Anyone know the California knife law on carrying a knife?

A

alan0354

Joined
Oct 21, 2022
Messages
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I kept reading the law and I am just confused. Bottom line is:

1) Is assisted open folding knife like a lot of the Kershaw legal to carry? They use spring to help opening the flipper knife, it's even easier than a good flipper with ball bearings.

2) Folding knives with a LOCK button on top of the normal frame lock. It's Cold Steel Crawford Model 1 or Off-Grid Badger. They both have a sliding button to lock the blade.

Thanks
 
Well there are state laws but each county has different laws as does each city. I think you're in the wrong forum as well. The issue you may run into is blade length.
 
BigMoney said:
Well there are state laws but each county has different laws as does each city. I think you're in the wrong forum as well. The issue you may run into is blade length.
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Yes, I know, SF has to be under 3" in their city law, the general state law has no length limit of length in general. That part is very clear, it's the definition of dagger, fixed blade and switch blade part that are like talking out of both sides of the mouth.
 
No switchblades and any knife that isn't a folder cannot be concealed. Fixed blade handle and sheath has to be in plain view.
 
alan0354 said:
I kept reading the law and I am just confused. Bottom line is:

1) Is assisted open folding knife like a lot of the Kershaw legal to carry? They use spring to help opening the flipper knife, it's even easier than a good flipper with ball bearings.

2) Folding knives with a LOCK button on top of the normal frame lock. It's Cold Steel Crawford Model 1 or Off-Grid Badger. They both have a sliding button to lock the blade.

Thanks
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The statute in the California penal code that defines a switchblade specifically exempts folding knives that open by applying pressure to any part of the blade (like a flipper tab, it's part of the blade), and that has a detent or other mechanism that creates a bias toward the closed position (like with a liner lock).

As for the Crawford Model 1 and Off-Grid Badger, they both have flipper tabs for opening, and they both appear to be liner locks, which I assume have detents. If all that is true, then they would not meet the California state definition of a switchblade, gravity knife, etc, and would be legal to carry.

As for Kershaw assisted opening knives, you didn't specify a model, but what I just explained would also apply.

Assisted knives are perfectly legal to own and carry as long as they are designed to be opened by applying pressure to some part of the blade, and as long as they have a bias towards the closed position when closed. Of course local laws may vary and might have blade length limits.

Here is a link to the actual statute defining what a switchblade is in California law on the official California state legislature website-


Also, switchblades of any size are legal to own in California, but only switchblades with blades under 2" are legal to carry.
 
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Not many people are aware that ÇA schools have their own laws about knives.

Section 626.10 of the ÇA Penal Code includes the following:

” knife having a blade longer than 21/2 inches, (and any) folding knife with a blade that locks into place”

Penalties include fines and jail time. Although, in CA, jail for misdemeanors varies by county DA.

Exemptions include possession for official use, and in real life it’s probably not a problem for responsible well behaved good folks. However, students and non-students causing trouble and committing crimes can be held accountable. And yes, real crimes do occur on & about elementary through high school campuses - some communities much more than others. College campuses as well.

FWIW, and hopefully your kids attend one of the quiet schools.
 
JSutter said:
Not many people are aware that ÇA schools have their own laws about knives.

Section 626.10 of the ÇA Penal Code includes the following:

” knife having a blade longer than 21/2 inches, (and any) folding knife with a blade that locks into place”

Penalties include fines and jail time. Although, in CA, jail for misdemeanors varies by county DA.

Exemptions include possession for official use, and in real life it’s probably not a problem for responsible well behaved good folks. However, students and non-students causing trouble and committing crimes can be held accountable. And yes, real crimes do occur on & about elementary through high school campuses - some communities much more than others. College campuses as well.

FWIW, and hopefully your kids attend one of the quiet schools.
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That I know already. I bought the Off-Grid Baby Rhino just for that.
 
Hopefully, someone will take the state to court on this issue post Bruen.
 
Spent nearly my entire life in CA, if you are rural no worries.... this is not legal advice, just MY reality of living in San Bernardino County for most of my life. Cities beware. Generally speaking fixed blades like a Ka-Bar or something are fine carried open. Folders that bias towards staying closed and auto knives with blades less than 2" are okay in MOST places. Other knives like auto knives 2" blade or longer may be owned and possessed in the home, but cannot be sold, transferred, transported, or pretty much anything other than stared at. How it got there is obviously a mystery...

CA knife laws are not as bad as some states, but they do vary by municipalities for sure so be careful.
 
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