

Look here for balisongs

keep in mind that if your balisong is sharpened on both edges it could be considered a dagger.

and here
and here

I looked very throughly to determine what the laws say and how they are interpreted in rochester, and in monroe, livingston, and ontario counties.

as far as you might be concerned. I have found. this:

"Accused's possession of knife in case attached to his
belt, with long handle protruding and case sheathing blade
concealed inside accused's trousers, did not constitute
violation... absent evidence of design on accused's part
to use the knife unlawfully." (1974)

and

"A bayonet was within class of weapons designated as 'any
other dangerous or deadly instrument or weapon'.... (1937)
- "Under rule of ejusdem generis [of the same kind]... an ice
pick was a 'dangerous weapon'... (1948)

the only refrence I have been able to find to length is

"...possession of knife 15 to 18 inches long was legally
sufficient to establish prima facie case of carrying
dangerous weapon as felony..." (1963)

I have not been able to find any specific length restrictions in the penal laws.

As far as the laws are concerned "intent" means everything from what I have read. A knife can be a dangerous weapon, if it is a weapon.

I did a lot of looking for this post
 
I live in the middle of Virginia, the law here is lenient. I can carry my Cuda Maxx in my poket or my Ranger RD9 on my hip ( not hidden ), but it is illegal for me to put my Assault shaker in my poket ( go figure ) It does'nt matter how big a folder is but you can't conceal a fixed blade knife.
 
Here in Iowa a folder with 5" or less is ok as a pocketknife. So is a visible sheathed folder or fixed blade. No gravity or mechanical openers allowed and ANY knife carried during the commission of a crime can be considered a "dangerous weapon" regardless of length or style. All of the localities I am familiar with use the stale law as guidline for enforcement.
 
Where I live you can carry any knife that doesn't "shoot" a blade out the end (called a spring knife). It is not hard to get a concealed weapons permit if you have a clean record. Not surprisingly with the increase in concealed weapons permits the crime rates have decreased. Now is that a surprise? We send the bad guys up to Wash DC, NYC Chicago, etc. where they have all kinds of crazy "unenforceable" or "unenforced" gun/knife laws and the local citizens are easier targets.
 
Here in Finland carrying a knife on public places is illegal if you don't have a good reason for it. For example a good reason is that you need it for your job, like a constructionworker. So my SOG Blink and Leatherman Juice Cs4, which I EDC makes me a criminal.
 
Aiiee, What a tangled web we weave. The knife laws in Washington State are availabel on-line but are not easy to interpret. I have seen the blade length limit at 3 1/4" and 3". What is one to believe. I would like to find the laws for different counties and municipalities. A Google search doesn't help much. All help would be appreciated.
Thanks
 
Here in NC the law says you can cary a folding knife that is designed to be carried in the pocket, and there is precidence that a 4.5" blade is fine. There is no specified size limit. Autos and double edged "daggers" are out, though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top