Massachusetts Knife Laws

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your Massachusetts Knife Laws Knife laws in Massachusetts are quite broadly described. You need to remember some important things if you want to know about the laws.

Though there are no banned knives to own here, knife carrying, manufacturing and selling are restricted to some particular knives in some particular situations.

To make all these clear to you, we are providing you the best explanations of the knife laws’ statements. See for yourself what the law says.

Knife Carrying Laws in Massachusetts

These knives mentioned below are illegal to carry both openly or concealed,

Stilettos
Daggers
Dirks
Ballistic knives
Knives having double-edged blades
Metallic knuckles or knuckles
Switchblades & automatic knives over one and one-half inches of blade size
Slung-shot
Blackjack

The code 269, section 10 (b) describes the illegal carrying knives.

“(b) Whoever, except as provided by law, carries on his person, or carries on his person or under his control in a vehicle, any stiletto, dagger or a device or case which enables a knife with a locking blade to be drawn at a locked position, any ballistic knife, or any knife with a detachable blade capable of being propelled by any mechanism, dirk knife, any knife having a double-edged blade, or a switch knife, or any knife having an automatic spring release device by which the blade is released from the handle, having a blade of over one and one-half inches, or a slung-shot, blowgun, blackjack, metallic knuckles or knuckles of any substance which could be put to the same use with the same or similar effect as metallic knuckles,…

Punishment

Those who commit disturbance of the public peace carrying these illegal dangerous knives open or concealed will be punished by,

Imprisonment for not less than two and one-half years nor more than five years in the state prison or,
Imprisonment for not less than six months nor more than two and one-half years in a jail or house of correction.

Exception: Those who have not been previously convicted of a felony, he/she will be punished by;

a fine of not more than fifty dollars or,
Imprisonment for not more than two and one-half years in a jail or house of correction.

The statement- code 269, section 10 (b) goes on mentioning the punishment as below,

“…or whoever, when arrested upon a warrant for an alleged crime, or when arrested while committing a breach or disturbance of the public peace, is armed with or has on his person, or has on his person or under his control in a vehicle, a billy or other dangerous weapon other than those herein mentioned

and those mentioned in paragraph (a), shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than two and one-half years nor more than five years in the state prison, or for not less than six months nor more than two and one-half years in a jail or house of correction, except that, if the court finds that the defendant has not been previously convicted of a felony, he may be punished by a fine of not more than fifty dollars or by imprisonment for not more than two and one-half years in a jail or house of correction.”

Knife Manufacturing & Selling Laws in Massachusetts

Manufacturing, selling or displaying the knives mentioned below are illegal here,

Dirk knives
Automatic knives or switchblades having blades of more than one and one-half inches.
Ballistic knives
Metallic knuckles or knuckles

Punishment: Those who will Sell or manufacture or display these knives mentioned above will be punished by,

a fine of not less than $50.00 to not more than $1,000 or,
Imprisonment of not exceeding six months.

Code 269, section 12 describes the law below.

“Section 12– Whoever manufactures or causes to be manufactured, or sells or exposes for sale, an instrument or weapon of the kind usually known as a dirk knife, a switch knife or any knife having an automatic spring release device by which the blade is released from the handle, having a blade of over one and one-half inches or a device or case which enables a knife with a locking blade to be drawn at a locked position, any ballistic knife, or any knife with a detachable blade capable of being propelled by any mechanism…

…or metallic knuckles or knuckles of any other substance which could be put to the same use and with the same or similar effect as metallic knuckles, shall be punished by a fine of not less than fifty nor more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than six months,” …

Knife Laws for Schools

Anyone who carries a dangerous knife on school premises or at school-related events or athletic games will be expelled from the school by the principal.

“(a) Any student who is found on school premises or at school-sponsored or school-related events, including athletic games, in possession of a dangerous weapon, including, but not limited to, a gun or a knife; or a controlled substance as defined in chapter ninety-four C, including, but not limited to, marijuana, cocaine, and heroin, may be subject to expulsion from the school or school district by the principal.”

Knives that are Legal to Own

Except for those restricted knives for carrying openly and concealed in Massachusetts, there is no knife illegal to own here.

All kinds of pocket knives are legal to own.
Balisong knives and butterfly knives are legal to own.
Switchblades, gravity knives, and other automatic knives are legal to own.
Dirks, daggers, and stilettos are legal to own.
All kinds of undetectable knives are legal to own.
Throwing knives and throwing stars and other martial arts’ weapons are legal to own.
Ballistic knives are legal to own.
Bowie knives are legal to own.
Knives that are disguised under lipstick, pen, cane, belt etc. are legal.

Blade Size

Only switchblades’ blade size is fixed here and that is one and one-half inches. Switchblades are illegal to carry both openly or concealed if this blade size exceeds.

Otherwise, there are no fixed blade sizes for other knives.

Sum up to the Knife Laws in Massachusetts

Though the knife Laws in Massachusetts are little broad, these are not that much tricky.

Knife carrying laws are strict here for those dangerous knives. Those mentioned dangerous knives are restricted to carry concealed or openly in most other states too.

Here the legal limit of blade size for the switchblades is one and one-half inches which is way shorter than the other states.

Selling and manufacturing those particular dangerous knives are restricted here too. Otherwise, owning all types of knives is legal here in Massachusetts.