Brass knuckles are not illegal in Kentucky. You can own them, keep them at home, and if you’re 21 or older and can lawfully possess a firearm, carry them concealed without a permit. The catch is that Kentucky classifies brass knuckles as a “deadly weapon,” so the same location bans and age restrictions that apply to firearms apply here too, and some of those violations are felonies.
Owning Brass Knuckles at Home
No Kentucky statute bans ownership. KRS 527.020 also expressly allows a person to carry a concealed deadly weapon on property they own or lease, or on property owned or leased by a spouse, parent, grandparent, or child.1Justia. Kentucky Code 527.020 – Carrying Concealed Deadly Weapon Keeping brass knuckles in your home, on your land, or at a business you solely own is not a crime. The legal questions start when you leave that property.
Kentucky law uses the term “artificial knuckles” and includes knuckles made of metal, plastic, or other similar hard material in the definition of “deadly weapon” under KRS 500.080, alongside firearms, certain knives, and clubs.2Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Kentucky Revised Statutes 500.080 – Definitions for Kentucky Penal Code That label is what pulls brass knuckles into the firearm-style rules below.
Carrying Them Concealed
Since June 2019, Kentucky has had permitless concealed carry. Any person 21 or older who can lawfully possess a firearm may carry a concealed deadly weapon, including brass knuckles, without a license.3Kentucky State Police. Permitless Carry The statute reaches “any deadly weapon, as defined by KRS 500.080,” which is how brass knuckles are covered.4Kentucky State Police. CCDW FAQs
Under 21, the rule flips. Kentucky prohibits anyone under 21 from carrying a concealed deadly weapon off their own property. The Kentucky State Police put it directly: people under 21 “may be eligible to possess a firearm, but are not allowed to carry the firearm (or other deadly weapon) concealed in Kentucky.”3Kentucky State Police. Permitless Carry A person under 21 caught with concealed brass knuckles in public faces criminal charges.
Open Carry
Kentucky has no general statute restricting open carry of deadly weapons. According to the Kentucky State Police, the only open-carry statutes involve weapons on school property and loaded firearms in establishments that sell alcohol by the drink.4Kentucky State Police. CCDW FAQs The alcohol provision applies to loaded firearms, not brass knuckles, so the school ban is the main open-carry restriction that reaches knuckles directly.
Brass Knuckles in a Vehicle
Kentucky draws a helpful line for vehicles. A deadly weapon stored in any factory-installed enclosed compartment of a motor vehicle, including the glove compartment, center console, and seat pockets, is not considered “concealed on or about the person,” locked or not.1Justia. Kentucky Code 527.020 – Carrying Concealed Deadly Weapon This matters most for someone under 21: brass knuckles in the glove box are not being carried “concealed on or about” the person. The exception is tied to compartments installed by the manufacturer, so an aftermarket lockbox may not qualify.
Where You Cannot Take Them
Even an adult who can legally carry concealed faces location-based bans, and some of them are felonies.
Schools
KRS 527.070 makes it a Class D felony to possess any deadly weapon on school property, carried openly or concealed. The ban covers school buildings, buses, campuses, athletic fields, and recreation areas of any public or private school. A Class D felony is punishable by one to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. The school offense is charged as a felony from the start; no prior conviction is required. Postsecondary institutions are governed separately under KRS 237.115, which lets them set their own weapons policies.5Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Kentucky Revised Statutes 237.115 – Construction of KRS 237.110
Jails and Prisons
KRS 527.020 prohibits carrying a concealed deadly weapon into a detention facility without permission from the warden, jailer, or person in charge. The statute specifies that “detention facility” does not include courtrooms or other premises used by the Court of Justice or administered by the Administrative Office of the Courts.1Justia. Kentucky Code 527.020 – Carrying Concealed Deadly Weapon Courthouses can still restrict weapons, but through a different provision.
Posted Government Buildings
KRS 237.115 lets state, city, county, and urban-county governments prohibit or limit concealed deadly weapons in buildings they own, lease, or control, as long as the restricted area is clearly marked with signs at the entrance.5Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Kentucky Revised Statutes 237.115 – Construction of KRS 237.110 This is how police stations, city halls, and courthouses legally ban weapons. The statute exempts buildings used for public housing by private persons, highway rest areas, firing ranges, and private dwellings owned or controlled by the government.
Federal Buildings
Federal law adds its own layer. Under 18 U.S.C. ยง 930, knowingly possessing a dangerous weapon in a federal facility is a federal crime regardless of what Kentucky allows. Brass knuckles fall inside the statute’s definition of “dangerous weapon.” Basic possession carries up to one year in prison; possession with intent to commit another crime, up to five years; possession in a federal courthouse, up to two years.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 930 – Possession of Firearms and Dangerous Weapons in Federal Facilities
Penalties
A first offense of carrying concealed brass knuckles, with no qualifying prior felony, is a Class A misdemeanor. That means up to 12 months in jail7Justia. Kentucky Code 532.090 – Sentence of Imprisonment for Misdemeanor and a maximum fine of $500.
The charge jumps to a Class D felony if you have a prior felony conviction in which a deadly weapon was possessed, used, or displayed.1Justia. Kentucky Code 527.020 – Carrying Concealed Deadly Weapon A Class D felony sentence runs one to five years, with a mandatory fine between $1,000 and $10,000.8Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Kentucky Revised Statutes 534.030 – Fines for Felonies The prior does not have to involve brass knuckles; any felony where a deadly weapon was part of the offense triggers the enhancement.
Bringing brass knuckles onto school property is charged separately under KRS 527.070, as a Class D felony from the start, with the same one-to-five-year range and up to $10,000 in fines. No prior conviction is needed, and this catches people off guard.
Using Them in Self-Defense
Kentucky’s self-defense law under KRS 503.050 lets you use deadly physical force when you reasonably believe it’s necessary to protect against death, serious physical injury, kidnapping, or a felony involving force, and there’s no duty to retreat.9Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Kentucky Revised Statutes 503.050 – Use of Physical Force in Self-Protection The practical problem is that brass knuckles are contact weapons. If you strike someone with them during an argument that turned physical, the “deadly weapon” label works against you, and prosecutors can argue you escalated a fistfight into an assault with a deadly weapon. The right to carry them is not the right to use them in every confrontation.