Concealed Knives?

A

Awesomlypossom

Joined
Mar 30, 2017
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I was about to buy a switch knife in AZ when it occurred to me that I should probably look up the laws regarding them in my home state. All it really said was that you needed to be 21 to conceal carry the knife. Well i'm not 21 but i really want this knife so i was wondering what really counts as concealed carry for knives. Is it just in the pocket or does some of it just have to be showing. I couldn't really find an answer to this anywhere so any answers are appreciated.
Thanks
 
Unfortunately most case law on Arizona's court system predates the law change that made all knives legal for persons over 21, and I could not locate any case law in AZ's court system that provides a discussion of what is and is not concealed. Therefore, anything I or anyone else says, even if we were lawyers (which are not) is purely speculation. Consider yourself warned.

The lack of case law itself is somewhat compelling evidence for something I have repeated for years now: Arrests for just a concealed knife and nothing else are virtually unheard of (with the exception of New York City). All the cases I have read in other states always involve the person with the concealed knife committing a criminal or suspicious act that attracts police attention. Part of this is mandated by law: Police cannot search you for no reason. They must have reasonable suspicion first before they can initiate a "Terry Search."

If you want to go the unconcealed route anyway, all I can say is that the knife must be visible in a manner that a non-LEO person interacting with you in a normal manner of daily life should be able to recognize that the object is a knife. They don't have to be able to tell it's an auto, just that it is a knife. With autos and folders this is a little tricky because by their very nature they are designed to be dropped in a pocket for convenience. An open-topped belt sheath would work, or even better, a molded kydex sheath. It cannot be covered by your shirt or jacket and cannot completely enclose it to the point where it is no longer recognizable as a knife.


Statute for everyone's reference:
http://www.azleg.gov/viewdocument/?docName=http://www.azleg.gov/ars/13/03102.htm
 
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