Automatic Knife Laws USA | Tactical Sporting Goods

Understanding the Legal Landscape

Most states do not prohibit automatic knives for non-law-enforcement citizens, but possession, carry (open vs. concealed), sale, manufacturing, and blade length can be regulated differently from state to state.

For detailed information on your state’s knife laws (including criminal code and blade length rules), click the links below:

State	Automatic Knife Status	Official or Reputable Law Resource
Alabama	Legal (no state ban)	Alabama Knife Laws – AKTI (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Alaska	Legal	AKTI Alaska Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Arizona	Legal	AKTI Arizona Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Arkansas	Legal	AKTI Arkansas Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
California	Legal w/ blade < 2″	California Knife Laws – TektoKnives (Tekto Knives)
Colorado	Legal w/ concealed carry blade max ~3.5″	AKTI Colorado Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Connecticut	Legal with ≤1.5″ blade	AKTI Connecticut Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Delaware	Illegal	AKTI Delaware Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
D.C.	Illegal	AKTI Washington D.C. Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Florida	Legal	AKTI Florida Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Georgia	Legal	AKTI Georgia Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Hawaii	Legal, no concealed carry	AKTI Hawaii Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Idaho	Legal	AKTI Idaho Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Illinois	Legal with FOID Card	AKTI Illinois Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Indiana	Legal	AKTI Indiana Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Iowa	Legal	AKTI Iowa Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Kansas	Legal	AKTI Kansas Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Kentucky	Legal ≥21	AKTI Kentucky Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Louisiana	Legal	AKTI Louisiana Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Maine	Legal	AKTI Maine Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Maryland	Legal w/ restrictions	AKTI Maryland Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Massachusetts	Legal (ban invalidated)	AKTI Massachusetts Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Michigan	Legal	AKTI Michigan Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Minnesota	Illegal	AKTI Minnesota Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Mississippi	Legal	AKTI Mississippi Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Missouri	Legal	AKTI Missouri Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Montana	Legal	AKTI Montana Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Nebraska	Legal	AKTI Nebraska Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Nevada	Legal	AKTI Nevada Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
New Hampshire	Legal	AKTI New Hampshire Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
New Jersey	Possession legal; commerce/manufacturing restricted	AKTI New Jersey Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
New Mexico	Not allowed outside private property	AKTI New Mexico Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
New York	Restricted (exceptions for hunting/fishing)	AKTI New York Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
North Carolina	Legal but concealed carry may be restricted	AKTI NC Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
North Dakota	Legal with ≤5″ blade	AKTI North Dakota Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Ohio	Legal	AKTI Ohio Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Oklahoma	Legal	AKTI Oklahoma Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Oregon	Legal	AKTI Oregon Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Pennsylvania	Legal	AKTI Pennsylvania Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Rhode Island	Legal	AKTI Rhode Island Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
South Carolina	Legal	AKTI South Carolina Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
South Dakota	Legal	AKTI South Dakota Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Tennessee	Legal	AKTI Tennessee Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Texas	Legal	AKTI Texas Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Utah	Legal	AKTI Utah Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Vermont	Legal	AKTI Vermont Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Virginia	Legal	AKTI Virginia Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Washington	Limited (possession usually restricted)	AKTI Washington Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
West Virginia	Legal ≥21	AKTI West Virginia Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Wisconsin	Legal	AKTI Wisconsin Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)
Wyoming	Legal	AKTI Wyoming Knife Law (American Knife and Tool Institute)

Additional Resources

📚 Federal Switchblade Knife Act Overview – Learn how federal restrictions affect interstate commerce and federal lands.
❓ Automatic Knife FAQs – Answers to common questions about ownership, carry, and legality across states. (Link to your own FAQ page)