SC/NC Knife Laws

Carolina River Rat · Oct 29, 2008

Reading this got me wondering what the laws for knife ownership and carry are in these two states. I live in one and visit the other frequently. Can anyone direct me to a site, or even better, just tell me what they are since I'm a lazy bastard?

glistam · Oct 30, 2008

I'll sum up here, and provide links to the law below.

North Carolina - bowie knife, dirk, dagger, razor cannot be carried concealed. This is generally taken to include all fixed blade knives, though a clever bloke can argue his way out in court if it's just a single edged knife (but you will still be arrested). Also, it is a defense that you were headed to or using the knife for a lawful purpose, such as hunting, fishing, cooking, etc. but again you have to prove this in court.
"Ordinary pocket knives" are legal to carry, and no statute imposes an limit to the length of the blade. Case law has even upheld that a 4.5" blade was legal. Such knives fold into the handle and cannot be opened by spring action, "throwing" or explosive charge (?), which makes switchblades, spring assisted, ballistic knives and balisongs illegal to carry concealed.

South Carolina - This state is pretty rough, imposing a 2" blade limit for carrying concealed, though it does not specify that it has to be a folding or fixed blade. There is however no restriction to carrying at home. This law reads very strangely so there may be more to it, but this is as much sense as I can make of it.

http://pweb.netcom.com/~brlevine/nc.txt
http://pweb.netcom.com/~brlevine/sc.txt

Chiller2 · Oct 30, 2008

Actually SC removed that 2" restriction from the law this page has the info http://www.akti.org/news.html

Carolina River Rat · Oct 30, 2008

Awesome. Thanks ya'll.

joe-bob · Oct 30, 2008

I thought the SC law was recently repealed....?

Chiller2 · Oct 30, 2008

joe-bob said:
I thought the SC law was recently repealed....?

It wasn't repealed but they did make some changes in the language

The bill becomes law virtually immediately. Here are the pertinent amended sections:
Section 16-23-405 of the 1976 Code is amended to read: 'weapon' means firearm (rifle, shotgun,
pistol, or similar device that propels a projectile through the energy of an explosive), a blackjack, a metal
pipe or pole, or any other type of device, or object which may be used to inflict bodily injury or death.
(Removes the phrase knives with blades longer than two inches.)
Section 16-23-460 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
(C) The provisions of this section also do not apply to rifles, shotguns, dirks, slingshots, metal
knuckles, knives, or razors unless they are used with the intent to commit a crime or in furtherance of a
crime." (AKTI added knives to this list to reinforce removing the knife reference in 16-23-405.)

turk.919 · Oct 30, 2008

NC dosnt do crap about knife laws, i can carry ANYTHING and they dont do anything about it. good but bad at same time

and dont think i do not know what i am talking about, i live in raleigh and my family members are cops/detectives.

glistam · Oct 31, 2008

Chiller2 said:
It wasn't repealed but they did make some changes in the language

The bill becomes law virtually immediately. Here are the pertinent amended sections:
Section 16-23-405 of the 1976 Code is amended to read: 'weapon' means firearm (rifle, shotgun,
pistol, or similar device that propels a projectile through the energy of an explosive), a blackjack, a metal
pipe or pole, or any other type of device, or object which may be used to inflict bodily injury or death.
(Removes the phrase knives with blades longer than two inches.)
Section 16-23-460 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
(C) The provisions of this section also do not apply to rifles, shotguns, dirks, slingshots, metal
knuckles, knives, or razors unless they are used with the intent to commit a crime or in furtherance of a
crime." (AKTI added knives to this list to reinforce removing the knife reference in 16-23-405.)

Outstanding:thumbup: Nice to see some more rights being given back to us for knives.

Word of warning, the SC legislature website still has the old language of the statute, and the police force may not all be informed just yet (I've even met cops in MD who don't know our weapon statute changed 5 years ago). But at least you'd never be convicted.