Pocket Knife Laws Illinois

Know The Law: Pocket Knife Laws Illinois – Before Buying

Before buying a penknife in any state in the USA, you need to know before hand whether owning one is legal or illegal in your state and what are the laws, rules or guidelines governing these knives. It is important to your compliance with the law and your obligation as a law abiding person to do so prior to you choose purchasing the knife. Always understand pocket knife laws Illinois to be protected.

 

Maine State Pocket Knife Laws

Pocket Knife Laws Illinois, United States

A pocket knife as defined by Wikipedia is a foldable knife with one or more blades that fit inside the handle that can still fit in a pocket. This pretty much sums up what all of us believe to be a foldable pocket knife. However, as in everything that affects our lives the law has a way of complicating things. Did I hear someone say, “to give the lawyers work?” I will not get into that but you know what I mean.

Now when you get into the laws, you first have to read what the law says is a knife or in other words what is the legal definition of a knife. Definition varies from state to state and even from county to county in respective states. What may be illegal in one place might be totally legal in another. Always check the respective State or county’s knife laws before you travel, therefore avoiding unnecessary confrontation with authorities in those areas. Here is a document giving you all the relevant laws by State or County.

Additionally, you should also know the jargon that goes with knife ownership to safeguard yourself from being outside the law. Things like carry and ownership law, edc, fixed blade, folding knife, switch blade, daggar , stilletto, gravity and bowie knife. Below is a short explanation of these terms.

Knife Laws Jargon in the State

EDC: Every Day Carry

Fixed blade: A knife that doesn’t fold with no mechanism to do so. Eg: kitchen knivesFolding Blades For EDC

Folding Knife: A knife whose blade folds and is concealed in its handle.

Carry Law: Plainly put a law which states what knife you can carry outside your home

Ownership Law: This law states in a nutshell what you can and cannot own even at home

Gravity Knife: A gravity knife is a knife with a blade contained in its handle, and which opens its blade by the force of inertia or gravity.

Bowie Knife: Large fixed blade knife said to be used by the legendary Jim Bowie.

Switchblade: This appears to be the boogeyman of knives and if you read this page here you know I love this knife it was my first. But it is defines as “A switchblade (also known as an automatic knife, pushbutton knife, ejector knife, switch, Sprenger,[1] Springer,[2][3] flick knife, or flick blade) is a type of knife with a folding or sliding blade contained in the handle which is opened automatically by a spring when a button, lever, or switch on the handle or bolster is activated.” Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switchblade

Are switchblades illegal in this US state?

Gravity knives are banned by the Federal Switchblade Act.  Ballistic knife: A knife with a spring-loaded blade that can be “fired” from the handle like a missile. Currently illegal under federal law.

Despite this manufacturers have been bending the rules by renaming, re-engineering and manufacturing different knife types; to beat the various the laws and have in recent times been pushing the envelope a bit.

Assisted-Opening Knife: An assisted-opening knife is a type of folding knife which uses an internal mechanism to finish the opening of the blade once the user has partially opened it using a flipper or thumbstud attached to the blade.

Stiletto: A stiletto (Italian: [stiˈletto]) is a knife or dagger with a long slender blade and needle-like point, primarily intended as a stabbing weapon.

Dagger: a short knife with a pointed and edged blade, used as a weapon.

Where can you safely carry a knife without fear of prosecution and where would you be prosecuted if you carry one. Well as previously stated each State has its own restrictions and exemption, so if unsure it best to check the law for that particular state to be on the safe side.

Illegal / Legal by States in alphabetical order: (check state law to be on safe side)

Legal= Yes, Illegal= No

Alabama: Yes Hawaii: No Massachusetts: Yes New York: Yes Tennessee: Yes
Alaska:   Yes Idaho: Yes Michigan: Yes New York City: Yes Texas: Yes
Arizona: Yes Illinois: Yes Minnesota: Yes North Carolina: Yes Utah: Yes
Arkansas: Yes Chicago: Yes Mississippi: Yes North Dakota: Yes Vermont: Yes
California: Yes Indiana: Yes Missouri: Yes Ohio: Yes Virginia: Yes
Los Angeles: Yes Iowa: Yes Montana: Yes Oklahoma: Yes Washington: Yes
Colorado: Yes Kansas: Yes Nebraska: Yes Oregon: Yes West Virginia: Yes
Connecticut: Yes Kentucky: Yes Nevada: Yes Pennsylvania: Yes Wisconsin: Yes
Delaware: Yes Louisiana: Yes New Hampshire: Yes Rhode Island: Yes Wyoming: Yes
Florida: Yes Maine: Yes New Jersey: Yes South Carolina: Yes
Georgia: Yes Maryland: Yes New Mexico: Yes South Dakota: Yes

Now this list only states whether you can carry a knife or not it makes no claim as to the type or whether it must be concealed or unconcealed. As have been said, check state laws first. Additionally, from time to time new rules and or regulations come into play and what is illegal today maybe legal tomorrow. Always check the updated pocket knife laws in your state.

 

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