Switchblade Laws of the United States

The following is a comprehensive compilation of the laws on switchblades (also called automatics) in the United States. This chart covers both overall federal law and each state law. These laws are for non-law enforcement citizens, as nearly all laws contain some sort of exemption for police. In states where unlawful intent must be proven (and is not simply presumed) for the knife to be illegal, this chart counts this as "legal."

Legend:

• Private Ownership = Refers to the legality of merely owning a switchblade kept exclusively in the home.
• Sale = The legality of merchants and private citizens offering switchblades for sale or selling them. Usually includes any transfer of ownership, even gifts. Note that such laws almost always only affect the seller; no state law affects the buyer of such a transaction.
• Open Carry = legality of carrying a switchblade unconcealed and in plain view of others.
• Concealed Carry = legality of carrying a switchblade in a concealed manner on one's person (or most of the time, in a car).
• Balisong considered same thing? = Refers to if the wording of the law considers switchblades and balisongs to be the same thing. If "Yes," balisongs are subject to all the same restrictions as switchblades listed for that state. If "no" they are covered by a separate law and may or may not be legal. Blanks indicate the state has no laws about either.

Practical Matters

• If private ownership itself is illegal, then all others become illegal by default.
• If private ownership is legal, but sale is not, it effectively becomes impossible to legally obtain a switchblade from within that state (since federal law prohibits inter-state sale). One must physically travel to another state to legally purchase.

State	Private Ownership	Sale	Open Carry	Concealed Carry	Balisong considered same thing?
US Federal Law	Legal	Illegal when sold over state lines or imported from outside the US	Legal	Legal	Yes
Alabama	Legal	Legal	Legal	Legal
Alaska	Legal	Legal	Legal	Legal
Arizona	Legal	Legal	Legal	Legal if over 21 years old
Arkansas	Legal	Legal	Legal	Legal
California	Legal	Legal if blade is <2"	Legal if blade is <2"	Legal if blade is <2"	Yes
Colorado	Legal	Legal	Legal	Legal if blade is <3.5"	No
Connecticut	Legal	Legal	Legal if blade is ≤1.5"	Legal if blade is ≤1.5"	No
Delaware	Illegal	Illegal	Illegal	Illegal	No
District of Columbia	Illegal	Illegal	Illegal	Illegal	No
Florida	Legal	Legal	Legal	Illegal (Legal with gun permit)	N/A
Georgia	Legal	Legal (if over 18)	Legal if blade is ≤5" (any length with gun permit)	Legal if blade is ≤5" (any length with gun permit)
Hawaii	Illegal	Illegal	Illegal	Illegal	No
Idaho	Legal	Legal	Legal	Legal if blade is ≤4"	No
Illinois	Legal with FOID Card	Legal	Legal with FOID Card	Legal with FOID Card	No
Indiana	Legal	Legal	Legal	Legal	No
Iowa	Legal	Legal	Legal	Legal if blade is ≤5"	No
Kansas	Legal	Legal	Legal	Legal
Kentucky	Legal	Legal	Legal	Illegal (Legal with gun permit)
Louisiana	Legal	Legal	Legal	Illegal	No
Maine	Legal	Legal	Legal	Illegal	No
Maryland	Legal	Illegal	Legal	Illegal	No
Massachusetts	Legal	Legal	Illegal	Illegal	No
Michigan	Legal	Legal	Vague1	Vague*	No
Minnesota	Illegal	Illegal	Illegal	Illegal	No
Mississippi	Legal	Legal	Legal	Illegal	No
Missouri	Legal	Legal	Legal	Illegal (Legal with gun permit)	Yes
Montana	Illegal (ex. Curio or blade is ≤1.5")	Illegal (ex. Curio or blade is ≤1.5")	Illegal	Illegal	No
Nebraska	Legal	Legal	Legal	Legal if blade is ≤3.5"
Nevada	Legal	Legal	Legal	Legal	No
New Hampshire	Legal	Legal	Legal	Legal	No
New Jersey	Illegal	Illegal	Illegal	Illegal	No
New Mexico	Illegal	Illegal	Illegal	Illegal	Yes
New York	Illegal2	Illegal*	Illegal*	Illegal*	No
North Carolina	Legal	Legal	Legal	Illegal	No
North Dakota	Legal	Legal	Legal	Illegal
Ohio	Legal	Illegal	Legal	Illegal	No
Oklahoma	Legal	Legal	Legal	Legal
Oregon	Legal	Legal	Legal	Illegal	Yes
Pennsylvania	Illegal (ex. Curio)	Illegal (ex. Curio)	Illegal	Illegal	No
Rhode Island	Legal	Legal	Legal	Legal if blade is ≤3"	No
South Carolina	Legal	Legal	Legal	Legal
South Dakota	Legal	Legal	Legal	Legal
Tennessee	Legal	Legal	Legal	Legal	Yes
Texas	Legal	Legal	Legal	Legal	Yes
Utah	Legal	Legal	Legal	Situational	Yes
Vermont	Legal	Legal if blade is <3"	Legal	Legal	No
Virginia	Illegal	Illegal	Illegal	Illegal	No
Washington	Illegal	Illegal	Illegal	Illegal	Yes
West Virginia	Legal	Legal	Legal	Legal if over 21 years old	No
Wisconsin	Legal	Legal	Legal	Legal (if one legally can possess a firearm)
Wyoming	Legal	Legal	Legal	Situational

Footnotes 1. Michigan's ban on Switchblades was repealed, with the law going into effect on October 10, 2017. The new law makes Possession and Sale legal, but open and concealed carry are uncertain due to the vagueness of the "other dangerous weapon" language. 2. New York's state law provides an exception for "Possession of a switchblade or gravity knife for use while hunting, trapping or fishing by a person carrying a valid license." Whether this affects sale or type of carry is unclear.