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Knife / blade carry laws by state

People search “Knife / blade carry by state”, “Knife / blade carry laws by state”, and “Knives map” when a road trip, boat, bike, or load is about to cross a line. This page is the 50-state index for knife / blade carry. Colors and quotes are written for someone in that state today, not for what that state demands of its own registered vehicles.

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How states differ

Automatic / length restrictions.

  • Strict auto/OTF or length bans
  • Moderate restrictions
  • Comparatively permissive

Searches this page is meant to answer

If you typed any of these — or a close variant with a state name — this is the Crosstatelaws topic that should show up:

  • Knife / blade carry by state
  • Knife / blade carry laws by state
  • Knives laws by state
  • Knife / blade carry map
  • Knife / blade carry traveling across state lines
  • does knife / blade carry change by state
  • knife laws by state
  • is a pocket knife legal to carry
  • switchblade laws traveling
  • Knife / blade carry in California / Texas / Florida / New York
  • is knife / blade carry legal while traveling

All 50 states

One-line traveler summary for each state. Open the map for the quoted rule and footnotes.

Alabama (AL)
Alabama (Ala. Code § 13A-11-50): automatic/OTF not banned statewide; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Alaska (AK)
Alaska (Alaska Stat. § 11.61.200): automatic/OTF legal for adults; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Arizona (AZ)
Arizona (A.R.S. § 13-3102): automatic/OTF legal; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Arkansas (AR)
Arkansas (Ark. Code § 5-73-120): automatic/OTF legal; no published statewide folder inch cap.
California (CA)
California (Cal. Penal Code §§ 17235, 21510): switchblade / auto with a blade 2" or longer is banned (Penal §§ 17235, 21510); no published statewide folder inch cap for manual folders.
Colorado (CO)
Colorado (C.R.S. § 18-12-101): automatic/OTF legal for adults; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Connecticut (CT)
Connecticut (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53-206): switchblade / automatic banned; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Delaware (DE)
Delaware (11 Del. C. § 1443): switchblade restricted; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Florida (FL)
Florida (Fla. Stat. § 790.001): automatic/OTF legal; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Georgia (GA)
Georgia (O.C.G.A. § 16-11-126): automatic/OTF legal; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Hawaii (HI)
Hawaii (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 134-51): switchblade banned; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Idaho (ID)
Idaho (Idaho Code § 18-3302): automatic/OTF legal; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Illinois (IL)
Illinois (720 ILCS 5/24-1): switchblade, ballistic knife, and throwing star banned; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Indiana (IN)
Indiana (Ind. Code § 35-47-5-2.5): automatic/OTF legal; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Iowa (IA)
Iowa (Iowa Code § 702.7): automatic/OTF legal; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Kansas (KS)
Kansas (Kan. Stat. § 21-6301): automatic/OTF legal; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Kentucky (KY)
Kentucky (KRS § 500.080): automatic/OTF legal; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Louisiana (LA)
Louisiana (La. R.S. 14:95): automatic/OTF legal; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Maine (ME)
Maine (17-A M.R.S. § 1055): automatic/OTF legal; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Maryland (MD)
Maryland (Md. Code, Crim. Law § 4-105): switchblade / automatic restricted; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Massachusetts (MA)
Massachusetts (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 269, § 10): switchblade / automatic banned as a dangerous weapon; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Michigan (MI)
Michigan (MCL 750.226 / 750.226b): double-action automatic still a problem under MCL 750.226b; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Minnesota (MN)
Minnesota (Minn. Stat. § 609.66): switchblade / automatic restricted (Minn. Stat. § 609.66); no published statewide folder inch cap.
Mississippi (MS)
Mississippi (Miss. Code § 97-37-1): automatic/OTF legal; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Missouri (MO)
Missouri (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 571.030): automatic/OTF legal; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Montana (MT)
Montana (Mont. Code § 45-8-331): automatic/OTF legal; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Nebraska (NE)
Nebraska (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-1202): automatic/OTF legal; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Nevada (NV)
Nevada (NRS 202.350): switchblade / belt-buckle knife named in NRS 202.350; no published statewide folder inch cap.
New Hampshire (NH)
New Hampshire (N.H. Rev. Stat. § 159:16): automatic/OTF legal; no published statewide folder inch cap.
New Jersey (NJ)
New Jersey (N.J.S.A. 2C:39-3): switchblade, gravity, and daggers banned (N.J.S.A. 2C:39-3); no published statewide folder inch cap.
New Mexico (NM)
New Mexico (N.M. Stat. § 30-7-2): switchblade restricted in some carry contexts; no published statewide folder inch cap.
New York (NY)
New York (N.Y. Penal Law § 265.01): switchblade still restricted (Penal § 265.01); gravity-knife ban repealed 2019; no published statewide folder inch cap; NYC Admin. Code § 10-133 uses a 4" public-carry line.
North Carolina (NC)
North Carolina (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-269): automatic/OTF legal; no published statewide folder inch cap.
North Dakota (ND)
North Dakota (N.D. Cent. Code § 62.1-04-02): automatic/OTF legal; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Ohio (OH)
Ohio (Ohio Rev. Code § 2923.12): automatic/OTF legal after 2021; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Oklahoma (OK)
Oklahoma (21 O.S. § 1272): automatic/OTF legal; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Oregon (OR)
Oregon (Or. Rev. Stat. § 166.240): switchblade / auto still named in ORS 166.240 for concealed carry; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Pennsylvania (PA)
Pennsylvania (18 Pa.C.S. § 908): switchblade / automatic restricted (18 Pa.C.S. § 908); no published statewide folder inch cap.
Rhode Island (RI)
Rhode Island (R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-42): switchblade / automatic banned (R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-47-42); no published statewide folder inch cap.
South Carolina (SC)
South Carolina (S.C. Code § 16-23-460): automatic/OTF legal; no published statewide folder inch cap.
South Dakota (SD)
South Dakota (S.D. Codified Laws § 22-14-1): automatic/OTF legal; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Tennessee (TN)
Tennessee (Tenn. Code § 39-17-1302): automatic/OTF legal; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Texas (TX)
Texas (Tex. Penal Code §§ 46.01, 46.03): automatic/OTF legal; location-restricted knife = blade over 5.5" (Penal § 46.01(6)) — legal to possess after 2017 except schools, courts, polling places, and other listed spots.
Utah (UT)
Utah (Utah Code § 76-10-501): automatic/OTF legal; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Vermont (VT)
Vermont (13 V.S.A. § 4003): automatic/OTF legal; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Virginia (VA)
Virginia (Va. Code § 18.2-308): spring-steel / ballistic knives still named in Va. Code § 18.2-308; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Washington (WA)
Washington (RCW 9.41.250): spring-blade / automatic named in RCW 9.41.250; no published statewide folder inch cap.
West Virginia (WV)
West Virginia (W. Va. Code § 61-7-2): automatic/OTF legal; no published statewide folder inch cap.
Wisconsin (WI)
Wisconsin (Wis. Stat. § 941.24): switchblade / automatic restricted (Wis. Stat. § 941.24); no published statewide folder inch cap.
Wyoming (WY)
Wyoming (Wyo. Stat. § 6-8-104): automatic/OTF legal; no published statewide folder inch cap.

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Not legal advice. Confirm statutes before you travel. Disclaimer.