Touring Washington DC with a knife

I've been to the Museum of Natural History, the National Gallery of Art, and the Hirshhorn Gallery within the past week. The National Gallery and the Hirshhorn didn't even have metal detectors, while the guard at Natural History measured my knife (a Spyderco Cricket), then let me pass with it. For the most part, I've had no trouble taking knives into Smithsonian Museums. Now, if you're interested in visiting the Capitol Building, the Supreme Court, the Washington Monument--basically any Federal Building or anything controlled by the Parks Department--you'll have to leave your knife behind.
 
Here is the law on carrying knives into federal buildings:
TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE

PART I--CRIMES

CHAPTER 44--FIREARMS

Sec. 930. Possession of firearms and dangerous weapons in
Federal facilities

(a) Except as provided in subsection (d), whoever knowingly
possesses or causes to be present a firearm or other dangerous weapon in
a Federal facility (other than a Federal court facility), or attempts to
do so, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 1
year, or both.
(b) Whoever, with intent that a firearm or other dangerous weapon be
used in the commission of a crime, knowingly possesses or causes to be
present such firearm or dangerous weapon in a Federal facility, or
attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not
more than 5 years, or both.
(c) A person who kills or attempts to kill any person in the course
of a violation of subsection (a) or (b), or in the course of an attack
on a Federal facility involving the use of a firearm or other dangerous
weapon, shall be punished as provided in sections 1111, 1112, and 1113.
(d) Subsection (a) shall not apply to--
(1) the lawful performance of official duties by an officer,
agent, or employee of the United States, a State, or a political
subdivision thereof, who is authorized by law to engage in or
supervise the prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution
of any violation of law;
(2) the possession of a firearm or other dangerous weapon by a
Federal official or a member of the Armed Forces if such possession
is authorized by law; or
(3) the lawful carrying of firearms or other dangerous weapons
in a Federal facility incident to hunting or other lawful purposes.

(e)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), whoever knowingly
possesses or causes to be present a firearm in a Federal court facility,
or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not
more than 2 years, or both.
(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to conduct which is described in
paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (d).
(f) Nothing in this section limits the power of a court of the
United States to punish for contempt or to promulgate rules or orders
regulating, restricting, or prohibiting the possession of weapons within
any building housing such court or any of its proceedings, or upon any
grounds appurtenant to such building.
(g) As used in this section:
(1) The term ``Federal facility'' means a building or part
thereof owned or leased by the Federal Government, where Federal
employees are regularly present for the purpose of performing their
official duties.
(2) The term ``dangerous weapon'' means a weapon, device,
instrument, material, or substance, animate or inanimate, that is
used for, or is readily capable of, causing death or serious bodily
injury, except that such term does not include a pocket knife with a
blade of less than 2\1/2\ inches in length.
(3) The term ``Federal court facility'' means the courtroom,
judges' chambers, witness rooms, jury deliberation rooms, attorney
conference rooms, prisoner holding cells, offices of the court
clerks, the United States attorney, and the United States marshal,
probation and parole offices, and adjoining corridors of any court
of the United States.

(h) Notice of the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) shall be
posted conspicuously at each public entrance to each Federal facility,
and notice of subsection (e) shall be posted conspicuously at each
public entrance to each Federal court facility, and no person shall be
convicted of an offense under subsection (a) or (e) with respect to a
Federal facility if such notice is not so posted at such facility,
unless such person had actual notice of subsection (a) or (e), as the
case may be.

(Added Pub. L. 100-690, title VI, Sec. 6215(a), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat.
4361; amended Pub. L. 101-647, title XXII, Sec. 2205(a), Nov. 29, 1990,
104 Stat. 4857; Pub. L. 103-322, title VI, Sec. 60014, Sept. 13, 1994,
108 Stat. 1973; Pub. L. 104-294, title VI, Sec. 603(t), (u), Oct. 11,
1996, 110 Stat. 3506.)

Amendments

1996--Subsec. (e)(2). Pub. L. 104-294, Sec. 603(t), substituted
``subsection (d)'' for ``subsection (c)''.
Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 104-294, Sec. 603(u)(1), redesignated subsec.
(g), related to posting notice in Federal facilities, as (h).
Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 104-294, Sec. 603(u)(2), substituted ``(e)''
for ``(d)'' wherever appearing.
Pub. L. 104-294, Sec. 603(u)(1), redesignated subsec. (g), related
to posting notice in Federal facilities, as (h).
1994--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103-322, Sec. 60014(2), substituted
``(d)'' for ``(c)''.
Subsecs. (c) to (g). Pub. L. 103-322, Sec. 60014(1), (3), added
subsec. (c) and redesignated former subsecs. (c) to (f) as (d) to (g),
respectively.
1990--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 101-647, Sec. 2205(a)(1), inserted
``(other than a Federal court facility)'' after ``Federal facility''.
Subsecs. (d), (e). Pub. L. 101-647, Sec. 2205(a)(2), (3), added
subsec. (d) and redesignated former subsec. (d) as (e). Former subsec.
(e) redesignated (f).
Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 101-647, Sec. 2205(a)(2), redesignated subsec.
(e) as (f). Former subsec. (f) redesignated (g).
Subsec. (f)(3). Pub. L. 101-647, Sec. 2205(a)(4), added par. (3).
Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 101-647, Sec. 2205(a)(5), inserted ``and notice
of subsection (d) shall be posted conspicuously at each public entrance
to each Federal court facility,'' after ``each Federal facility,'', ``or
(d)'' before ``with respect to'', and ``or (d), as the case may be''
before the period.
Pub. L. 101-647, Sec. 2205(a)(2), redesignated subsec. (f) as (g).

Effective Date of 1990 Amendment

Section 2205(b) of Pub. L. 101-647 provided that: ``The amendments
made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall apply to conduct
engaged in after the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 29,
1990].''

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in sections 2332b, 2339A of this title;
title 20 section 1415.
Click to expand...

This was the reading of the law as of about 8 months ago and you may wish to check one of the sites that Shootist has so nicely posted for us for any updates. The real problem is that, for some agencies, security has trumped the Code of Federal Regulations and their guards, usually rent-a-cops, are enforcing some Executive Director's concept of security and, from what I have heard, do not take well to having the CFR quoted to them!?! :barf: I carry a copy of 18USC930 in my pack at all times, as I work in a federal agency and can never tell when some hyperofficious soul will take umbrage at a pocketknife. It has happened before and will likely happen again.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top