Laws by place
What you can carry, and where
34 places, each read from the statute rather than a retailer's summary. Every page names its sources, the day we checked and what we could not confirm.
United Kingdom and Ireland
England & Wales
Carrying any blade or sharp point in public is an offence unless you prove good reason or lawful authority. The only exception is a non-locking folding pocketknife whose cutting edge is 3 inches (76.2 mm) or less. Locking folders, fixed blades and larger knives need a good reason. Automatic, gravity and butterfly knives are banned.
Checked 2026-10-27 · medium confidence
Northern Ireland
Section 139 Criminal Justice Act 1988 applies in Northern Ireland with the same wording as England: any blade or point in public is an offence unless you prove good reason or lawful authority, with a non-locking folding pocketknife (edge up to 3 inches) excluded. Flick/gravity knives are banned for sale; private possession bans are still pending.
Checked 2026-10-26 · medium confidence
Republic of Ireland
Any knife or other blade or sharp-pointed article in a public place is an offence under s9 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990, with no 3-inch or folding-knife exemption. You must prove a good reason, lawful authority, work use or a recreational purpose. Flick knives need a reasonable excuse and cannot be sold or imported.
Checked 2026-10-26 · medium confidence
Scotland
Scotland has its own law: s49 Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995. Carrying a blade or point in public is an offence unless you show a reasonable excuse or lawful authority. Non-locking folding pocketknives with an edge up to 3 inches are excluded. Locking folders, fixed blades and larger knives need an excuse. Flick, gravity and butterfly knives are banned.
Checked 2026-10-26 · medium confidence
Europe
Austria
Austria has no general knife-carry ban or length limit: ordinary pocket, locking and fixed utility knives are not 'weapons'. Switchblades, butterfly knives and daggers are weapons, banned for under-18s. Police can declare time-limited Waffenverbotszonen (e.g. parts of Vienna) where weapons and dangerous objects, including knives, may not be carried, with fines.
Checked 2026-10-26 · medium confidence
Czechia
Czech weapons law (Act 90/2024, in force since 1 Jan 2026) covers firearms and similar devices, not knives. No national offence for simply carrying a knife was found, and police and the Interior Ministry say carrying is not restricted. Owners of premises, transport operators, and assemblies can set their own limits. Threatening or injuring with a knife is an offence.
Checked 2026-10-26 · medium confidence
France
France has no list of 'allowed' pocket knives. Government answers treat knives as weapons you may own but may only carry or transport with a 'motif légitime', judged case by case. Since 2025 zombie knives are banned outright; butterfly and automatic knives are named category D weapons.
Checked 2026-10-27 · medium confidence
Germany
Carrying a knife that can be locked and used one-handed (Einhandmesser), or any fixed blade over 12 cm, is banned in public without a recognised reason or closed container. Switchblades and butterfly knives are banned outright. Since 31 Oct 2024 all knives are banned at public events and long-distance transport; states add local bans.
Checked 2026-10-26 · medium confidence
Italy
Italy tightened knife law on 25 April 2026. Carrying blades over 8 cm, or locking/one-hand folders of 5 cm or more, without a 'giustificato motivo' is now a crime with 6 months to 3 years. Butterfly, spring-activated and double-edged knives are banned outright. Other cutting tools still need a justification.
Checked 2026-10-27 · medium confidence
Netherlands
Dutch law names banned knives rather than banning all knives: switchblades, gravity/flick knives, butterfly knives, double-edged folders and folders over 28 cm open are banned outright, even at home. Ordinary single-edge folders up to 28 cm are tolerated, but local knife bans, venues and police circumstances can still catch you.
Checked 2026-10-26 · medium confidence
Poland
Polish law has no general ban on carrying an ordinary knife in public. Art. 50a of the Misdemeanours Code punishes having a knife in public only when circumstances show intent to commit a crime. Knives hidden in everyday objects, brass knuckles and similar items are treated as regulated 'weapons'. Knives are banned at mass events. Public debate on stricter rules is active after October 2026 school attacks.
