GA knife law

B

betapleatedsheet

Joined
Aug 19, 2006
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Okay, So this is my first post here. Hi, everyone!

So, I read through the knife laws (concerning what can be carried in public), and they seem a tad ambiguous to me. It said something like knives that are "designed for offense or denfense" can't be carried concealed, but I'm not sure what the parameters of this are. Any ideas?

Oh, and I'm in Atlanta, so if there are any city specific restrictions that anyone knows of, I'd like if you'd let me know. Thanks!
 
Bob,

By fully exposed do you mean clip and part of knife showing, or whole knife visible in either a sheath or clipped to belt?

Andy
 
I just recently moved to Atlanta from Virginia, and I find the law here ambiguous as well. In Virginia you can carry a 4" folder no problem, and I've carried a knife of about that size for my entire adult life- except while flying.:grumpy:

I've heard various reports about what is and is not cool to carry here, from "anything over 2" will land you in the clink" to "3" is okay" to "as long as you have the clip showing you're okay". I think the opinion of the officer above is shared by many police. I've spoken personally to 2 officers in DC (while carrying a 4" blade where only 3" is supposed to be legal) and they both said basically the same thing: "As long as it's not a switchblade and you don't stab anybody, drive drunk, or deal drugs, I couldn't care less about a knife"

I've read the laws and find them very ambigous. (I don't have them in front of me to quote them here) This may be intentional, to allow a LEO a degree of discretion in dealing with those who are in a gray area (ie: those who are being jerks and are making his job difficult). My experiences with police have always been very positive. To date I have never run into a cop who has "been out to get me" and I would like to think that as long as I didn't give a cop any attitude, the blade length of the knife in my pocket would never become a topic of conversation. It never has before and I've been carrying a knife every day for over 15 years.

Of course I've heard stories of people being harassed and hassled by the police, but I notice that (at least from those I know) that the people being "hassled" are the same people who have chips on their shoulders, bad attitudes towards police and big mouths in general. This may be a naive opinion but I have never had any personal experience that would cause me to believe otherwise.

In light of this, I carry what I want to and don't worry about it. I figure that since I'm never doing anything illegal or drawing attention towards myself I should be okay. If I end up talking to a cop and he asks me what I'm carrying , I'll ask him politely why he asks. If he responds "because I noticed the clip in your pocket", then I will respectfully reply "that's because I carry my pocketknife openly. If I wanted to conceal it I would have it inside my waistband with my shirt over it." As far as I can tell, open carry is legal in Georgia.

If I end up getting busted I'll go to court and be pleasant there as well. (It's amazing to go to traffic court and watch morons lipping off to the judge! While they're "keeping it real" and getting the maximum penalty, I'm the polite guy with a smile that's having the charges dropped) If it turns out that I'm on the wrong side of the law, then I'll deal with that. But the possibility of this ever happening is not great enough to keep me from carrying what I want to. This is still a free country.
 
Open and fully exposed can be interperted as the whole knife open to plain view; IE an belt sheath. Though if you look at the sheer numbers of persons that wear knives via pocket clips, LEOs dont have the time nor the resources to arrest all. In fact, unless your under the spot light for something else, I would not worry about it. Must LEOs will over look this technicallity or could care less. The only time I have ever seen an CCW charge was when the person was an ass while being arrested for another charge, then it was tacked on for S&G.

While they're "keeping it real" and getting the maximum penalty,
Click to expand...

I guess you seen that clip from MAD TV about keeping it real. Had me laughing.
 
Actually I was thinking about Dave Chapelle. The one where the guy was a successful businessman and "keeps it real" all the way to washing windows and pumping gas.

Both times I have found myself in traffic court (for silly little things) I've noticed that people seem to think it's cool or a good idea to mouth off to a judge. It's pretty obvious that judges in general are unimpressed with such behaviour. Yet some people can't seem to help it. I watched some lady who was there for a simple speeding ticket end up in jail because she refused to turn off her cell phone, and then refused to hand it over to the bailiff when the stupid thing went off in court. She went further and started swearing at the judge and making a big scene, threw a couple punches at the bailiffs when they came to cart her away. What a genius. It's amazing what an inflated sense of self-importance can do, especially when in the presence of those who ARE important, and have the authority to do something about it when someone steps on their toes.
 
Here's the actual code:

16-11-126.
(a) A person commits the offense of carrying a concealed weapon when such person knowingly has or carries about his or her person, unless in an open manner and fully exposed to view, any bludgeon, metal knuckles, firearm, knife designed for the purpose of offense and defense, or any other dangerous or deadly weapon or instrument of like character outside of his or her home or place of business, except as permitted under this Code section.

I will admit that some officers take this point of view but my a friend of mine who is a lawyer just successfully got a case dropped where a concealed 3" knife was an issue. You actually have to look at the case law involved. The precedence is that any folding knife under 3" is okay. Now could someone try to enforce this but probably wouldn't meet with much success.

I think that Atlanta has a municipal code that limits blade length to three inches. I don't have access to their code right now though.
 
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