US state Laws about OTF Joker Knife

[Hulk1968]

From wiki ......I was just checking to see if it was legal in my state to own or carry an OTF switchblade knife (according to US state law, it is condsidered a spring-assisted switchblade) So..... Yes on both.

United States
Each individual state (and sometimes individual counties, cities, and towns) may, and often do, have laws restricting weapons including knives, often specifically mentioning switchblades. These state laws differ greatly, but as an example, in California:

653k. Every person who possesses in the passenger's or driver's area of any motor vehicle in any public place or place open to the public, carries upon his or her person, and every person who sells, offers for sale, exposes for sale, loans, transfers, or gives to any other person a switchblade knife having a blade two or more inches in length is guilty of a misdemeanor. For the purposes of this section, "switchblade knife" means a knife having the appearance of a pocketknife, and includes a spring-blade knife, snap-blade knife, gravity knife or any other similar type knife, the blade or blades of which are two or more inches in length and which can be released automatically by a flick of a button, pressure on the handle, flip of the wrist or other mechanical device, or is released by the weight of the blade or by any type of mechanism whatsoever. "Switchblade knife" does not include a knife that opens with one hand utilizing thumb pressure applied solely to the blade of the knife or a thumb stud attached to the blade, provided that the knife has a detent or other mechanism that provides resistance that must be overcome in opening the blade, or that biases the blade back toward its closed position. For purposes of this section, "passenger's or driver's area" means that part of a motor vehicle which is designed to carry the driver and passengers, including any interior compartment or space therein.
Connecticut law states that:

§ 53-206. Carrying of dangerous weapons prohibited.
(a) Any person who carries upon one's person any BB. gun, blackjack, metal or brass knuckles, or any dirk knife, or any switch knife, or any knife having an automatic spring release device by which a blade is released from the handle, having a blade of over one and one-half inches in length, or stiletto, or any knife the edged portion of the blade of which is four inches or over in length, any police baton or nightstick, or any martial arts weapon or electronic defense weapon, as defined in section 53a-3, or any other dangerous or deadly weapon or instrument, shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than three years or both. Whenever any person is found guilty of a violation of this section, any weapon or other instrument within the provisions of this section, found upon the body of such person, shall be forfeited to the municipality wherein such person was apprehended, notwithstanding any failure of the judgment of conviction to expressly impose such forfeiture
Federal laws also apply but generally restrict only the import, export and interstate transportation of switchblades. The Switchblade Act, (public law 85-623, enacted on August 12, 1958, and codified in 15 USC 1241-1245), prohibits the manufacture or transportation of switchblade knives in interstate commerce. It provides exceptions for government agencies, members of the Armed Forces, and for one-armed persons. The act was amended in 1986 to also restrict ballistic knives. 18 USC 1716 further restricts sending switchblade knives through the United States Postal Service, with a few exceptions.

In 2003, Florida Governor Jeb Bush overturned a questionable law stating "No one shall carry a self propelled knife". The law was cleared up to allow Florida residents to use so called switchblade knives. (Portion of 790.225, F.S)

U.S. state laws regarding possession, concealed and non-concealed
State - Possession - Carry

Alabama- Legal - Allowed if not concealed
Alaska - - Illegal - Illegal
Arizona --Legal - Legal
Arkansas -Legal -Allowed if not concealed, and blade is under 5 inches

California -Legal - Illegal
Colorado - Illegal - Illegal
Connect. - Legal - Legal
Delaware -Legal - Allowed if not concealed; concealed carry allowed with permit or license

Florida - Legal - Legal
Georgia- Legal - Legal
Hawaii --Illegal - Illegal
Idaho -- Legal - Allowed
Illinois - Illegal -Illegal
Indiana -Illegal - Illegal
Iowa - - Legal - Legal
Kansas -Illegal - Illegal
Kentucky - Legal - Allowed if not concealed

Louisiana - Illegal -Illegal
Maine ---- Illegal -Illegal
Maryland - Legal - Allowed if not concealed

Mass. - - - Illegal - Illegal
Michigan - Legal - Illegal
Minnesota -Legal - Illegal, only if the blade is above 6 inches

Mississ.. - Legal - Illegal
Missouri - Illegal, but exception made for collectors and/or possession as curios or antiques. Illegal

Montana Illegal, but exception made for collectors and/or possession as curios or antiques. Illegal