Checked 2026-10-27 · medium confidence
Slovakia
The Slovak firearms act (190/2003) covers firearms only. Carrying 'cold weapons' such as daggers in public places is a priestupok under the Misdemeanours Act § 47(1)(h) (fine up to €1,500), but the law does not say which knives count, and no official guidance or case law was found. Treat as unclear.
Checked 2026-10-27 · low confidence
Spain
Spain bans automatic knives, daggers (double-edged, under 11 cm) and non-automatic folders with a blade over 11 cm. Other knives are weapons you may not carry outside home or work without need; police judge that need. A reform of the weapons regulation is being fast-tracked, but its knife content is not published.
Checked 2026-10-27 · medium confidence
Switzerland
Swiss Army-type and comparable pocket knives are not treated as dangerous objects. Switchblades and spring-assisted knives (over 5 cm blade, over 12 cm open), butterfly knives, throwing knives and symmetric daggers are 'weapons': banned to buy or import, and carrying needs a permit. Other knives may not be carried if you cannot justify it and seem to intend misuse.
Checked 2026-10-26 · medium confidence
North America
California
Concealed carry of a 'dirk or dagger' (fixed blades, or folders locked open) is a crime; a fixed blade worn openly is not covered by that rule. Switchblades with 2 in+ blades cannot be carried, kept in a vehicle's front area or sold. Schools and colleges have separate bans. Cities may add rules.
Checked 2026-10-26 · medium confidence
Canada (federal Criminal Code)
Canada has no blade-length limit and no general 'reason to carry' rule. Automatic, gravity and flick-open knives, push daggers and disguised blades are prohibited weapons. Any other knife can still be an offence if carried concealed or for a dangerous purpose. Cities and provinces add their own rules.
Checked 2026-10-26 · medium confidence
Florida
A 'common pocketknife' is not a legal 'weapon', so ordinary small folders face no carry rule except at schools. Other knives are 'weapons': since July 2023 eligible adults may carry them concealed without a licence, and no statute limits open carry of knives. No blade-length limit; ballistic knives are banned. Under-21 concealed carry is unsettled after a June 2026 ruling.
Checked 2026-10-26 · medium confidence
Illinois
State law bans switchblades and ballistic knives unless the person holds a valid FOID card, and bans carrying a dagger or dangerous knife with intent to use it unlawfully. Ordinary folders, fixed blades and balisongs have no statewide length limit. Chicago adds its own limits, including a ban on concealing blades over 2.5 inches. Home-rule towns may add rules.
Checked 2026-10-26 · medium confidence
Massachusetts
Section 269 §10(b) still lists banned knives for carrying: daggers, stilettos, dirks, ballistic knives and any double-edged blade. Commonwealth v. Canjura (SJC, Aug 2024) struck the switchblade/automatic clause, so carrying those is not enforceable. Ordinary single-edged folders and fixed blades are not listed, but the locking-blade 'device or case' wording is unclear. Local rules (e.g. Boston) may add limits.
Checked 2026-10-26 · medium confidence
New Jersey
New Jersey has no blade-length rule. Switchblades, gravity knives, daggers, dirks and stilettos are possession offences unless you have an explainable lawful purpose. Any other knife that counts as a weapon is an offence when carried under circumstances not manifestly appropriate for lawful use. Context decides outcomes.
Checked 2026-10-27 · medium confidence
New York City
State law applies (switchblades banned) plus city code 10-133: no knife with a 4 in or longer blade in public, and no knife carried in open view, including a visible clip, unless a listed exception applies such as work, hunting or transport from purchase. Transit system bans weapons.
Checked 2026-10-26 · medium confidence
New York State (outside NYC local rules)
Possessing a switchblade (automatic) knife, cane sword, metal knuckle knife or ballistic knife is a misdemeanour. Gravity knives were removed from the ban on 30 May 2019. Daggers and other knives are an offence only with intent to use unlawfully, which police may infer. No statewide blade-length limit; New York City adds its own rules.
Checked 2026-10-26 · medium confidence
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has no statewide blade-length, lock or opening-type limit; automatic knives were removed from the offensive-weapons definition in 2022. Intent to use a weapon criminally, schools, and court facilities are the main limits. There is no knife preemption, and Philadelphia's ordinance bans cutting weapons on streets (enforcement reportedly halted by a 2023 settlement).
