Texas Knife Laws - Carrying in Bars or Clubs

[cowboysamurai12]

Hi guys

I have a Iowa CHL and a Texas CHL

I go to bars with my gf and friends sometimes, and obviously I can't carry a firearm in those places even if I wasn't drinking.

But what about knives? Is a folding knife going to be considered a weapon?

I also have a Olight M1X striker flashlight... Is that considered a weapon in a bar or club?

 

[zzyzzogeton]

The light would not be considered a weapon unless it was used as a weapon in some manner. And it would only matter in the long run if it were used as an OFFENSIVE weapon.

As to knives, that depends on the knife, the bar and the city the bar is in.

Under current Texas law, a "Location Restricted Knife", i.e., any knife with a blade length greater than 5-1/2" is prohibited from being carried in any "51% establishment", i.e., any business that derives over 51% of its income from the sale of alcoholic beverages, which would encompass all bars.

While there are no city specific laws to worry about (Thank You, Knife Rights and the Knife Preemption law), what you can carry into a bar and not be hassled by the management will vary by city. What might be acceptable in Podunk Texas might not fly in Dallas or Houston or Austin or.... any other large city.

I EDC a pair of fixed blades daily. I wear them all the time into restaurants. On the rare occasions that I go to a bar, I leave them in the vehicle. I leave the sheaths on my belt, but I don't carry the knives inside. I still have my Kabar 1122 Rigger's Knife, a Buck 510, BK11 and a Pro-Tech TR4 in my pockets.

Some bars, depending on the area of whatever town you are in, and also depending on the type of bar, might have metal detectors at the door or bouncers with hand-held wands.

 

[Rex G]

I see nothing in the Penal Code that prohibits carrying knives inside bars, unless the blade exceeds 5.5” in length. Some establishments in Houston do seem to wand people, upon entry, but the only legal effect would be to deny your entry into the building with the knife. They may, of course, ask you to leave the entire premises, which you would have to do, immediately, to avoid committing the offense of criminal trespassing.

I will not offer an opinion on a light with which I am unfamiliar, but unless it can be prosecuted as a “club,” a light is not a weapon, in and of itself.

Keep in mind that some security personnel and LEOs may have slept through their legislative update training, so their brains will still be thinking with pre-2017 synapses.

Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer. I was a Texas Peace Officer for more than 33 years, in Houston, Texas.

I do not generally go into bars, or other “51%” places, but if/when I do so, in the future, I do not plan to leave my knives outside. (I normally carry a stout karambit folder left front, and a sub-5.5” fixed-blade on the right side.) I will, of course, be fully cognizant that my chances of being seen as the bad guy will be much greater if I am the one who uses a knife defensively inside, or near, a bar.

 

[deltaboy]

Being a Pastor I generally don't go into those places except to get someone out and home!

 

[oldmanwilly]

zzyzzogeton is correct.

To add to the discussion, I am a Texan and have always carried at least one knife on me each day since I was a child. That did not change when I started going to bars in college and subsequent years and I have never been denied entry due to possession of a knife. Admittedly, I usually chose to carry one or more folders discreetly so that I would not raise any eyebrows. Only once did a bouncer in Houston notice a folder clipped into my pocket and ask that I un-clip and slip it out of sight.

You should be fine if you abide by Section 46 of the Texas Penal Code (https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PE/htm/PE.46.htm#46.01), consider your surroundings, use some discretion, and don't bring unwanted attention to yourself.