Are Switchblades Legal in Texas? Knife Laws, Blade Limits and Penalties

Last verified October 29, 2026 against current Texas law

Are switchblades legal in Texas? Yes. Since September 1, 2013, Texas has let people buy, own and carry switchblades, and the same goes for automatic knives and OTF knives. What still gets people in trouble is blade length and location. A knife with a blade over five and one-half inches cannot go into places such as schools, hospitals and bars that live off alcohol sales, and a person under 18 generally cannot carry one away from home, a family vehicle or a parent.

This page explains which Texas knife laws apply today, which knives people wrongly think are illegal, where even a legal knife can lead to a charge, and how federal law adds a limit when a knife crosses state lines.

Switchblades, automatic and OTF knives	Legal to own, carry and sell in Texas. Removed from the prohibited weapons list on September 1, 2013 (House Bill 1862).
Butterfly knives (balisongs)	Legal. Texas has no law that names them.
Main blade limit	A blade over 5.5 inches is a “location-restricted knife” under Penal Code § 46.01(6)
Where those longer knives are banned	Schools and colleges, polling places, courts, racetracks, bars that earn 51% or more from alcohol, hospitals, amusement parks and other places in Penal Code § 46.03(a)
Minors	Under 18, you cannot carry a location-restricted knife away from home, your vehicle or a parent (Penal Code § 46.02(a-4))
Permit needed?	No. Texas has no license for carrying knives.
Highest knife-carry penalty	Third-degree felony for a longer knife on school or college premises
Last big change	House Bill 1935, effective September 1, 2017

Are switchblades legal in Texas?

Yes. Until 2013, a switchblade was a prohibited weapon in Texas, and possessing, selling or carrying one was a crime. House Bill 1862 deleted the switchblade from Penal Code § 46.05(a) effective September 1, 2013, and nothing has put it back.

Today the list of prohibited weapons in that section covers items such as machine guns, explosive weapons, zip guns, armor-piercing ammunition, chemical dispensing devices and tire deflation devices. Knives are not on it.

Legal does not mean unlimited. A switchblade with a blade over 5.5 inches is also a location-restricted knife, so it follows the place and age rules covered below.

Are butterfly knives illegal in Texas?

No. Texas does not ban butterfly knives, also called balisongs. The state treats them like any other knife, so the only questions are blade length and where you are. Most balisongs fall under the 5.5 inch line, but measure yours, because a longer blade makes it a location-restricted knife.

Are OTF, automatic and gravity knives legal in Texas?

Yes, as far as Texas law goes. OTF (out-the-front) knives, automatic knives and gravity knives are not named in the Penal Code. They are legal to carry and own under the same blade-length and location rules as any other knife.

Federal law is the catch. The Federal Switchblade Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1241-1245, bars bringing a switchblade into interstate commerce, which means shipping or selling one across a state line. A sale from one Texas business to a Texas buyer is generally not interstate. Federal law also bars manufacturing, selling or possessing one in Indian country, which includes tribal land inside Texas.

What knives are illegal in Texas?

For adults, no type of knife is flatly illegal to own in Texas today. What the law restricts is the location-restricted knife: a knife with a blade over five and one-half inches. The Penal Code defines a knife as a bladed hand instrument capable of inflicting serious bodily injury or death by cutting or stabbing.

Before September 1, 2017, Texas used the term “illegal knife” and named more blade types. House Bill 1935 replaced it with the single 5.5 inch test. That is why daggers, bowie knives, swords and spears are no longer banned by type. They only matter if the blade is over 5.5 inches and you are in a restricted place.

Is it legal to carry a knife in Texas?

Yes. Adults can carry a knife in a pocket, on a belt or in a vehicle without a permit, openly or concealed. Texas has no license for knives. The permitless carry law, House Bill 1927 (2021), covers handguns only. For gun rules, see our guide to Texas gun laws.

A sword or machete is treated the same way: blade length decides. Walking down a public street with one is not a Penal Code offense by itself, but waving or threatening someone with it can turn into an assault charge, covered below.

Where can you not carry a longer knife in Texas?

Under Penal Code § 46.03(a), you cannot possess or go with a knife with a blade over 5.5 inches at the places below, among others. The list also covers the area within 1,000 feet of an execution site on an execution day if you were told. A building or part of a building counts as “premises,” so a parking lot or sidewalk generally does not.

Place	Rule
School or college buildings, school-sponsored activity grounds and school vehicles	Banned unless the school or college allows it in writing
Polling places	Banned on election day and during early voting
Courts and court offices	Banned unless authorized by court rules
Racetracks	Banned
Secured areas of airports	Banned
Bars and clubs earning 51% or more of income from on-premises alcohol	Banned. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission decides whether a business meets the 51% test.
High school, college and professional sporting events	Banned unless you are a participant using it in the event
Correctional and civil commitment facilities	Banned
Licensed hospitals, nursing facilities and mental hospitals	Banned without written authorization
Amusement parks	Banned. The statute defines these narrowly, as large permanent parks with rides, at least 75 acres, in counties with over one million people.
Open governmental meetings	Banned in the meeting room if the required notice was given

Peace officers and certain other officials are exempt under Penal Code § 46.15(a). Under § 46.15(e), the under-18 carry offense does not apply to a minor using a longer knife in a historical demonstration or a ceremony where the knife is significant.

