Are Balisong Legal in North Carolina

[Slash003]

Thinking of trying to get a benchmade 42 in a couple of years when I'm of legal age and have enough cash to purchase, is it legal to have a balisong in North Carolina?

 

[glistam]

Thinking of trying to get a benchmade 42 in a couple of years when I'm of legal age and have enough cash to purchase, is it legal to have a balisong in North Carolina?

Have and carry in plain sight, yes. Carry concealed, no.

There are currently no statutory prohibitions on ownership of knives in North Carolina except for that now very rare novelty item, the ballistic knife. NC Code § 14-269 only regulations the concealed carry of certain weapons, including most knives except for an "ordinary pocket knife," which refers to regular folders. This exception does not include knives that are "opened by a throwing, explosive, or spring action." The "throwing" term was specifically added to address balisongs.

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_14/GS_14-269.html

 

[Slash003]

Have and carry in plain sight, yes. Carry concealed, no.

There are currently no statutory prohibitions on ownership of knives in North Carolina except for that now very rare novelty item, the ballistic knife. NC Code § 14-269 only regulations the concealed carry of certain weapons, including most knives except for an "ordinary pocket knife," which refers to regular folders. This exception does not include knives that are "opened by a throwing, explosive, or spring action." The "throwing" term was specifically added to address balisongs.

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_14/GS_14-269.html

Alright thank you very much for finding that. I didnt plan on carrying it but if I do i'll get one with a belt clip or a sheath that clips on to the belt.

 

[JFKlauncho]

Is carrying using a pocket clip considered open/in plain site carry?
If I carry a 3 plus inch blade using a pocket clip is that legal in NC?

 

[glistam]

Is carrying using a pocket clip considered open/in plain site carry?
If I carry a 3 plus inch blade using a pocket clip is that legal in NC?

First things first: there is no definitive, unarguable answer to this question. No mention of pocket clips is made in any statute or case law I have found. Concealment is also similarly vaguely defined in the law. Therefore, it may be a matter of a police officer's opinion, which varies from one to the other. One thing to remember though is that if your knife is an ordinary folder, this is irrelevant, because both concealed and open carry is completely legal. No length limit is specified under the law either, and there are cases on the books if knives as long as 4 inches being considered legal for concealed carry.