Legal for a 15 year old to carry pocket knife in California?

C

Calimom

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Dec 5, 2020
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Hello,
I would like to know if it's legal for my 15 year old daughter to carry a 3 inch pocket knife in California? She would keep it a sheath, in a pocket of her jeans. If she is wearing a dress, she would keep it in a sheath in her purse. I'm not sure if this is considered concealed. Is any of this allowed in California?I keep reading the CA laws regarding knives and what is legal/ not legal. One website says California has easy-going knife laws, while other sites talk about blade length and what technically is considered a pocket knife which vary from county to county. I'm confused! I'd like her to have a way to defend herself if she needs to. Thank you.
 
Moving to knife laws.
 
Your daughter will not be allowed to carry a knife with a 3-inch blade at school or college.

If this is a fixed blade, she cannot carry it concealed. That means, "not in her pocket or purse."

Some cities in California have more stringent laws. So it depends on where she is going to be. However in most of the state, there is no limit on the size of a folding knife carried with the blade closed outside of a school.
 
Without significant training and constant practice, a knife is the worst self defense tool possible.
Get her some bear spray...I think bear spray is legal there ... I'm not sure self defense in that state is legal though.
 
California allows self defense and also has Castle doctrine laws. But, Cali mom, knives are a poor method of self defense, particular when the user is untrained. I imagine an assailant wouldn't have much issue disarming and overpowering a 15 year old female. So I second the use of pepper spray or similar items, it's quicker and more effective.
 
There is no California state law prohibiting minors from carrying knives in public, either openly carried fixed-blades (of any size), or openly or concealed carried manually opened folding knives (of any size). As far as county to county, there are cities/counties in California (Los Angeles for example) that prohibit the OPEN carry of knives with blades longer than 3", but no restrictions on the size of folder one can carry concealed (odd but true).

However, there are strict laws regarding the carrying of knives on school property grades k-12. Neither your daughter, nor any parent, would be legally permitted to carry a 3" knife of any type on school grounds grades k-12.

As far as college, the law in California prohibits the possession of fixed-blades on university property if the knife has a blade longer than 2.5" (with some exceptions). But there is no law in California prohibiting the possession or carry of folding knives on a college campus. Here is a link to the actual law in California regarding knives on school property, from the official California legislative website-

626.10 part b specifically refers to university property.

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=626.10.&lawCode=PEN

Of course the universities themselves may have restrictions on the possession and carry of folding knives on campus. But those are not laws punishable by arrest and criminal charges, those are policies punishable by expulsion.
 
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While I normally am a big believer in pepperspray carry, minors are not allowed to carry, especially in school zones. Only 18+.

Bear spray comes in huge cannisters, which doesn't make them concealable, besides I believe they also fall under CA's no tolerance laws for minors.
 
afishhunter said:
Without significant training and constant practice, a knife is the worst self defense tool possible.
Get her some bear spray...I think bear spray is legal there ... I'm not sure self defense in that state is legal though.
Click to expand...
I agree with this. If not bear spray, just regular human pepper spray.

I don’t recommend knives as self-defense tools for the average person as well. On top of training and constant practice, you also need to have the willingness to severely harm another human being hellbent on hurting you. This just isn’t intuitive for a kind-hearted person.

Ultimately, even the “old dogs” in gun communities will tell you the same thing. Avoid going to stupid places at stupid times.
 
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