Checked 2026-10-26 · medium confidence
Texas
Adults face no statewide ban on carrying knives, open or concealed, including switchblades, assisted openers, balisongs, daggers and fixed blades. A blade over 5.5 inches is a 'location-restricted knife', barred from listed places such as schools, hospitals and secured airport areas. Under-18s face limits on those long knives. Cities cannot add knife rules.
Checked 2026-10-26 · medium confidence
United States (federal law)
Federal law does not regulate ordinary carrying of knives on foot. It bans automatic (switchblade) and gravity/inertia knives in interstate commerce, the mail and federal enclaves, and bans weapons (knives over 2.5 in blade) in federal buildings and courthouses. State and local law governs everyday carry.
Checked 2026-10-26 · medium confidence
Washington State
State law bans spring-blade knives (automatics, gravity and flick knives) and furtively concealing a dagger or dirk. There is no blade-length limit. Spring-assisted knives that need hand exertion to overcome the closure bias are excluded. Cities may restrict knives: Seattle bans carrying any fixed blade and any knife over 3.5 inches.
Checked 2026-10-26 · medium confidence
Washington, DC
DC bans possessing switchblades. It also bars carrying any 'deadly or dangerous weapon', open or concealed, with no blade-length safe harbour. Courts ask whether a knife is dangerous by design or by circumstances. A blade over 3 inches matters only when unlawful intent exists. Federal buildings and sensitive sites add stricter bans.
Checked 2026-10-27 · medium confidence
Australia and New Zealand
Australia (national summary)
There is no national carry law; each state sets its own. In all five states covered, carrying any knife in public needs a lawful excuse (self-defence never counts), and automatic/butterfly knives are prohibited weapons. Imports of knives like flick, assisted-opening and butterfly are controlled federally. Tasmania, ACT and NT not covered.
Checked 2026-10-26 · medium confidence
New South Wales
Having any knife in a public place or school is an offence (up to 4 years) unless you prove a reasonable excuse such as work, food preparation, sport or religion; self-defence is not one. Flick, butterfly, push-dagger and similar knives are prohibited weapons needing a permit. Police can scan for knives.
Checked 2026-10-26 · medium confidence
New Zealand
Carrying any knife in a public place without reasonable excuse is an offence, with no length or type exceptions. Work, trade, fishing and similar uses can be an excuse; self-defence is not. Flick, gravity and butterfly knives cannot be imported without Police consent. Burden of proving excuse is effectively on the carrier.
Checked 2026-10-26 · medium confidence
Queensland
Physically possessing any knife in a public place or school is an offence (up to 18 months) unless you have a reasonable excuse such as work, sport, or using a pen/Swiss Army knife for ordinary utility; self-defence is not one. Flick, butterfly, push and similar knives are category M weapons. Police can scan anyone in any public place.
Checked 2026-10-26 · medium confidence
South Australia
Possessing any knife in a public place, school or place of worship without lawful excuse is an offence (up to 6 months). Butterfly, flick, push, trench knives, daggers, swords and machetes are prohibited weapons. Self-defence is no excuse for carrying an offensive weapon. Knives cannot be sold to under 18s.
Checked 2026-10-26 · medium confidence
Victoria
Any knife that is not a prohibited weapon is a 'controlled weapon': carrying it without lawful excuse risks up to 1 year. Lawful excuse covers work, sport, collecting; self-defence does not. Flick, butterfly, push, dagger, ceramic/non-metal knives and machetes are prohibited and need approval or a government exemption.
Checked 2026-10-26 · medium confidence
Western Australia
Carrying or possessing any knife or edged weapon anywhere in WA without a lawful excuse carries up to 3 years and a $36,000 fine. Lawful excuse covers work, sport, recreation and collection; self-defence does not, and the burden is on you. Butterfly and certain flick knives are prohibited. Police can wand in designated areas.
Checked 2026-10-26 · medium confidence
Not on the list? We add places only when we can read the primary source. How we check.