California Buying Age

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wolfchild59

Joined
Apr 22, 2003
Messages
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I was just wondering if anybody knew the legal age at which to buy a knife in California? I work in a knife store that is right across the street from a high school so we get kids from 13-18 in on a daily basis. All I can seem to find online is info in carrying knives and would like to know the laws and restrictions for the age at which people can buy a knife.

Thanks in advance,
Jenny
 
I believe that knife stores here in CA can only sell to people above 18. I was turned away from a local shop and I was 17 at the time.
 
I just looked through Section 12020 of the Cal penal code, where a lot of the knife stuff is, and there doesn't seem to be anything about ages. It refers to things that "persons" aren't supposed to do, but doesn't refer to minors versus adults. I suspect that local laws and individual store policies are at work here. For example, here in San Francisco, the police code prohibits transfers of "weapons" to minors. Here's the SF code:


SEC. 1293. PROHIBITING THE SALE OR TRANSFER OF KNIVES TO MINORS OTHER THAN BY PARENTS OR GUARDIANS, EXCEPT FOR TABLE KNIVES AND KNIVES CURRENTLY PROHIBITED FROM SALE UNDER STATE LAW; PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION.
(a) Definitions. “Knife” includes, but is not limited to: any instrument with a cuttingblade, made of steel or other similar durable cutting surface, capable of inflicting bodily harm.

(b) Ban on the Sale of Knives to Minors. Notwithstanding any provision of this Article to the contrary or any type of knife already proscribed under California Penal Code Sections 653(k) and 12020(a), no person shall knowingly sell, offer for sale, expose for sale or transfer to any minor, any type of knife as defined in Subsection (a), other than table knives. This prohibition shall not apply to the sale or transfer of knives defined in Subsection (a) by a parent or guardian to their own child.


Since SF went to the trouble of doing this, I suspect that state law doesn't cover this issue. SF also bans selling spray paint and wide-tipped markers to the little buggers.

Also, I'm sure that some stores, even if there is no local law against it, have their own policies against selling specific things to kids.

If your city doesn't have their municipal codes online, you might call the local police.

miguel
 
Do not sell a knife to a minor. If you do and it is used in a violent act, you personally as well as your employer could be charged with a criminal act in addition to the civil lawsuits that will be filed by the victim.

Look at the lawsuits filed against gun makers like Bushmaster even though the sales was legally made to adults.
 
My friend is the manager of a local cutlery store, and he won't sell to anyone under 18. I don't think it is a law anywhere, but it is probably personal/store policy and also an issue of liability.
 
i worked at plaza cutlery for a while, u are not allowed to sell to people under the age of 18, its against the law, and i found it is worth your time sometimes to card them to make sure they are 18, always good to eror on the side of caution, what knife store do u work at if i may ask?
 
look up 12072 a(2)&(3) 12072(8) which knives are other weapon defined in sub section (e)of section 5845 United States Title #26. gun cintrol act then it wull refer you to 12021-12021.1-12101 persons prohibited. I'll put it all together and post them tomorrow.
 
Thank you to everybody that responded. I had pretty much been going with not selling to anybody under 18 so I will just stick with that. A coworker had said that he thought it was 16 so I figured I would double-check. And to the person that asked where I work, it's a store called Williams Cutlery in Palo Alto.
 
Well...I'm not familiar with any STATE code regulating the sale of knives to minors (there are some pertaining to minors and ammunition). There may be a city or county ordinance regulating the sale.

--dan
 
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