Connecticut’s knife laws are designed to impose stringent limits to carrying knives in public. However, there are categories of people who are exempted from these laws.
They include individuals pursuing their hobbies or professionals whose job requires that they carry knives. However, possession of exotic and dangerous knives such as ballistic knives is legal as long as they are used or displayed in the owner’s home.
Carrying of common knives in public and use is outlawed unless the person carrying it has an appropriate license to use it for hunting or for fishing activities. In this article, we look at the details of Connecticut’s knife laws.
Legality
One is free to own a knife in Connecticut as long as the knife remains at home. Fixed blade knives, gravity knives and balisong knives may be legally owned and kept in the home. One may also own switchblades, Bowie knives, sword canes, antique knives, ballistic knives, machetes, belt buckle knives, swords, an oil dip stick knife, daggers, stilettos, and locking blade knives. The law permits individuals to buy and sell all kinds of knives. Also, there are rules in place that allow and enable individuals to transfer knives in public to their place of sale or from the store to the purchase’s home.
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Illegal
Section 53-206 illegalizes carrying blades that are categorized as dangerous weapons. Classified knives include gravity knives, ballistic knives and switchblades. Other blades that are illegal include the dirk knife, stilettos and similar knives. A dirk knife refers to any blade with two edges including the single-edged knives whose clip is sharpened.
Note that section 53-206 singles out knives that have an automatic spring release, a knife that has a blade that measures one and a half inches long, one whose edged portion of the blade is four inches and stiletto knives are classified as dangerous weapons. Carrying such a weapons in public is prohibited and if found, you will be imprisoned for three years or pay a fine of not more than five hundred dollars. Chapter 29-38 prohibits carrying dangerous weapons in a vehicle. A person found violating the law may be sentenced to serve not more than five years or pay a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars or both. However, these two laws do not apply to military officers going to and from drill, duty, transporting them to trade show, or Individuals moving from an old house to a new house, or if one is licensed to use it for trapping, fishing and hunting.
Knife Length Limit
No one should carry a blade that is 4” long outside his home except in specified circumstances. The length refers to the measure along the cutting edge. Switchblades are illegal while the maximum length for automatic spring release knives is 1.5“. Law enforcement personnel are allowed to carry knives with longer cutting edges hence are exempted from this law.
Concealed Carry of Knives
The law in Connecticut does not make a distinction between knives that are concealed and those that are carried openly. The reason for this is that it is illegal to carry majority of the knives in public. However, if one carries a knife in a vehicle, he would be subjected to severe penalty compared to one carrying it openly.
Sources
https://www.cga.ct.gov/2007/rpt/2007-R-0346.htm
http://www.akti.org/state-knife-laws/connecticut/
http://law.justia.com/codes/connecticut/2011/title53/chap943/Sec53-206.html