Knife Carry Laws in Pennsylvania Explained

An Overview of PA’s Knife Laws

PA knife laws are governed primarily by 18 Pa.C.S.A. Section 907, which states, in pertinent part as follows: (a) Offense defined.-A person commits an offense if he carries a firearm or knives, irrespective of length, concealed on or about his person or in a vehicle. (b) Exception.-Subsection (a) does not apply to any of the following: (1) Peace officers , including members of the armed forces and National Guard and the Pennsylvania Air National Defense Force while in the performance of their official duties. (2) Individuals who may legally possess firearms or knives but who carry them concealed for purposes other than illegal purposes. (3) Individuals carrying in a concealed manner authorized by a court order or licenses. (4) Individuals carrying knives in their place of abode. (5) Antiques who may not be used as weapons. (6) Individuals carrying tools during the course of employment or for other lawful purposes. (7) Members of the armed forces or National Guard and the Pennsylvania Air National Defense Force while under orders for military service. (8) Employees of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission while engaged in carrying out the Commission’s security duties. (9) Individuals who hold valid licenses to carry firearms concealed on their person or in their vehicles issued under the provisions of Subchapter B. (c) Exception to subsection (b)(2).-Paragraph (2) of subsection (b) does not apply to individuals who are carrying firearms or knives concealed on their person or in their vehicles for purposes of unlawful acts defined as felonies under the laws of this Commonwealth or of the United States.

Legal Knives You Can Carry

Pennsylvania law does not have a specific list of knives that one can carry, however, it makes certain distinctions between types of knives in defining offenses. Accordingly, there are distinctions between what constitutes an Illegal Knife, a Disabling Knife, and an Unlawful Weapon.
Illegal knives in Pennsylvania are knives which are illegal for any citizen to carry. These illegal knives are daggers, dirks, razor blades, stilettos, and any other dangerous knife of the sort commonly known as a stiletto. As the definitions below show, daggers, dirks, and stiletto knives are simply defined as "similar types" of knives.
"Dagger." A dagger is a knife with a double-edged blade and sharpened point, used or intended for stabbing. Examples of daggers are: dirk, stiletto, poniard, and bodkin. "Dirk." A dirk is a short dagger used as a stabbing weapon. It is used or intended for stabbing. "Stiletto." A stiletto is a penknife or small dagger with a blade thrust into a handle.
Although no specific length is required for daggers, dirks, and stiletto knives to be classified as an illegal knife, the definition below states that these types of knives must be "worn on or about the person" to be unlawful. The definition also provides a distinction for "daggers," "dirks" and "stiletto knives" that are not "worn upon the person" but instead "kept in a concealed manner upon the premises where such possessor resides," which will be considered a "Disabling Knife" or "Unlawful Weapon," depending on the purpose for possessing the knife.
"Knife." A knife is any dagger, dirk, razor, stiletto, or similar type instrument which may inflict serious bodily injury or death.
"Disabling Knife." A disabling knife is any knife other than a dagger, dirk or stiletto that is carried concealable, and could inflict serious bodily injury or death, and is used or intended to be used for purposes of causing serious bodily injury or death.
"Unlawful Weapon." An unlawful weapon is any knife other than a dagger, dirk or stiletto that is carried concealed and could inflict serious bodily injury or death, and is used or intended to be used for purposes of causing serious bodily injury or death, or is possessed or used for purposes of use of force as defined under 18 Pa.C.S. § 505, (relating to use of force in self-protection.

Age Requirements for Carrying Knives

For those under the age of 18, it is a summary offense for a minor to lawfully possess a weapon on their own person. However, a person under the age of 18 may lawfully possess a knife or other dangerous weapon if they are lawfully engaged in hunting, trapping, fishing, sports or home repair if they are with a parent or guardian. A minor may also possess a knife if they are using it for educational purposes within a supervised program at school or elsewhere. More broadly, a minor may not possess a knife on their person if they are prohibited from carrying a firearm.

