In Texas, the legal landscape surrounding pocket knives is shaped by age and location restrictions. While there are generally no age restrictions to owning a pocket knife in Texas, carrying one, either openly or concealed, has legal stipulations.
Age and Supervision
- Under 18: Individuals under 18 cannot legally carry a location-restricted knife (blade over 5.5 inches) unless they are on their own premises or in a vehicle they control. They must be under the direct supervision of a parent or guardian.
- 18 and Over: Texans over 18 can carry knives, machetes, sabers, spears, and swords in most places statewide.
Permissible and Restricted Knives
- The “Texas Knife Law Reform Bill” (H.B. 1935), effective September 1, 2017, removed restrictions on knives with blades longer than 5.5 inches for individuals over 18. This includes Bowie knives, daggers, dirks, double-edged knives, poniards, stilettos, and swords.
- The law replaced the term “illegal knife” with “location-restricted knife,” defining it as a knife with a blade over 5.5 inches.
Restricted Locations
- Even with the relaxed laws, there are still locations where carrying knives with blades exceeding 5.5 inches is restricted.
- Carrying a location-restricted knife “knowingly, intentionally, or recklessly” under the age of 18 on premises not their own or in their vehicle is illegal.
Penalties
- A violation of § 46.02 (a4) (person under 18 in possession of a ‘location restricted knife’) and violations of § 46.03, with the exception of school locations, are classified as Class C Misdemeanors, carrying a maximum penalty of a fine not to exceed $500.
- If someone under 18 violates restrictions, it is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in county jail and/or a $4,000 fine. If the offense occurs in an establishment licensed to sell alcohol, it becomes a third-degree felony.
SOURCES
[1] https://keanradio.com/texas-knife-laws-age/
[2] https://sharpcriminalattorney.com/blog/criminal-law/open-carry-texas-swords-knives/
[3] https://www.lawteryx.com/blog/criminal-law/texas-open-carry-law/
[4] https://www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/criminal-defense/its-now-legal-to-open-carry-a-sword-in-texas/
