Fixed blades in checked bag

gdog363

gdog363

Joined
Mar 8, 2017
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I am leaving for Los Angeles next week and want to bring my Busse BT6, Mean Street, and Spyderco Manix 2 with me in my checked bag. I am worried that since fixed blades aren’t necessarily allowed in LA the TSA will confiscate it from my bag. Am I safe to bring my blades with me?
 
TSA is Federal not municipal.

But if you're worried/they're not legal in LA why bring them?
 
gdog363 said:
I am worried that since fixed blades aren’t necessarily allowed in LA the TSA will confiscate it from my bag.
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First, no jurisdiction prohibits mere possession of fixed blades. Culinary knives are fixed blades after all (and ironically are the most common type used in crime). Carry is a different matter, and inside a suitcase is not carry. So you're not actually breaking any laws. Second, TSA is federal and has limited duties/responsbilities as an LE agency. They cannot enforce state or municipal laws. Their one job is to screen for things that pose a danger to the plane and people on it. For checked baggage, unless it's at risk for blowing up or release something toxic or corrosive, or it's alive and not where it should be, it's not their concern.

That said, sometimes baggage handlers (who are not actually TSA) will steal valuables from checked baggage. This includes knives.
 
All 3 knives listed are illegal to carry in LA as they are fixed blades AND have lengths greater than 3 inches.

Los Angeles the City and Los Angeles the County both require knives to have a blade length of less than 3 inches to be carried openly.

California law requires all fixed blade knives to be carried openly.
 
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Glistam referred to it, and "Man with no name" provided a link, in short, the California Appeals Court, in People v. Pellecer, ruled that carrying a fixed-blade inside a parcel (backpack, duffle bag, briefcase, etc) is not considered to be "concealed upon the person", and is therefore not illegal in the state of California. The statute in the California penal code that says carrying a concealed fixed-blade is illegal specifically says "concealed upon the person" (CA penal code 21310), and this is illegal all throughout the state.

Los Angeles has no statute, county or municipality, that makes carrying a fixed-blade in a parcel illegal. I know of no county or municipality within the state of California that does.

Zzyzzogeton is correct that openly carrying a fixed-blade in Los Angeles with a blade longer than 3 inches is illegal, both in LA county and city, but there are exceptions- if you are openly carrying a fixed-blade with a blade longer than 3" for "legitimate" work or recreational activities (camping, fishing, etc) or for religious reasons, and you can prove that your reason is legitimate, then openly carrying such a knife is legal.

And just to throw it in, having a fixed-blade in a vehicle, out of sight, is also NOT considered "concealed" under the law, and is therefore legal throughout the state.
 
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