Nebraska - Legal - Allowed if not concealed

Nevada - Illegal - Illegal
New Hampshire - Illegal - Illegal
New Jersey - Illegal - Illegal
New Mexico - Illegal - Illegal
New York - - Illegal - Illegal
North Carolina - Legal - Allowed if not concealed

North Dakota - Legal - Allowed if not concealed

Ohio - -Legal - Illegal, only if the blade is above 6 inches

Oklahoma - Legal - Illegal, only if the blade is above 6 inches

Oregon - Legal - Allowed if not concealed
Pennsylvania - Illegal, but exception made for collectors and/or possession as curios. Illegal

Rhode Island - Legal - Illegal
South Carolina - Legal - Illegal
South Dakota - Legal - Legal
Tennessee - Illegal - Illegal
Texas - Illegal, but exception made for collectors and/or possession as curios or antiques -Illegal

Utah - Legal - Allowed if not concealed
Vermont - Illegal - Illegal
Virginia - Illegal - Class 4 Misdemeanor, VA Code 18.2-311

Washington State - Illegal - Illegal
West Virginia - Legal - Allowed if not concealed; concealed carry allowed with permit or license

Wisconsin - Illegal - Illegal
Wyoming - Legal - Illegal

 

[oakzap425]

Illegal for me in VA< just like everything else here.

 

[lemmasaurus]

What the hell do you wanna carry a switchblade around for, anyway? Do you feel threatened?

 

[Addendum]

Like it being illegal is going to stop people from owning one

 

[Nirvana]

Just as long as it's legal for me.

 

[AxlsAppetite]

What the hell do you wanna carry a switchblade around for, anyway? Do you feel threatened?

i sometimes do. When you latino in a latino neighborhood no matter what color you wear you're automatically a gang member. So sometimes i have to pull out one of my many switchblades and cut a mo'fo

 

[Bunker]

i sometimes do. When you latino in a latino neighborhood no matter what color you wear you're automatically a gang member. So sometimes i have to pull out one of my many switchblades and cut a mo'fo

Racist.

 

[Beanjuice]

this just proves that in certain cases the law is stupid and pointless. people can own Ak's and all other sorts of weapons. but a little knife isnt allowed

 

[Captain Planet!]

Jerry Manuel will cut you, yo!

 

[AxlsAppetite]

Racist.

That can't be racist. I'm latin talking about latin people.

this just proves that in certain cases the law is stupid and pointless. people can own Ak's and all other sorts of weapons. but a little knife isnt allowed

Well you have to get background checks and it could take months to get one. You can't hide an Ak and then just pop out with it, like you can with a knife.

 

[Darthphere]

Switchblades just make you look awesome, just like having an expensive lighter when you don't smoke.

 

[DAMU RYDER]

Racist.

^^^ how is dat racist?

 

[bullets]

That can't be racist. I'm latin talking about latin people.

You are racist against yourself.


Also any law that prohibits us from owning a weapon will result in the bad guys having guns while the law abiding citizens get robbed.

 

[Yerzrinot]

Switchblades are pieces of crap anyways. If you actually want a knife for self-defense (or offense) get a tactical knife.

 

[PyroChamber]

I guess this means I need stop carrying all six of my blades around then.

 

[Ghostvirus]

This is bulls**t! I wanna also grease my hair, & wear leather. Oh wait this isn't the 50's.*grease lightnings out of thread*

 

[Assassin]

I carry a knife with me to work, its not a swich blade, and i think Michigan law is 3 inches.

 

[Dark Victory]

Damn me and Ponyboy just gt new ones

 

[Hulk1968]

My new baby....front

and back...

 

[Majic Walrus]

Illegal for me in VA< just like everything else here.

Yeah. When I first moved here I got busted for a RADAR detector.

 

[DDS]

Knives ILLEGAL??!!

What is this world coming to?

 

[kainedamo]

Like it being illegal is going to stop people from owning one

Yeah and murder being illegal doesn't stop murders happening either.

 

[DDS]

Yeah and murder being illegal doesn't stop murders happening either.

Yeah, never stopped me.















Er...I mean...

 

[Hulk1968]

What's with all the hostility?
I just started this topic to show the difference in state laws regarding different varieties of knives.

 

[BlackLantern]

I've never felt the need to carry a knife nor debate the legalities of carrying one....maybe it's because I don't have feelings of inadequacy or insecurity to the point where I feel the need to carry a weapon on me at all times...