When it comes to carrying knives in Indianapolis, Indiana, there are no state laws that restrict the concealed or open carrying of knives, except on or within school grounds. In Merrillville, however, it is illegal to carry any knife in a concealed way in public. Generally speaking, public carrying of knives is not restricted in Indiana. It is illegal to use, buy, manufacture, transport and sell ballistic knives and throwing stars in the state.
In addition to these knives, there are no restrictions on carrying hidden or open knives and blades within the state. Some states require knives to be hidden and other states have blade length laws and may even limit the ability to carry a sword or machete. However, there is no blade or total length law in Indiana. Carrying the knife in your belt or attached to your pocket, whether fully or partially visible or hidden, will generally not get you into trouble in Indiana, except on school property or where it is prohibited locally, such as at an airport or a courthouse. Knives are mainly used for protection, hunting or maintenance work.
Although owning a knife is not illegal in the United States, each state has different regulations about the types of knives people can have. They also explain how legal knives should be transported and used. Federal law only prevents automatic knives and ballistic knives from being transported or sold on land or property under its jurisdiction. That law does not prevent such action on state lands, which must be determined by the state government.
Not all state knife laws are the same. To cover all those variations, we have a table that includes each state's laws and restrictions regarding everything from what knives are prohibited to how the state handles concealed transportation. States with the most complicated or confusing knife laws include California, Maine and Massachusetts. Despite our best efforts to explain and interpret the law for greater clarity, these can be very confusing, so do your own research and even get in touch with the state or municipality you plan to visit to save yourself from headaches later on.
California
: California is known for having quite complicated gun laws, and knives are no exception. It is completely illegal to introduce a weapon into public spaces such as schools, public buildings, and any property owned by the U.S. UU. As for knives you can't own or carry, these include air-calibrating knives, belt buckle blades, lipstick knives, pen knives, undetectable knives, Shobi-zue (a cane or rod containing a blade), cane knives, ballistic knives, and blades with a blade larger than 2 inches. The only knives that can be hidden are those that are folded and there are no restrictions on the length of the blade.
Fixed-blade knives such as fists, daggers and other knives with covers must be kept open and cannot be hidden.
Maine
: Maine is known for having rather vague knife laws. There are no limitations as to what you can have but carrying hidden objects has a lot of restrictions. It is illegal to carry Bowie knives, cocks, stilettos and other hidden dangerous or deadly weapons. On the other hand you can take all these knives out into the open.The only knives you can keep hidden are regular folding knives and any of the above mentioned if they are used for hunting fishing or catching.
Massachusetts
: Massachusetts has very few limitations on what you can own. These include balisong knives, butterfly knives, automatic knives, daggers, daggers stilettos push blades knives with brass knuckles disguised knives large knives (Bowie) and throwing knives. Carrying it and keeping it hidden is where it gets a little more complicated. First of all it is illegal to carry double-edged knives automatic daggers stilettos ballistic and any device that allows a knife with a lockable blade to be removed in a locked position legally considered “dangerous objects”.While there are no restrictions on what you can own it is illegal to carry any object that is considered dangerous while disturbing the peace or being arrested.In Massachusetts it's legal to carry folding Swiss Army and kitchen knives as long as you don't behave in a way that makes them dangerous.
Michigan
: While there are no restrictions on what you can own in Michigan their concealed carrying is severely restricted including what kind of knife can be carried and where they can be carried. The concealed carrying is illegal of daggers stilettos double-edged non-foldable stabbing instruments of any length and “any other dangerous weapon” The only exception are hunting knives and automatic (spring-assisted) that are “adapted” and transported as such.New York
: It's not news that New York has stricter gun laws than almost any other state so be sure to do your research and take precautions as laws change all the time. New York law doesn't differentiate between carrying a hidden sword or an unconcealed sword so if you carry a blade with you for any reason you must ensure that it is fixed and is less than 4 inches long. These kinds of blades can only be located where others cannot see them. There are several types of blades that you cannot carry with you including folding double-edged automatic daggers stilettos ballistic automatic with a blade of more than one and a half inches (1 ½) and any device that allows a knife with a lockable blade to be removed in a locked position legally considered “dangerous objects”.It's important for anyone who carries a knife in Indianapolis - whether openly or concealed - to understand their local laws regarding knife ownership as well as federal regulations regarding transportation across state lines.By doing your research ahead of time you can avoid potential legal issues down the road.
