Automatic knives are legal in Kentucky. You can buy one, own one, carry it openly, and, if you are at least 21 and otherwise eligible to possess a firearm, carry it concealed without a permit. Kentucky places no restrictions on knife types, and no city or county is allowed to add its own. The limits that do apply are about where you take the knife and who you are, not the knife itself.
Owning and Buying an Automatic Knife
Kentucky has no restricted knife categories. Automatic knives (switchblades), gravity knives, ballistic knives, balisongs, and daggers are all legal to own, buy, and sell, as confirmed by the American Knife and Tool Institute.1American Knife and Tool Institute. Kentucky Knife Laws A purchase at a Kentucky retailer is treated like any other retail transaction.
State preemption under KRS 65.870, amended in 2013 to cover knives alongside firearms, prevents any city or county from passing a local ordinance that restricts knife types beyond state law.2Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Kentucky Senate Bill 211 Since state law restricts nothing, local law can’t either.
There is also no state law restricting knife sales to minors. KRS 527.100 applies only to handguns.3Justia Law. Kentucky Revised Statutes 527.100 – Possession of Handgun by Minor Individual retailers may still set their own age policies.
Carrying Openly
Open carry of any knife, including an automatic, is legal in Kentucky with no permit and no license. The Kentucky State Police confirm that laws governing open carry of deadly weapons are unrestricted.4Kentucky State Police. CCDW FAQs A knife clipped to the outside of a pocket or carried in a visible belt sheath counts as open carry.
Carrying Concealed
Kentucky is a constitutional carry state. Under KRS 237.109, anyone at least 21 years old who is otherwise legally allowed to possess a firearm may carry a concealed deadly weapon without a permit.5Justia Law. Kentucky Revised Statutes 237.109 – Authorization to Carry Concealed Deadly Weapons Without a License An automatic knife is a deadly weapon under KRS 500.080, which defines that term to include any knife other than an ordinary pocket knife or hunting knife.6Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Kentucky Revised Statute 500.080 – Definitions for Kentucky Penal Code So the permitless carry rule covers switchblades. You can carry one in a pocket, inside a waistband, or in a bag with no paperwork.
Permitless carry came in with Senate Bill 150, effective 2019.7Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Kentucky General Assembly – Senate Bill 150 Kentucky still issues concealed carry licenses, mainly for the reciprocity they provide when traveling to other states.
If you are under 21, you can carry an automatic knife openly but not concealed, unless you hold a concealed deadly weapons license under KRS 237.110. Carrying concealed without meeting the age requirement or holding a license is a criminal offense under KRS 527.020.8Justia Law. Kentucky Revised Statutes 527.020 – Carrying Concealed Deadly Weapon
Where You Can’t Take It
Schools
KRS 527.070 makes it illegal to possess any deadly weapon on the property of a public or private elementary or secondary school, including buildings, buses, athletic fields, and recreation areas.9Justia Law. Kentucky Revised Statutes 527.070 – Unlawful Possession of a Weapon on School Property The offense is a Class D felony, punishable by one to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.10Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Kentucky Revised Statute 532.020 – Designation of Offenses
The statute does not cover colleges, universities, or other postsecondary institutions.9Justia Law. Kentucky Revised Statutes 527.070 – Unlawful Possession of a Weapon on School Property Postsecondary schools can still restrict weapons on their own property under KRS 237.115, so check the campus policy.11Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Kentucky Revised Statute 237.115 – Construction of KRS 237.110
Government Buildings
KRS 237.115 authorizes state, city, county, and urban-county governments to restrict concealed deadly weapons in buildings they own, lease, or occupy.11Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Kentucky Revised Statute 237.115 – Construction of KRS 237.110 Courthouses, police stations, jails, and legislative meeting rooms commonly prohibit weapons. If a posted government building bars concealed deadly weapons, carrying your automatic knife inside violates the rule.
Federal Property
Federal law applies regardless of what Kentucky allows. Under 18 U.S.C. § 930, possessing a dangerous weapon in a federal facility is a federal crime punishable by up to one year in prison, and up to two years in a federal courthouse.12Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 930 – Possession of Firearms and Dangerous Weapons in Federal Facilities A “dangerous weapon” includes anything readily capable of causing death or serious injury, with an exception only for pocket knives with blades under 2½ inches.13Legal Information Institute. Definition: Dangerous Weapon from 18 USC 930(g)(2) Most automatic knives exceed that blade length. Treat federal buildings as no-go.
National parks are a hybrid. Firearms are generally permitted if you follow the host state’s law, but 36 C.F.R. § 2.4 prohibits other weapons, traps, and nets absent an exemption.14eCFR. 36 CFR 2.4 – Weapons, Traps and Nets Whether an automatic knife is covered by the general prohibition or benefits from the firearms exemption is ambiguous. Keep it stored and inaccessible on NPS land.
Private Property
Private property owners and businesses can prohibit weapons on their premises. The Kentucky State Police note that state law does not prevent property owners from excluding people carrying weapons, and refusing to leave when asked can lead to a criminal trespass charge.15Kentucky State Police. Restrictions on Carrying by Qualified License Holders A posted sign or a verbal request from an employee is enough.
Who Can’t Carry
Convicted Felons
Kentucky’s felon-in-possession statute, KRS 527.040, covers firearms specifically rather than all deadly weapons.16Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Kentucky Revised Statute 527.040 – Possession of Firearm by Convicted Felon That does not open the door to carrying an automatic knife concealed. KRS 237.109 permits concealed carry of a deadly weapon only by someone who can otherwise lawfully possess a firearm.5Justia Law. Kentucky Revised Statutes 237.109 – Authorization to Carry Concealed Deadly Weapons Without a License A convicted felon cannot, so a felon carrying a concealed automatic knife violates KRS 527.020.8Justia Law. Kentucky Revised Statutes 527.020 – Carrying Concealed Deadly Weapon
Open carry of a knife by a felon is a grayer area because no Kentucky statute explicitly bars it the way KRS 527.040 bars firearm possession. A felon openly carrying what plainly qualifies as a deadly weapon still invites law enforcement attention. If you have a felony conviction, talk to a criminal defense attorney before carrying any weapon.
People Under Domestic Violence Orders
If you are subject to a domestic violence protective order, the order itself may bar you from possessing any weapon. Federal law under 18 U.S.C. § 922 also prohibits firearm possession by people subject to qualifying protective orders, and KRS 237.109 ties concealed carry eligibility to lawful firearm possession. Violating a court-ordered weapons restriction can result in contempt and additional criminal charges.
Buying Across State Lines and Traveling
Kentucky’s laws stop at the state line. The Federal Switchblade Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1241, restricts the introduction of switchblade knives into interstate commerce and their shipment across state lines for commercial purposes.17Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1241 – Definitions The federal definition covers knives with blades that open automatically by hand pressure on a button, by gravity, or by inertia.
The federal act does not prohibit you from possessing an automatic knife inside Kentucky. It targets manufacturers, importers, and commercial sellers. Buying from a Kentucky retailer for personal use is not a federal issue. Ordering online from an out-of-state seller technically involves interstate commerce, though enforcement against individual buyers is extremely rare. The more practical obstacle is that some online retailers and shipping carriers refuse to ship automatic knives at all.
Traveling out of state with one is the real risk. Many states still ban or restrict switchblades, and Kentucky’s rules give you no protection once you cross the line. Check the laws of your destination and every state along the route before you pack an automatic knife.