Knife
Laws by
State

There is no single federal blade length limit — each state sets its own rules, and they apply specifically to concealed carry. Open carry is often unrestricted. The strictest state is Massachusetts at 1.5 inches concealed, while permissive states like Arizona and Kansas have no limit. Most moderate states fall between 2.5 and 4 inches. Use the blade length table above to check your state quickly.

It depends entirely on the state. About 17 states fully allow switchblades — including Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. States like California, New York, New Jersey, Hawaii, and Massachusetts ban them outright. The federal Switchblade Knife Act of 1958 restricts interstate commerce in switchblades, but does not govern in-state possession — so your state law is what matters day to day.

Generally yes — knives are allowed in national parks and on most federal land for outdoor activities. However, federal buildings, courthouses, and military installations prohibit knives entirely regardless of state law. Individual park visitor centers and administrative buildings follow federal building rules. Fixed-blade hunting knives and pocket knives are almost universally accepted for camping and outdoor use on trail and at campsites.

This is one of the most contested knife law questions. Some states — including South Carolina and parts of Ohio — have prosecuted pocket knives clipped to the outside of a pocket as "concealed" because the blade itself is not visible. Others treat any visible clip as open carry. There is no universal rule. The safest approach: if you're in a state with a concealed carry limit, keep your blade length under that limit regardless of how you carry it.

Unlike firearms, there is no federal preemption for knives, so crossing a state line means you must immediately comply with the destination state's laws. Transporting a switchblade across state lines can also violate the federal Switchblade Knife Act even if both states individually permit them. If you're driving through a restrictive state — New Jersey, California, Massachusetts — your knife must comply with that state's rules for the duration of your time there.