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legality of spring-assist knives in D.C.

tacticool

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2011
Messages
11
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
Hi, everybody. I am moving to from Pittsburgh to Arlington next week. I have a girlfriend who will be taking the Megabus down to D.C. to visit me every few weeks and I will have to go into D.C. to pick her up at the station. We both own spring-assist pocket knives, and so I was wondering if they are legal to possess in D.C.

I am aware of the dangerous weapons statute:
(a) No person shall within the District of Columbia possess any machine gun, sawed-off shotgun, knuckles, or any instrument or weapon of the kind commonly known as a blackjack, slungshot, sand club, sandbag, switchblade knife, nor any instrument, attachment, or appliance for causing the firing of any firearm to be silent or intended to lessen or muffle the noise of the firing of any firearms; provided, however, that machine guns, or sawed-off shotgun, knuckles,s, and blackjacks may be possessed by the members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps of the United States, the National Guard, or Organized Reserves when on duty, the Post Office Department or its employees when on duty, marshals, sheriffs, prison or jail wardens, or their deputies, policemen, or other duly-appointed law enforcement officers, including any designated civilian employee of the Metropolitan Police Department, or officers or employees of the United States duly authorized to carry such weapons, banking institutions, public carriers who are engaged in the business of transporting mail, money, securities, or other valuables, wholesale dealers and retail dealers licensed under § 22-4510.

(b) No person shall within the District of Columbia possess, with intent to use unlawfully against another, an imitation pistol, or a dagger, dirk, razor, stiletto, or knife with a blade longer than 3 inches, or other dangerous weapon.

(c) Whoever violates this section shall be punished as provided in § 22-4515 unless the violation occurs after such person has been convicted in the District of Columbia of a violation of this section, or of a felony, either in the District of Columbia or in another jurisdiction, in which case such person shall be imprisoned for not more than 10 years.

Source.

My question is, does anyone know if D.C. classifies spring-assist knives as switchblades, or know of any case law regarding this matter?

I am also going to going to get her some D.C.-legal pepper spray.
 
Last edited:

Grapeshot

Legendary Warrior
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
35,317
Location
Valhalla
Someone with better knowledge will have to address your question - I "think" they are legal and have done so myself.

Your moving from PA to Va (Arlington) makes the sub-forum location appropriate I believe. :D

BTW - Welcome to Virginia. Check out VCDL and join up - best $25.00 you'll ever invest.
 

opencarrypalmtrees

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2011
Messages
59
Location
pumpkinville
the law is listed below relating to anything with d.c. law regarding knives. I am not sure if you can interpret d.c. law the same way as virginia law in the sense that if the its not listed as prohibited then its okay. I looked at d.c. statutory law and I don't see any interpretation stating anything about knives being like kind to switchblades.... With that said it may be okay. I strongly suggest someone who knows how to interpret d.c. law put in their two cents



District of Columbia - § 22-4504.
Carrying concealed weapons; possession of weapons during commission of crime of violence; penalty.
(a) No person shall carry within the District of Columbia either openly or concealed on or about their person, a pistol, without a license issued pursuant to District of Columbia law, or any deadly or dangerous weapon capable of being so concealed...



District of Columbia - § 22-4514.
Possession of certain dangerous weapons prohibited; exceptions.

(a) No person shall within the District of Columbia possess any machine gun, sawed-off shotgun, or any instrument or weapon of the kind commonly known as a blackjack, slungshot, sand club, sandbag, switchblade knife, or metal knuckles, nor any instrument, attachment, or appliance for causing the firing of any firearm to be silent or intended to lessen or muffle the noise of the firing of any firearms; provided, however, that machine guns, or sawed-off shotguns, and blackjacks may be possessed by the members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps of the United States, the National Guard, or Organized Reserves when on duty, the Post Office Department or its employees when on duty, marshals, sheriffs, prison or jail wardens, or their deputies, policemen, or other duly-appointed law enforcement officers, including any designated civilian employee of the Metropolitan Police Department, or officers or employees of the United States duly authorized to carry such weapons, banking institutions, public carriers who are engaged in the business of transporting mail, money, securities, or other valuables, wholesale dealers and retail dealers licensed under § 22-4510.

(b) No person shall within the District of Columbia possess, with intent to use unlawfully against another, an imitation pistol, or a dagger, dirk, razor, stiletto, or knife with a blade longer than 3 inches, or other dangerous weapon.

(c) Whoever violates this section shall be punished as provided in § 22-4515 unless the violation occurs after such person has been convicted in the District of Columbia of a violation of this section, or of a felony, either in the District of Columbia or in another jurisdiction, in which case such person shall be imprisoned for not more than 10 years.




1996:

District of Columbia - 22-3214. (a) No person shall within
the District of Columbia possess any... switchblade
knife...
 

Dreamer

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
5,360
Location
Grennsboro NC
District of Columbia - § 22-4504.
Carrying concealed weapons; possession of weapons during commission of crime of violence; penalty.
(a) No person shall carry within the District of Columbia either openly or concealed on or about their person, a pistol, without a license issued pursuant to District of Columbia law, or any deadly or dangerous weapon capable of being so concealed...


Hey, what is this "license" for carry of which they speak?

Oh, yeah, that's right. After the Heller decision, the DC government ABOLISHED any provisions for a carry permit, in brazen violation of the 2A, and arguably in contempt of the decision of the SCotUS.

The entire DC city council should be brought up on Federal Conspiracy to commit TREASON charges, and also charged under the RICO act for engaging in an organised criminal enterprise, and given the appropriate punishments under law...
 

JoeSparky

Centurion
Joined
Jun 20, 2008
Messages
3,621
Location
Pleasant Grove, Utah, USA
Hey, what is this "license" for carry of which they speak?

Oh, yeah, that's right. After the Heller decision, the DC government ABOLISHED any provisions for a carry permit, in brazen violation of the 2A, and arguably in contempt of the decision of the SCotUS.

The entire DC city council should be brought up on Federal Conspiracy to commit TREASON charges, and also charged under the RICO act for engaging in an organised criminal enterprise, and given the appropriate punishments under law...

You've got no argument from me on this!
 
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