Slovakia · checked 2026-10-27 · Low confidence

Knife carry law in 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.

This summary rests on thin sources. Open questions are listed at the end. Treat anything marked unclear as a reason to leave the item at home.

How we apply the law

Rules are checked from the top. The first one that fits decides. Every verdict on this site comes from this list, not from hand typed cells.

1No restriction foundScissors only
Scissors are not a typical 'cold weapon'. The second limb of § 47(1)(h) covers other injurious objects only where circumstances or behaviour suggest intended violence. No specific restriction found.
Source
2UnclearAny knife or tool, automatic or gravity or flick opening
Switchblades and butterfly knives are not named in the firearms act. Whether they are 'chladné zbrane' under § 47(1)(h) is not defined in the statute, and no official or court interpretation was found. Higher risk than a plain folder.
Source
3UnclearAny knife or tool, double edged
Daggers are named in § 47(1)(h) as examples of cold weapons. A double-edged blade is the closest match, so carrying one in public is at real risk of being treated as an offence. No interpretation found.
Source
4UnclearA fixed blade
A fixed-blade knife may be argued to be a cold weapon. The statute names daggers and bayonets but sets no blade length. The exceptions (hunting, fishing, sport, job) may apply but depend on the situation.
Source
5UnclearA folding knife, a multitool or a keychain tool
The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
Source
6UnclearAnything else
Catch-all: § 47(1)(h) is open-textured and no official interpretation was found. Treat any bladed item as uncertain.
Source

34 popular knives and tools, checked here

Specifications come from the makers. Where a maker does not publish the cutting edge length, a length rule can only be answered if even the full blade length falls on one side of the line. Otherwise the result is unclear, on purpose.

Product	Specs	Result
Buck 110 Folding Hunter	blade 95.3 mm (3.75 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
Leatherman Arc	blade 70.1 mm (2.76 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
Benchmade Bugout	blade 82.3 mm (3.24 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
Victorinox Cadet (Alox)	blade 64 mm (2.52 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
Victorinox Classic SD	blade 40 mm (1.57 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
Victorinox Climber	blade 67 mm (2.64 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
Morakniv Companion (stainless, Hi-Vis Orange shown)	blade 104 mm (4.09 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why A fixed-blade knife may be argued to be a cold weapon. The statute names daggers and bayonets but sets no blade length. The exceptions (hunting, fishing, sport, job) may apply but depend on the situation.
Spyderco Delica 4 (Lightweight)	65 mm cutting edge (2.56 in)	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
Gerber Dime	blade 38.1 mm (1.50 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
CIVIVI Elementum	blade 75.2 mm (2.96 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
Nagao Kanekoma Higonokami SK (Niwaki-sold Kanekoma)	blade 71 mm (2.80 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
Victorinox Huntsman	blade 67 mm (2.64 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
ESEE Izula-II	blade 66.8 mm (2.63 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why A fixed-blade knife may be argued to be a cold weapon. The statute names daggers and bayonets but sets no blade length. The exceptions (hunting, fishing, sport, job) may apply but depend on the situation.
Spyderco Ladybug 3	43 mm cutting edge (1.69 in)	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
Kershaw Leek	blade 76.2 mm (3.00 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
Leatherman Micra	blade 40.6 mm (1.60 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
Benchmade Mini Bugout	blade 71.6 mm (2.82 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
W.R. Case & Sons Mini Trapper	blade 69.9 mm (2.75 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
Opinel No.07 Stainless Steel	blade 80 mm (3.15 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
Opinel No.08 Stainless Steel	blade 85 mm (3.35 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
Spyderco Para 3	67 mm cutting edge (2.64 in)	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
Gerber Paraframe I (stainless, plain edge)	blade 76.5 mm (3.01 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
Ontario Knife Company RAT Model 1 (RAT I)	blade 88.9 mm (3.50 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
Spyderco Roadie	44 mm cutting edge (1.73 in)	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
Leatherman Skeletool CX	blade 66 mm (2.60 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
Victorinox Spartan	blade 67 mm (2.64 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
Spyderco Squeak	44 mm cutting edge (1.73 in)	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
CRKT Squid (Thumbstud)	blade 54.76 mm (2.16 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
CRKT Squid Assisted	blade 60.2 mm (2.37 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
Leatherman Squirt PS4	blade 40.6 mm (1.60 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
Victorinox Swiss Card Classic	blade length not published	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
Victorinox SwissTool Spirit X	blade length not published	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
W.R. Case & Sons Trapper	76.2 mm cutting edge (3.00 in)	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.
Leatherman Wave Plus	blade 74.2 mm (2.92 in); cutting edge not published	Unclear Why The statute does not say whether ordinary pocket knives are 'cold weapons'. Readings differ and no authoritative interpretation or case law was found. The exceptions (sport, hunting, fishing, work) may help but are untested.

