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Knife Laws
- Thread starter Rick1955
- Start date
- Joined
- Feb 19, 1999
- Messages
- 2,959
Arkansas, short and sweet, this IS verifiable through the State Attorney General's websight (no link at the moment, can't remember, too lazy to look.)
NO knives may be carried as a weapon
NO Daggers
NO Autos
ANY blade over 3.5 inches in length is considered prima facie evidence that the knife is being carried as a weapon.
Pretty stiff in theory, but in practice, it's reserved as a charge to bust someone when you can't prove what you REALLY want to bust them for.
In other words, generally speaking, if you stay cool with the cops, it's a non-issue.
(Still wouldn't risk carrying an auto or dagger though.)
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I cut it, and I cut it, and it's STILL too short!
NO knives may be carried as a weapon
NO Daggers
NO Autos
ANY blade over 3.5 inches in length is considered prima facie evidence that the knife is being carried as a weapon.
Pretty stiff in theory, but in practice, it's reserved as a charge to bust someone when you can't prove what you REALLY want to bust them for.
In other words, generally speaking, if you stay cool with the cops, it's a non-issue.
(Still wouldn't risk carrying an auto or dagger though.)
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I cut it, and I cut it, and it's STILL too short!
Alabama Codes says no Bowie type knife over 11" total length. Also no Dirks or Daggers. I think you can carry autos in the state... you can definitely buy them here. Some areas have specific limitations such as the Madison Co. Courthouse. Previously the limit was a 2.5 inch blade. Now the signs are down and the length is up to the discretion of the officer (we have metal detectors now).
BTW the US Code also has subsection (d) which allows for exceptions to the no weapons statement in (a) for Federal buildings (including the post office). Part (3) of subsection (d) says its ok to have a weapon for hunting or "other lawful purposes".
Of course you may need Mr. Cochran to show that your 3.5" knife does not fit into the weapons violation definitions.
BTW the US Code also has subsection (d) which allows for exceptions to the no weapons statement in (a) for Federal buildings (including the post office). Part (3) of subsection (d) says its ok to have a weapon for hunting or "other lawful purposes".
Of course you may need Mr. Cochran to show that your 3.5" knife does not fit into the weapons violation definitions.
- Joined
- May 1, 2000
- Messages
- 2,259
I've been trying to find out San Francisco laws and haven't had much luck. A web search found something about switchblades, something about minors, and something about loitering with a concealed knife over 3". I called SFPD 3 times and got a different answer each time. The cops on the phone were more interested in why I was thinking about carrying a knife, so I eventually told them that I was a social science student at SFSU and was doing a research paper on the criminal justice system; they were more helpful after that. Still they didn't know even if there were any city laws, nor what state law was. One officer put me on hold to check and came back with state penal code 12020 - he said it meant that no knife over 3" could be carried at all. I tried to correct his interpretation but he didn't want to hear it. If anyone knows for sure what San Francisco laws are, or how I can find out, please let me know.
Jason
P.S. I might follow the law, I might break the law- I would at least like to know which I'm doing.
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"I have often laughed at the weaklings who call themselves kind because they have no claws"
- Zarathustra
Jason
P.S. I might follow the law, I might break the law- I would at least like to know which I'm doing.
------------------
"I have often laughed at the weaklings who call themselves kind because they have no claws"
- Zarathustra
This is one of the main reasons I started this topic area. So that we could all learn about knife laws. A good place to find out about knife laws is from the laws themselves, case law, and from others of us out here. One of the worst places to get information on knife laws is from the police. Just ask some LEOs what the law in their jurisdiction says about knives and then go read the law and you will see what I mean. I am not anti-cop - they just can't know all laws and knife laws are often vague and confusing - very open to interpretation.
Just a few examples: What is an "ordinary pocketknife"? How is a knife blade to be measured? What is a "dangerous knife"?
I like your PS:
P.S. I might follow the law, I might break the law- I would at least like to know which I'm doing.
Just a few examples: What is an "ordinary pocketknife"? How is a knife blade to be measured? What is a "dangerous knife"?
I like your PS:
P.S. I might follow the law, I might break the law- I would at least like to know which I'm doing.
Rick,
Upon further digging (a phone call or two) I discovered that Kansas City Kansas permits NO knife of any kind/size that has a blade that locks in the open position.
They permit only non-locking knives with a length less than 2.75 inches.
Kansas City Missouri laws are the same as the state statue, which allows a 4" blade.
It would be nice if both cities laws were the same. I can walk across the street here and be in a different state (literally).
[This message has been edited by Dashunde (edited 05-22-2000).]
Upon further digging (a phone call or two) I discovered that Kansas City Kansas permits NO knife of any kind/size that has a blade that locks in the open position.
They permit only non-locking knives with a length less than 2.75 inches.
Kansas City Missouri laws are the same as the state statue, which allows a 4" blade.
It would be nice if both cities laws were the same. I can walk across the street here and be in a different state (literally).
[This message has been edited by Dashunde (edited 05-22-2000).]
Thanks.
I really don't understand the bans on locking blades. Some say that they are the same as a sheath knife when locked open which I guess is generally true but they are still folding knives. Some Boy Scout camps ban lock blades too. To me they are safer.
I am an advocate of one single national firearm and knife law - for the reason you stated. In one jurisdiction you are a law abiding citizen, but cross into another, and you are a felon.
I think that the CCW law should be federal - all US jurisdictions would have to honor it - or have it so that if you are authorized a CCW in one state it is honored by ALL others.
The same with knife laws. It makes no sense whatever to me that a 5.5" knife is legal in one state and only a 2.5" legal in others. Now even though I personally disagree with schools not allowing even pocketknives, I can understand it in some cases. But an ordinary law abiding citizen should be able to carry at least an "ordinary pocketknife" most anywhere. I read about one case of a girl being expelled for having a table knife in her lunch bag for use during lunch. The school said a knife is a knife - no exceptions and as I recalled expelled her.
From what I have seen, most of these knife laws are the result of isolated incidents that should have and could have been handled in other ways. Panic and knee jerk reactions are not the best seeds for laws. And some of the laws are written in such a way that simple possession of certain knives is evidence that the knife was intended to be a weapon. Simple possession of a knife does not endanger the public safety. And I think that is what needs to be the issue. Intended use should matter.
I really don't understand the bans on locking blades. Some say that they are the same as a sheath knife when locked open which I guess is generally true but they are still folding knives. Some Boy Scout camps ban lock blades too. To me they are safer.
I am an advocate of one single national firearm and knife law - for the reason you stated. In one jurisdiction you are a law abiding citizen, but cross into another, and you are a felon.
I think that the CCW law should be federal - all US jurisdictions would have to honor it - or have it so that if you are authorized a CCW in one state it is honored by ALL others.
The same with knife laws. It makes no sense whatever to me that a 5.5" knife is legal in one state and only a 2.5" legal in others. Now even though I personally disagree with schools not allowing even pocketknives, I can understand it in some cases. But an ordinary law abiding citizen should be able to carry at least an "ordinary pocketknife" most anywhere. I read about one case of a girl being expelled for having a table knife in her lunch bag for use during lunch. The school said a knife is a knife - no exceptions and as I recalled expelled her.
From what I have seen, most of these knife laws are the result of isolated incidents that should have and could have been handled in other ways. Panic and knee jerk reactions are not the best seeds for laws. And some of the laws are written in such a way that simple possession of certain knives is evidence that the knife was intended to be a weapon. Simple possession of a knife does not endanger the public safety. And I think that is what needs to be the issue. Intended use should matter.