12020. (a) Any person in this state who does any of the following
is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year
or in the state prison:
(1) Manufactures or causes to be manufactured, imports into the
state, keeps for sale, or offers or exposes for sale, or who gives,
lends, or possesses... any ballistic knife, any nunchaku, any metal
knuckles, any belt buckle knife, any leaded cane, any shuriken,
any lipstick case knife, any cane sword, any shobi-zue, any air gauge
knife, any writing pen knife, or any instrument or weapon
of the kind commonly known as a blackjack, slungshot, billy,
sandclub, sap, or sandbag... [see below for definitions]
(4) Carries concealed upon his or her person any dirk or dagger.
see (32)(e)(24) below, for definitions.
(b) Subdivision (a) does not apply to any of the following:
(3) The possession of a nunchaku on the premises of a school which
holds a regulatory or business license and teaches the arts of
self-defense.
(4) The manufacture of a nunchaku for sale to, or the sale of a
nunchaku to, a school which holds a regulatory or business license
and teaches the arts of self-defense.
(32)(e)(3) As used in this section, a "nunchaku" means an instrument
consisting of two or more sticks, clubs, bars or rods to be used as
handles, connected by a rope, cord, wire, or chain, in the design of
a weapon used in connection with the practice of a system of
self-defense such as karate.
(7) As used in this section, "metal knuckles" means any device
or instrument made wholly or partially of metal which is worn for
purposes of offense or defense in or on the hand and which either
protects the wearer's hand while striking a blow or increases the
force of impact from the blow or injury to the individual receiving
the blow. The metal contained in the device may help support the
hand or fist, provide a shield to protect it, or consist of
projections or studs which would contact the individual receiving a
blow.
(8) As used in this section, a "ballistic knife" means a device
that propels a knifelike blade as a projectile by means of a coil
spring, elastic material, or compressed gas. Ballistic knife does
not include any device which propels an arrow or a bolt by means of
any common bow, compound bow, crossbow, or underwater speargun.
(11) As used in this section, a "shuriken" means any instrument,
without handles, consisting of a metal plate having three or more
radiating points with one or more sharp edges and designed in the
shape of a polygon, trefoil, cross, star, diamond, or other geometric
shape for use as a weapon for throwing.
(13) As used in this section, a "belt buckle knife" is a knife
which is made an integral part of a belt buckle and consists of a
blade with a length of at least 21/2 inches.
(14) As used in this section, a "lipstick case knife" means a
knife enclosed within and made an integral part of a lipstick case.
(15) As used in this section, a "cane sword" means a cane, swagger
stick, stick, staff, rod, pole, umbrella, or similar device, having
concealed within it a blade that may be used as a sword or stiletto.
(16) As used in this section, a "shobi-zue" means a staff, crutch,
stick, rod, or pole concealing a knife or blade within it which may
be exposed by a flip of the wrist or by a mechanical action.
(17) As used in this section, a "leaded cane" means a staff,
crutch, stick, rod, pole, or similar device, unnaturally weighted
with lead.
(18) As used in this section, an "air gauge knife" means a device
that appears to be an air gauge but has concealed within it a
pointed, metallic shaft that is designed to be a stabbing instrument
which is exposed by mechanical action or gravity which locks into
place when extended.
(19) As used in this section, a "writing pen knife" means a device
that appears to be a writing pen but has concealed within it a
pointed, metallic shaft that is designed to be a stabbing instrument
which is exposed by mechanical action or gravity which locks into
place when extended or the pointed, metallic shaft is exposed by the
removal of the cap or cover on the device.
(24) As used in this section, a "dirk" or "dagger" means a knife
or other instrument with or without a handguard that is capable of
ready use as a stabbing weapon that may inflict great bodily injury
or death. A nonlocking folding knife, a folding knife that is not
prohibited by Section 653k, or a pocketknife is capable of ready use
as a stabbing weapon that may inflict great bodily injury or death
only if the blade of the knife is exposed and locked into position.
(24)(d) Knives carried in sheaths which are worn openly suspended from
the waist of the wearer are not concealed within the meaning of this
section.
