Laws and regulations vary from state to state, county to county and within different cities in the same county. It would be impossible to keep current a compilation of all knife-related laws. AKTI has researched sources and information to help you search for knife laws that affect you.
Researching Laws and Legislation
- A Guide to Understanding the Laws of America Regarding Knives. AKTI’s pamphlet describing basic knife laws, consequences of violations and guidance to finding state laws. Also available as a PDF. Start here before searching out specific laws.
- FindLaw.com – Laws, lawyers, and resources
State Laws
Be careful when researching state laws on the internet. Sites that list all the laws by state are frequently not current. Always check the state’s own legislative site to confirm information.
- The National Conference of State Legislatures has links to statutes, bills, constitutions, legislators and the state’s website.
- The Law School of Cornell University has links to legal materials by state.
Check out the legislative session charts and calendars for introducing bills in various states at StateNet.com
Local Laws
- Contact your local law enforcement department to request information.
- Check out municipal codes in other cities Municode.com or American Legal Publishing
Federal Laws
- 1958 Federal Switchblade Act – is the only federal knife law other than laws about knives in federal facilities. The 2009 Amendment clarified assisted-opening knives are not switchblades.
- Thomas – U.S. Congress on the Internet; Legislative Information from the Library of Congress
- United States Codes – Current public laws enacted.
- Regulations – Find, review, and submit comments on Federal documents that are open for comment and published in the Federal Register, the U.S. Government’s legal newspaper.
- Check the U.S. Government Official Web Portal – USA.gov for links to the three federal branches of government – executive, judicial and legislative.
Finding a Knife-Knowledgeable Lawyer
- National Association of Attorneys General – Attorneys General are the chief legal officers of the states, commonwealths, and territories of the United States. Contact your state attorneys general office. Ask for the staff knowledgeable about knife laws.
Important Supreme Court Decisions
AKTI Executive Director Jan Billeb with Attorney Alan Gura, lead attorney in D.C. v Heller and McDonald v. Chicago, landmark Supreme Court cases protecting 2nd Amendment rights of Americans to keep and bear arms, and that states cannot ban that right. Ms. Billeb was presented with a signed bound copy of the Heller decision.District of Columbia v. Heller affirmed that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to keep and bear arms. The historic 2008 ruling overturned Washington, D.C.‘s ban on handguns and self-defense in the home.
McDonald v. City of Chicago was a landmark victory, reaffirming the Second Amendment Right to Keep and Bear Arms as a fundamental right, regardless of where one lives, and no state, county or local government can take away that right.
- Read the decision
- Review NRA 1st Freedom Special Edition – regarding the decision
Tracking Pending Legislation
- AKTI tracks pending legislation in all 50 states and the federal level. Members have access to those bills we’re monitoring in the Member Login section.
- Govtrak.us – Track events in Congress, see voting records, track legislators’ activity