What the verdict does not cover

Public transport and restricted zones: Not verified. No national transport ban on knives was found; carriers' own terms not read.
Schools, workplaces and events: Not verified. Exceptions in § 47(1)(h) cover carrying for sport, hunting, fishing, profession or employment. Schools, venues and employers may set their own rules.
In a vehicle: Not verified. The firearms act's rules on carrying and transport apply to firearms, not knives.
Age limits: No age limit for knives found in the laws read. The firearms act's age rules concern firearms and listed accessories.
Buying and importing: The firearms act does not regulate knives, so no licence or registration appears to apply to buying a knife. Import rules were not checked.
Penalties: Priestupok under § 47(1)(h): fine up to €1,500 (§ 47(2), version effective 1 Sep 2026). Police, municipalities and municipal police may handle § 47(1)(a)-(m) offences, including by on-the-spot fine (blokové konanie) per the 2026 text. Using a knife to threaten or injure is a separate criminal matter (not researched).
Recent changes: § 47(1)(h) has been in the Misdemeanours Act since 1 Jan 2004 (added by Act 190/2003 art. IV). Act 129/2026 Z. z. amends the Misdemeanours Act; the version effective 1 Sep 2026 still contains the same § 47(1)(h) text. What else 129/2026 changed was not read.
Pending changes: A bill amending the Police Corps Act (171/1993) was submitted in Aug 2026, per the Interior Ministry site; it was not checked for knife provisions. No Slovak bill on knives was found.

Sources

Zákon č. 372/1990 Zb. o priestupkoch, § 47 ods. 1 písm. h) (version effective 1 Sep 2026)
“nosí na miestach prístupných verejnosti chladné zbrane, najmä dýky, bodáky a šable”
Zákon č. 190/2003 Z. z. o strelných zbraniach a strelive, § 1 ods. 1 (scope: firearms)
“Tento zákon ustanovuje druhy a kategórie strelných zbraní”
Zákon č. 372/1990 Zb. o priestupkoch (Slov-Lex, current)

What we could not confirm

Which knives are 'chladné zbrane' under § 47(1)(h)? The statute has no definition and we found no official (Policajný zbor, Ministerstvo vnútra) statement or court decision. Secondary sources disagree (one retailer blog reads it as permitting visible carry unless violence is indicated; another site claims blade-length or opening rules that have no statutory basis).
Whether the 'ako aj iné predmety ...' clause modifies the whole sentence (so intent is needed for any item) or only the objects after the comma.
Municipal ordinances (VZN) on weapons or knives; the Act makes breach of duties set by municipal ordinances a public-order priestupok, but no ordinance was searched.
Public transport, schools, and age limits not verified.
Content of Act 129/2026 beyond § 47(1)(h) not read.
Wording of § 47(1)(h) verified on 2026-10-27 from the Slov-Lex version effective 1 Sep 2026: 'nosí na miestach prístupných verejnosti chladné zbrane, najmä dýky, bodáky a šable' (exceptions: uniform, folk costume, sport, hunting, fishing, profession or employment), 'ako aj iné predmety, ktorými možno ublížiť na zdraví, ak možno z okolností ... usudzovať, že sa majú použiť na násilie'. Fine up to €1,500 (§ 47(3)). The intent test is attached to 'other objects'; whether a pocket knife is a 'chladná zbraň' is still undefined.

Keep going

General information, not legal advice. Know something we got wrong? Tell us and include a source.