DC 3 inch law

Joined
Sep 5, 2003
Messages
390
The DC law says
" (b) No person shall within the District of Columbia possess, with intent to
use unlawfully against another, an imitation pistol, or a dagger, dirk, razor,
stiletto, or knife with a blade longer than 3 inches, or other dangerous
weapon. "
So, if I have a blade longer than 3 inches, and I don't plan on using it unlawfully, am I good to go? I don't live in DC, but do spend time in it if that matters. It's the only place I spend any time in that has a size limit.
Thanks,
Richard
 
If that is the letter of the law, you would technically be okay. You leave yourself at the mercy of an overzealous officer and or prosecutor though. Our law in Tennessee is similar, except it reads any knife with a blade over 4". I routinely see people charged with possession of a weapon. You get into the whole mess of trying to articulate its not a weapon etc.
 
A police officer may very well make the arrest and let the court decide the defendant's intent. Generally speaking, it sounds like the law means that if the user's intent is obviously not to use the item in question as a weapon, that it is legal, such as a razor in a shaving kit, an imitation pistol or dagger as part of a actor's costume, etc. I would not exceed the 3-inch limit myself, and I may very well travel to DC this year.
 
Yeah. Intent doesn't mean intent. What it means is that if a "reasonable" jury thinks that you had no good reason for having the knife, it's illegal.
 
They have reasonable jurys in DC? Who'da thunk it? Anyways, I think I'll take my chances with it since I don't plan on being arressted, I only use my knife for cutting things other than human flesh, I don't think the cop will see a clip in my back pocket and think "I better check if that's over 3 inches," and who would use a Benchmade with a $220 list price to hurt somebody anyways?
Richard
 
About the jury, who knows.
Security through obscurity is good.

I don't think the $200 list will make much of a difference either way. A "reasonable" jury, after all, is going to wonder why you'd pay $100+ for a knife that you intend to use for any purpose. Their experience is that a $10 knife with poorly heat-treated Mystery Steel (tm) is high-end, and is dangerously sharp because while it won't cut through cardboard very well, when it slips and catches their fingers it cuts and hurts. Imagine that. These are people whose steak knives are 10-year-old serrated crap-steel blades that have never been sharpened, and they think sawing like a maniac for 10 minutes to procure single bite is perfectly acceptable.

They might decide a high pricetag means it's a status symbol, and therefore that you're a gang member. You really never know... as you said, there are no reasonable juries to be found in D.C. (or anywhere else, really).
 
I live in Arlington, VA, but work in DC and have a friend in the Federal Attorney's office. The Federal Attorney for DC is the equivalent of the District Attorney in any normal jurisdiction. Thhe only advice that I can give you is that they do enforce the 3" law, especially at any tourist attraction. I would be especially leery of carrying a knife when going to the Smithsonian Museum complex, to the US Capitol, or to the White House. Other than that, keep it below 3". They do check at clubs and at other such places and, Speedfan, a $220 BenchMade is one Hell of a lot of money to see disappear into a confiscated weapons box, only later to go into some officer's, private or public, pocket.

If you are going into a Federal government office, 18USC930 says that you cannot carry any dangerous or deadly weapons, but then defines a folding knife with a blade of less than 2.5" as not being such an item. Since 9/11/01, it pays to err on the side of caution when dealing with officialdom when it comes to knives.
 
When I visited DC 3 years ago, I was unaware of the blade length restrictions. It was the last stop in a multi state trip my GF (now wife) and her friend took, on which I hadn't really worried too much about it. We tried to visit the Holocaust Museum, and I was told my Carnie Cub was too long, and I'd either not enter the museum or they would have to destroy the knife. so, i learned nothing of the Holocaust that day. first i knew about that. the guy was at least nice enough to give me an option and use a ruler...not palm o' hand technique.

In that experience, and with what everyone said here, I would carry nothing over 3" in blade length, and maybe a good 1/8" or 1/4" under, to be safe...
 
You are taking a huge risk. It is not wise to carry a blade in DC. I carry here in MD everyday. But when I go to DC I leave everything at home. You will not only get it confiscated, but if you even frown at a security officer, you might go straight to jail. We're talking about the city where the President does his business....no-one's going to buy any excuses. Think America's not very knife-friendly? Well all those "un-knife-friendly lawmakers" spend their weekdays in DC!

Like I said, it's a large risk. Do a search here on bladeforums for washington dc and you'll see advice echoing mine.

Just thought of an example. I was walking downtown minding my own business (I'm an architect - professionally dressed, very non-scary) when suddenly a half dozen squad cars descend on the block where I'm walking, clearing the streets and setting up checkpoints. Granted, I didn't get searched, but if I had been carrying, I might have been nervous and cops can read nervousness like it's printed on your forehead. Back to the story....about 10 minutes later a huge convey of black SUV's with 10 antennae each come racing down the street. In the backseat of the 2nd to last SUV is a guy leaning out the window with an automatic rifle. This vehicle passed within 15 feet of me and when the guy looked at me, I nearly crapped my pants right then and there. After they left and the convoy was getting ready to leave, I asked the only friendly-looking officer what was going on and he said they were just transporting an ambassador from his hotel to the White House. For him, it was an everyday occurence - which I'm sure it is. ;)

Point? Stuff like this happens all the time.

