Is it legal for minors to carry knives in CA?

Joined
Jul 27, 2006
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Is it legal for minors in California to carry folding knives that would be legal for adults to carry(A legal knife under law)?

A friend of mine has been asking me and I couldn't find anything about it.
:confused:
Thanks
 
In a simple word yes you can. I'm 16 and carry a knife all the time.:)

However it depends on how the friend is. If the friend is some gangbanger that likes to push old women into traffic then i would say no he should not be allowed. If he is a law-abiding citizen that uses the knife responsibly and does not flash it around just to look tough then he should be fine.

BTW what knife does he want to carry?
 
RedEdge77 said:
In a simple word yes you can. I'm 16 and carry a knife all the time.:)

However it depends on how the friend is. If the friend is some gangbanger that likes to push old women into traffic then i would say no he should not be allowed. If he is a law-abiding citizen that uses the knife responsibly and does not flash it around just to look tough then he should be fine.

BTW what knife does he want to carry?

Spyderco Delica
 
Have you ever had an encounter with the police or do you know if this is actually legal?
 
Some local jurisdictions out there have local ordinances regarding minimum age to carry the knife. Look up the ordinances for your local jurisdiction.
 
mp510 said:
Some local jurisdictions out there have local ordinances regarding minimum age to carry the knife. Look up the ordinances for your local jurisdiction.

I checked out the county ordinance code and city municiple codes and couldn't find anything specific on knife carry for minors. The city code doesn't say anything, but the county just says you can't carry a blade longer than 3" in public. Nothing about minors... so you guys think this is legal?
 
I have not seen any mention of age in CA knife laws. There are laws restricting what knives can be carried at a school, though (PC 626.10a).
 
My 16 year old son, wants to carry around a balasong 3.75 inches knife for protection. We live in Los Angeles, (not the best area, not the worst). Anyway, is this legal? I cant find anything on it online.

thanks
 
CA law categorizes Balisong/Butterfly knives along with switchblade knives and they are outlawed unless under 2 inches in length. At least that's my understanding.

Trying to open/close a sub 2 inch Balisong would be an interesting feat.
 
Ben Rumson is correct. Here's the section of the California Penal Code that prohibits balisongs:

653k. Every person who possesses in the passenger's or driver's
area of any motor vehicle in any public place or place open to the
public, carries upon his or her person, and every person who sells,
offers for sale, exposes for sale, loans, transfers, or gives to any
other person a switchblade knife having a blade two or more inches in
length is guilty of a misdemeanor.
For the purposes of this section, "switchblade knife" means a
knife having the appearance of a pocketknife and includes a
spring-blade knife, snap-blade knife, gravity knife or any other
similar type knife, the blade or blades of which are two or more
inches in length and which can be released automatically by a flick
of a button, pressure on the handle, flip of the wrist or other
mechanical device, or is released by the weight of the blade or by
any type of mechanism whatsoever. "Switchblade knife" does not
include a knife that opens with one hand utilizing thumb pressure
applied solely to the blade of the knife or a thumb stud attached to
the blade, provided that the knife has a detent or other mechanism
that provides resistance that must be overcome in opening the blade,
or that biases the blade back toward its closed position.
For purposes of this section, "passenger's or driver's area" means
that part of a motor vehicle which is designed to carry the driver
and passengers, including any interior compartment or space therein.

---

Furthermore, he would violate the concealed dirk or dagger prohibition of California Penal Code Section 12020 if the knife he carries is prohibited by 653k.

He can carry a knife like a Spyderco. He may be good with a balisong, but Spydercos are very easy to open and some of them would be as good for this purpose as a balisong.

But he could not carry a Spyderco or similar knife on the grounds of a K-12 school, and potentially not on the grounds of a college or university. See California Penal Code Section 626.10.
 
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