Open Carry vs. Concealed Carry

The distinction between concealed and open carry of a knife or other deadly weapon is an important one in determining the legality of the carrying of the knife. As noted above, it is generally legal to carry knives openly as long as the knife is not a prohibited offensive weapon or part of another crime. See 18 Pa.C.S. 907. Conversely, concealed carry of a deadly weapon, with a few exceptions, can be a crime under 18 Pa.C.S. 6106. With most weapons like handguns, a concealed weapon permit under 18 Pa.C.S. 6109 is required. There is no such requirement for the concealed knife. Note that no permit is needed to carry any knife openly. It appears that the courts of Pennsylvania still warn of a potential for violation of the "commonwealth’s rule of reason," which is often cited for the proposition that carrying a knife is illegal when the circumstances demonstrate that the intent of the person was to conceal the knife from view. Its usage in cases involving knives is certainly questionable. Courts have also indicated that the manner of carrying the knife affects whether a conviction can be sustained. In Commonwealth v. Brown, 160 A.2d 188 (Pa. Super. 1960), the court held that hidden knives of a normal size, which were not gripped by the accused, were not considered concealed. Hidden, it should be noted, does not mean "concealed" in the common usage. "Hidden" may mean exposed but haphazardly located. The key to the case is that the knife was not held or gripped by the defendant. Now, it should be noted that a knife carried in a pocket is typically considered hidden and concealed. Open carry means the knife must be in plain view, not simply on your belt, for example.

County and Local Knife Carry Restrictions

Differences in knife laws may exist beyond the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. These ordinances are passed by counties and municipalities and typically are not widely reported. A good starting point to see if your area has a regulation is the NPA Knife Rights Interactive Knife Law Map. This map is a community-supported database which tracks state knife laws, and in some cases, local knife laws.
Some municipalities where such ordinances may apply include Philadelphia, Philadelphia International Airport and Allegheny County . In Philadelphia, under the Firearms Regulations (Title 14, Chapter 110), it is a separate offense to carry knives with the following blade designs or features:
Reporting requirements may also exist on the state level for certain types of knives ("switchblade knife," "automatic knife," "ballistic knife," and "bikini knife") under the New Jersey and New York knife laws if you are transporting the knives to or through these states.
This is not an exhaustive list of regulations by county and city in Pennsylvania. You should check in with your local municipality and county for any ordinances that may be more restrictive than the law in Pennsylvania.

Penalties for Unlawfully Carrying a Knife

In Pennsylvania, the penalties for carrying a knife in violation of state laws generally depend on the circumstances of the illegal carry. A minor violation can lead to a small fine, while a significant infraction could result in a felony conviction and years of imprisonment. As such, it is critical to examine the particulars of any knife-related criminal case to see where it best fits under the relevant law.
5th Degree Misdemeanor: Up to $300 fine and/or 90 days in jail
3rd Degree Misdemeanor: Up to $2500 and/or 1 year in prison
2nd Degree Misdemeanor: Up to $5,000 and/or 2 years in prison
1st Degree Misdemeanor: Up to 5 years in prison
Felony of the 3rd Degree: Up to 7 years in prison
Felony of the 2nd Degree: Up to 10 years in prison
Felony of the 1st Degree: Up to 20 years in prison
The court may also impose a fine in addition to any term of imprisonment. The court may require a victim to be reimbursed by the defendant up to the amount of his or her damages. Restitution may not be made, however, if a defendant is acquitted of a violent crime charge.

Self-Defense and Knife Carry

Background on Self-Defense in Pennsylvania
Since knives fall into the large category of weapons as defined by Pennsylvania law, it is important to know how use of such weapons in self-defense is handled in the Commonwealth.
In Pennsylvania, the "Castle Doctrine" is often discussed in conjunction with using a weapon, and the "Castle Doctrine" provides several tiers of protection. This doctrine permits individuals the ability to protect themselves in their homes, places of business and property. For example, what are you legally permitted to do when someone unlawfully enters your home? If someone attacks you or threatens to attack you, Pennsylvania law allows you to use deadly force against such individual.
Pennsylvania has three general tiers of protection: The first tier states that if you are attacked by an intruder in your home, you have no obligation to retreat and can use deadly force to protect yourself if you obtain no opportunity to escape, unless you are the initial aggressor. The second tier states that if you are attacked in your place of business , you are under no duty to retreat. The third tier allows you to use deadly force to protect yourself from anyone else.
Pennsylvania law also provides some circumstances in which an individual cannot claim self-defense if he or she uses a weapon. For instance, if you are the one who started the fight, then you are not able to claim self-defense. It is important to note that the "stand your ground" law does not define situations involving characteristics of the other person like age or gender, therefore one could argue that a petite woman could use deadly force to protect herself against a man who is significantly larger and taller than her. The fact that a woman is smaller than another individual therefore has no relevancy to whether she can claim self-defense. Pennsylvania law does not provide a duty to retreat if the use of deadly force is otherwise justified. There is no "equal fight doctrine" in Pennsylvania. If you have been attacked, you do not have to stop fighting should you believe you have achieved equality.