Interesting Breakdown of U.S. Knife Laws

[NKlamerus]

I really like the way this is broken down and explained. It's sweet and simple. We all like pictures

I will post a link then see if I can post a copy of the photos. Note that it's for a mobile version I believe

http://www.knifeup.com/state-knife-carry-laws-know-your-rights/

[captain spaulding]

Kind of nice, but their are problems. The laws are not as cut and dry as that. Cool though.

[Higgins617]

I thought my state had a problem with knives being carried, I suppose I was wrong...

[NKlamerus]

Kind of nice, but their are problems. The laws are not as cut and dry as that. Cool though.

Agreed.

I've been into florida laws......they have got to be the most vague writing I've ever read.......

You would think a law like that would be as descriptive as possible.

[NKlamerus]

I thought my state had a problem with knives being carried, I suppose I was wrong...

The actual law, and the people who enforce said law may vary.

On one hand, I'm all for just agreeing with a cop and following his demands and going on my way.

On the other hand, if he doesn't know the law he stands for, we are going to have an issue.

[raistlin65]

Kind of nice, but their are problems. The laws are not as cut and dry as that. Cool though.

Agreed.

Plus in some states, local municipal ordinances override state laws.

[ColoSwiss]

A lot of times the laws are deliberately vague.

Was talking with a Virginia Highway Patrolman some years back. He said if you were stopped for speeding and carrying a Buck Folding Hunter, it would probably be ignored. If you were arrested for beating your wife and had a Vic Classic in your pocket, they would probably add carrying a deadly weapon on top of everything else.

[bmot]

A lot of times the laws are deliberately vague.

Was talking with a Virginia Highway Patrolman some years back. He said if you were stopped for speeding and carrying a Buck Folding Hunter, it would probably be ignored. If you were arrested for beating your wife and had a Vic Classic in your pocket, they would probably add carrying a deadly weapon on top of everything else.

I think that every law I saw so far has a clause leaving it to the discretion of the officer whether or not he'd see something as a weapon, knife, screwdriver, whatever it is.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I thought my state had a problem with knives being carried, I suppose I was wrong...

The actual law, and the people who enforce said law may vary.

On one hand, I'm all for just agreeing with a cop and following his demands and going on my way.

On the other hand, if he doesn't know the law he stands for, we are going to have an issue.

On the first hand you are likely to stay out of jail.

On the second hand, you are still better off to listen to the one hand then contact legal representation to investigate and argue your case.  I realize that can be a pain in the arse, but you are simply not going to win arguing with an officer on the street.  At the worst, you can insist that you speak to a Sargent and attempt to escalate the matter, but the reality is that a younger male insisting they know better than the officer (right or wrong) is likely to just open up a whole heap of trouble you don't need and might have to spend years trying to clear.

Def

[ironraven]

Those infographics are over simplified. Can you own a small automatic knife in vermont? Yes. Can you buy one over a certain length? Yes, with a nice letter from your boss saying you are law enforcement, a firefighter, EMS, or active duty military, or a letter from a doctor certifying that you have one hand, please talk to the stump. Now, can that knife be transfered to another person? Thats iffy, I don't know of law saying you can not but I'm not going into court to find out. Likewise, the small auto knife, don't carry it in public- just like brass knuckles, you can own it as a collector but carry in public is iffier legally.

But ColoSwiss has the point of it. These laws are vague on purpose. In some places, it's abused- in NYC, if you can open a folder with one hand in ANY way, it's a BAD KNIFE and you are a criminal. But it's like "possession of burglery tools"- if you have a Leatherman, if you are caught peaking in windows, it's a burglery tool. But my lock picks are just a hobby when they are at home. It's something to put a tossable charge into a package that can be negotiated.

[Grant Lamontagne]

About ten years ago Michigan tried to ban multitools entirely claiming that they were burglar tools.

Def