Penalties for knife offenses in Texas

Offense	Level	Jail or prison	Fine up to
Longer knife on school or college premises	Third-degree felony	2 to 10 years	$10,000
Longer knife at most other restricted places, such as a bar or polling place	Class C misdemeanor	No jail	$500
Longer knife at sporting events, civil commitment facilities, hospitals or nursing facilities, amusement parks	Listed as Class A misdemeanor in § 46.03(g-2); confirm with a lawyer	Up to 1 year	$4,000
Under 18 carrying a longer knife (not home, own vehicle or with a parent)	Class C misdemeanor	No jail	$500
Selling or giving a longer knife to a child under 18	Class A misdemeanor	Up to 1 year	$4,000
Aggravated assault with a knife	Second-degree felony or higher	2 to 20 years	$10,000

The school felony comes from Penal Code § 46.03(g-1), and the sale to a minor from Penal Code § 46.06(a)(2). It is a defense to the sale charge if the child’s parent or guardian gave written permission or effective consent. Punishment ranges come from Penal Code §§ 12.21 to 12.34.

Using a knife to threaten or hurt someone is a separate crime. Under Penal Code § 22.02, an assault where you use or exhibit a deadly weapon is aggravated assault, a second-degree felony at minimum. A lawful knife can still be a deadly weapon in how it is used.

Real situations: how Texas knife law works

You carry a 6-inch hunting knife into a Houston sports bar

If the bar earns 51% or more of its income from on-premises alcohol sales, taking in a knife with a blade over 5.5 inches is a Class C misdemeanor. A shorter pocket knife is not covered by the location rule.

You bring a 7-inch camp knife into a classroom building at a Texas college

That is the serious one. A longer knife on school or college premises is a third-degree felony unless the school authorized it in writing. A campus parking lot is not “premises” under the statute, but school and college rules can still apply there.

A 16-year-old walks to a friend’s house with a 7-inch fixed-blade knife

This is a Class C misdemeanor under the minor rule, because the teen is not at home, in the family vehicle or with a parent. The same teen on a fishing trip with a parent is in a very different position.

You buy an automatic knife from a Dallas shop

That sale is legal under Texas law, and so is carrying the knife home. Having the same knife shipped to you from an out-of-state seller is where the federal act can come in.

Texas knife law timeline

Date	Change
September 1, 2013	House Bill 1862 removed the switchblade from the list of prohibited weapons
September 1, 2017	House Bill 1935 replaced “illegal knife” with “location-restricted knife,” a blade over 5.5 inches
September 1, 2021	House Bill 1927 allowed permitless handgun carry. It did not change knife rules.
2025	House Bill 2239 would have excused 51% alcohol businesses and amusement parks from the knife rule. It passed the House but was not enacted, and § 46.03 still lists both places.

Myths vs. facts about knives in Texas

Myth	Fact
“Switchblades are illegal in Texas.”	They were until September 1, 2013. They are legal now.
“You need a license to carry a knife.”	Texas has no knife permit.
“Any blade over 5.5 inches is illegal everywhere.”	It is only restricted in the places listed in Penal Code 46.03 and for people under 18.
“Butterfly knives are banned.”	Texas has no law naming them.
“Each city sets its own knife rules.”	State law blocks cities from regulating knives.

Do Houston, Dallas, Austin or San Antonio have different knife laws?

No. Under Local Government Code § 229.001, a city cannot regulate the transfer, possession, carrying or sale of knives. Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Fort Worth all follow the same statewide rules.

Private rules are different. A store, a school district, a stadium or a workplace can still set its own knife policy, and secured airport areas are a restricted place under Penal Code § 46.03(a)(5), with federal screening rules on top.

What to do if you are stopped or charged

Ask whether you are free to leave, stay calm, and do not argue about the law at the roadside. A Class C citation carries a date you must answer, and missing it can add a new charge.

Tell a lawyer the exact knife, its blade length and where you were. Those three facts decide most knife cases. If a longer knife was on school or college premises, the charge is a felony, so do not wait.

Frequently asked questions

Are switchblades legal in Texas?

Yes. Texas removed switchblades from its prohibited weapons list effective September 1, 2013. You can buy, own, carry and sell them. If the blade is over 5.5 inches, it is also a location-restricted knife, so you cannot take it into schools, hospitals, courts and the other places listed in Penal Code § 46.03.

Are butterfly knives illegal in Texas?

No. Texas law does not name butterfly knives or balisongs, so they follow the same rules as any other knife. They are legal to own and carry. If the blade is longer than 5.5 inches, you cannot take it into restricted places like schools, businesses that earn 51% or more of their income from on-premises alcohol sales, or polling places.

Are OTF knives and automatic knives legal in Texas?

Yes. OTF and automatic knives are legal to buy, own and carry in Texas, since the switchblade ban ended in 2013. Federal law only comes into play if one is shipped or sold across state lines, which the Federal Switchblade Act restricts, or if you possess one in Indian country.

Is it legal to carry a knife in Texas?

Yes. Texas does not require a license to carry a knife, openly or concealed. The limits are the 5.5 inch blade rule in listed places, the ban on minors carrying longer knives, and general criminal laws such as assault. The permitless carry law covers handguns, not knives.

What knives are illegal in Texas?

No type of knife is banned outright for adults. A knife with a blade over 5.5 inches is a location-restricted knife, so you cannot carry it into places such as schools, polling places, courts, hospitals and bars. People under 18 also cannot carry one outside home, their own vehicle or a parent’s supervision.

Is it legal to carry a sword in Texas?

Yes, in most settings. A sword has a blade over 5.5 inches, so it is a location-restricted knife. You can have it in public, but not in the places listed in Penal Code § 46.03, and not if you are under 18. Threatening someone with it can bring an aggravated assault charge.

If this affects you: if you have been cited or charged over a knife, speak with a Texas-licensed criminal defense attorney before your court date, especially if the charge involves a school or college. For firearm rules, see our guns and weapons guides, and for what to do when a knife is used in a fight, read about self-defense under Texas law. This guide is general legal information, not advice for your situation. Read how we research every guide in our editorial policy, or report an error.