Imagine what would happen if you were downtown and walked into a protest/demonstration with a knife on you? and it get's a little rowdy?

When they have events in DC, checkpoints are set up all the time. Your bags will be search and you get screened (handheld metal detector). Any knives found are immediately confiscated and count yourself lucky if you get to walk away. Same goes for all federal buildings, museums, etc. You get screened.

Be careful, Bro.


p.s. Where do you live that there's no blade size limit?
 
There has been an old wives tale in Va for as long as I can remember about the mysterious 3" Limit. Your right, it doesn't exist. However in Va, everything is a "dagger" I have seen people brought in with steak knives that the cop said was a single edged dagger. The supreme court has kicked this one out at least twice but the cops don't get the message!
 
Strangely enough, the Democratic Peoples' Republic of Arlington (so-called by the politicos downstate for Arlington's long-held liberal viewpoint on many things) doesn't bother with blade length limits, nor dooes it unduly hassle applicants for the "shall issue" ccw permits as many of the other Norhtern Virginia jurisdictions do. Richmond and, I think, Norfolk, Williamsburg, and Virginia Beach have some sort of blade leimitations, Richmond's is a rigid 3" according to BFC member who live there. The only state restriction of which I am aware is one common to most Southern states, a ban on the carrying of Bowie knives. That one dates to the 1840s and 1850s when the Bowie knife was the weapon considered by the popular media of the day to be the one most likely to "end civilization as we know it." Sort of like "assault weapons" (sic) today or switchblade knives in the 1950s.
 
First post as a new member.

I recently relocated to Alexandria from NYC a few months ago. I never knew about the DC 3" law. I've been carrying by Boker Titan or my Kershaw Double Duty as EDC's for work the whole time.

My question is for my follow Virginians: Are all fixed blades considered bowie knives? I've been looking to purchase a kerambit/karambit as a weekend carry.
 
look at it this way - if you're caught with a kerambit, it doesn't matter how long/short it is...!

It will be seen as a weapon, period.

That said, if I had a smaller one, I would carry it.

If you're the type to keep your nose clean and go to bed "on time"...:rolleyes:...chances are, you'll never have to worry about it.

A fixed blade is not necessarily a bowie. Most states call a knife a bowie when the blade is over 5 inches long. Hope your kerambit is not that big.....:eek:
 
A "Bowie knife" for the purposes of that law would, I should think, be what is historically called a "Bowie knife", a large bladed knife with a single edge and a sharpened clip of one sort or another. Some clips are straight and some are curved. Since the law was written 150 or more years ago and never repealed, so it would apply, I should think, to what was then considered to be a "Bowie knife", but it is very seldom enforced today. I suspect that you'd have to be doing something pretty awkward to get busted for carrying a "Bowie knife" in Virginia, at least outside of the urban centers. I do know that for many years, I carried a Randall 6" Hunters' Bowie on my hip all around Fairfax and Loudoun Counties without unduly alarming anyone, including a number of police. But that was 35-40 years ago.

What we have is an antiquated law, a piece of history from the period of the pre-Civil War Era when a well handled knife was more than a match for the single shot muzzle-loading pistols of the day. With the appearance of Col. Colt's revolvers and the other revolvers that soon followed, the day of the Bowie as the supreme weapon passed into history and the laws became obsolete. But they were never repealed, and that is the problem. Do any of you know of a relatively recent prosecution under these 1840s laws? I would be very curious to see what a judge had ruled on that subject.

And I agree with Pendentive to the extent that a Kerambit would most likely land you in trouble wherever you are as there is no way that I can see to call it anything but a weapon and the police and prosecuting attornies will not take well to your carrying it.

But I do not agree with Pendentive's paranoia about Washington, DC, and knives. If you keep it within reason and don't go around "flourishing" it, you will probably have no problem with a folder having a blade of less than 3" except in some of the larger tourist attractions, such as the Capitol, Supreme Court, White House, Library of Congress, and the Smithsonian Museum complex. I am not completely certain of that last one, the Smithsonian Complex, but I would not want to hazard a knife there, as they are NOT part of the National Park Service, but a separate, quasi-governmental organization with its own rules and its own police powers. Some years ago, they weren't concerned, but I would not want to bet very much on that since 9/11.

As to being hassled by roving security people on the street, it is very unlikely unless you find yourself in a riot situation at, say, the International Monetary Fund or World Bank during their meetings when the crazies come to town. In that case, stand out of the way and try to be as agreeable with the police as you can. The DC police are very professional about these situations and if you are obviously not a part of them, they will generally let you alone if you do as you are told. Just remember that there are people out there who are actively provoking the police into taking violent action. I can remember walking past the White House in 1980 when I was caught between the pro-Khomeini and the anti-Khomeini Iranians who were about to go at each other with swords. A masked and helmeted DC policeman grabbed my arm and shoved me into a car, telling me to stay there. He didn't have to tell me twice, as it was the safest place around. When the fighting had moved on, he or another came over and let me go, with my profuse thanks.
 
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