Switchblade Legal States 2025

Legal
Illegal
6
Vague
2
Legal with FOID Card
Legal if blade is < 3"
State
Switchblades Legal to Own
Switchblades Legal to Sell
Switchblades Legal to Carry Openly
Switchblades Legal to Carry Concealed
Balisongs Treated Same as Switchblades
New Jersey Flag
New JerseyVagueIllegalIllegalIllegalNo
New York Flag
New YorkVagueIllegalIllegalIllegalNo
Illinois Flag
IllinoisLegal with FOID CardLegalLegal with FOID CardLegal with FOID CardNo
Vermont Flag
VermontLegal if blade is < 3"Legal if blade is < 3"Legal if blade is < 3"Legal if blade is < 3"No
Alabama Flag
AlabamaLegalLegalLegalLegal
Alaska Flag
AlaskaLegalLegalLegalLegal
Arizona Flag
ArizonaLegalLegalLegalLegal if carrier age is 21+
Arkansas Flag
ArkansasLegalLegalLegalLegal
California Flag
CaliforniaLegalLegal if blade is < 2"Legal if blade is < 2"Legal if blade is < 2"Yes
Colorado Flag
ColoradoLegalLegalLegalLegal if blade is < 3.5"No
Connecticut Flag
ConnecticutLegalLegalLegal if blade is ≤ 1.5"Legal if blade is ≤ 1.5"No
Florida Flag
FloridaLegalLegalLegalLegal if carrier has gun carry permit
Georgia Flag
GeorgiaLegalLegal (if over 18)Legal if blade is ≤ 5" (any length with gun carry permit)Legal if blade is ≤ 5" (any length with gun carry permit)
Idaho Flag
IdahoLegalLegalLegalLegal if blade is ≤4"No
Indiana Flag
IndianaLegalLegalLegalLegalNo
Iowa Flag
IowaLegalLegalLegalLegal if blade is ≤5"No
Kansas Flag
KansasLegalLegalLegalLegal
Kentucky Flag
KentuckyLegalLegalLegalLegal if carrier has gun carry permit
Louisiana Flag
LouisianaLegalLegalLegalLegalNo
Maine Flag
MaineLegalLegalLegalIllegalNo
Maryland Flag
MarylandLegalIllegalLegalLegal if carrier has gun carry permitNo
Massachusetts Flag
MassachusettsLegalLegal if blade is ≤ 1.5"Legal if blade is ≤ 1.5"Legal if blade is ≤ 1.5"No
Michigan Flag
MichiganLegalLegalVagueVagueNo
Mississippi Flag
MississippiLegalLegalLegalIllegalNo
Missouri Flag
MissouriLegalLegalLegalLegal if carrier has gun carry permitYes
Montana Flag
MontanaLegalLegalLegalLegalNo
Nebraska Flag
NebraskaLegalLegalLegalLegal if blade is ≤ 3.5"
Nevada Flag
NevadaLegalLegalLegalLegalNo
New Hampshire Flag
New HampshireLegalLegalLegalLegalNo
North Carolina Flag
North CarolinaLegalLegalLegalIllegalNo
North Dakota Flag
North DakotaLegalLegalLegalIllegal
Ohio Flag
OhioLegalLegalLegalLegalNo
Oklahoma Flag
OklahomaLegalLegalLegalLegal
Oregon Flag
OregonLegalLegalLegalIllegalYes
Pennsylvania Flag
PennsylvaniaLegalLegalLegalLegalNo
Rhode Island Flag
Rhode IslandLegalLegalLegalLegal if blade is ≤ 3"No
South Carolina Flag
South CarolinaLegalLegalLegalLegal
South Dakota Flag
South DakotaLegalLegalLegalLegal
Tennessee Flag
TennesseeLegalLegalLegalLegalYes
Texas Flag
TexasLegalLegalLegalLegalYes
Utah Flag
UtahLegalLegalLegalSituationalYes
Virginia Flag
VirginiaLegalLegalLegalIllegalNo
West Virginia Flag
West VirginiaLegalLegalLegalLegal if carrier age is 21+No
Wisconsin Flag
WisconsinLegalLegalLegalLegal if carrier can legally possess a firearm
Wyoming Flag
WyomingLegalLegalLegalSituational
Delaware Flag
DelawareIllegalIllegalIllegalIllegalNo
District of Columbia Flag
District of ColumbiaIllegalIllegalIllegalIllegalNo
Hawaii Flag
HawaiiIllegalIllegalIllegalIllegalNo
Minnesota Flag
MinnesotaIllegalIllegalIllegalIllegalNo
New Mexico Flag
New MexicoIllegalIllegalIllegalIllegalYes
Washington Flag
WashingtonIllegalIllegalIllegalIllegalYes
  • A balisong is a type of foldable knife, better known in the US as a butterfly knife, which is sometimes regulated alongside switchblades (also known as automatic or OTF knives) and sometimes regulated separately.
  • Michigan’s ban on switchblades was repealed as of Oct. 10, 2017. However, the legality of carrying a switchblade, either openly or concealed, is murky due to legal language regarding “other dangerous weapons”.
  • New Jersey allows possession of a switchblade for an “explainable lawful purpose”, but fails to provide any examples of such a purpose, thereby rendering switchblades effectively illegal.
  • New York law allows possession of a switchblade is the holder is hunting, fishing, or trapping with a valid license—however, the law says nothing regarding the legality of carrying or selling switchblades.
  • Pennsylvania removed restrictions on switchblades as of January 2023.