Brass knuckles are legal to own and carry in West Virginia if you are 21 or older, and no permit is required to carry them openly or concealed. So the short answer to whether brass knuckles are illegal in WV is no, with real conditions attached: state law treats them as deadly weapons, which triggers age limits, location bans, and rules about who can possess them at all.
How State Law Classifies Them
West Virginia’s weapons statute calls them “metallic or false knuckles” and defines them as a set of finger rings attached to a crosspiece, worn over the front of the hand and designed so a punch inflicts considerable damage. Material is irrelevant: brass, steel, aluminum, plastic, or carbon fiber all qualify. The same section places them in the “deadly weapon” category alongside firearms, switchblades, and gravity knives.1West Virginia Legislature. West Virginia Code 61-7-2 – Definitions Every rule that follows flows from that label.
Carrying at 21 and Older
An adult 21 or older who is not otherwise disqualified can carry a concealed deadly weapon in West Virginia without a permit. The governing statute’s title spells out the “right of nonprohibited persons over twenty-one years of age to carry concealed deadly weapons.”2West Virginia Legislature. West Virginia Code 61-7-7 – Persons Prohibited From Possessing Firearms; Classifications; Right of Nonprohibited Persons Over Twenty-One Years of Age to Carry Concealed Deadly Weapons; Offenses and Penalties In practice, you can keep brass knuckles in a pocket, bag, or vehicle compartment, or wear them visibly on your belt. No license, registration, or training is required for either method.
Carrying at 18 to 20
This is where the law catches people out. If you are between 18 and 20, open carry of brass knuckles is legal, but concealed carry is a crime, and no license cures it.
West Virginia does issue a provisional concealed carry license to this age group, but it only covers pistols and revolvers.3West Virginia Legislature. West Virginia Code 61-7-4a – Provisional License to Carry Deadly Weapons A 19-year-old with a valid provisional license carrying concealed brass knuckles is still violating the law. A first offense is a misdemeanor punishable by a $100 to $1,000 fine and up to 12 months in jail. A second offense becomes a felony with one to five years in state prison and a $1,000 to $5,000 fine.4West Virginia Legislature. West Virginia Code 61-7-3 – Carrying a Deadly Weapon Without Provisional License or Other Authorization by Persons Under Twenty-One Years of Age; Penalties Under 21, keep them visible or leave them at home.
Places You Cannot Take Them
Age and carry method stop mattering in certain locations.
Schools
Possessing any deadly weapon on a school bus, on the grounds of a primary or secondary school, or at a school-sponsored event in a space controlled by the school system is a felony carrying two to ten years in state prison, a fine up to $5,000, or both.5West Virginia Legislature. West Virginia Code 61-7-11a – Possessing Deadly Weapons on Premises of Educational Facilities; Possessing Deadly Weapons on Premises Housing Courts of Law Private schools may adopt written policies allowing weapons; public schools cannot.
Courthouses
Bringing brass knuckles into any court facility, including family court, is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and up to one year in jail.5West Virginia Legislature. West Virginia Code 61-7-11a – Possessing Deadly Weapons on Premises of Educational Facilities; Possessing Deadly Weapons on Premises Housing Courts of Law If prosecutors can show you brought the weapon intending to use it in a crime, it becomes a felony with two to ten years in prison and a fine up to $5,000.
Federal Buildings
Federal law separately bans dangerous weapons in buildings owned or leased by the federal government where employees regularly work. Brass knuckles fit the federal definition of a dangerous weapon, which covers any device readily capable of causing death or serious bodily injury.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S.C. 930 – Possession of Firearms and Dangerous Weapons in Federal Facilities The penalty runs up to one year in federal prison, or up to two years inside a federal courthouse.
Brandishing
Carrying brass knuckles legally does not mean you can display them in a confrontation. West Virginia makes it a misdemeanor to carry, brandish, or use any deadly weapon in a way that causes or threatens a breach of the peace, whether or not you are licensed to carry it.7West Virginia Legislature. West Virginia Code 61-7-11 – Brandishing The penalty is a fine of $50 to $1,000, 90 days to one year in jail, or both. Pulling them out during a road rage incident or a bar argument fits this statute even if you never land a blow.
Using Them in Self-Defense
West Virginia is a stand-your-ground state. You have no duty to retreat before using force, including deadly force, anywhere you have a legal right to be, so long as you reasonably believe you or another person faces imminent death or serious bodily harm.8West Virginia Legislature. West Virginia Code 55-7-22 – Self-Defense Inside your home, the standard broadens to cover preventing a forcible entry or stopping an intruder you reasonably believe intends to commit a felony.
Because brass knuckles are classified as deadly weapons, using them generally counts as deadly force. That means the threat you are responding to needs to justify a deadly-force response. Punching someone with brass knuckles after a shove at a party would almost certainly exceed what a court considers proportionate. Striking an attacker trying to stab you is a different case. A jury would weigh both the reasonableness of your belief and the proportionality of your response.
Prohibited Persons
Several categories of people are barred from possessing firearms under state law: convicted felons, habitual alcohol or drug users, people adjudicated mentally incompetent, those dishonorably discharged from the military, and individuals under domestic violence protective orders or convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence.2West Virginia Legislature. West Virginia Code 61-7-7 – Persons Prohibited From Possessing Firearms; Classifications; Right of Nonprohibited Persons Over Twenty-One Years of Age to Carry Concealed Deadly Weapons; Offenses and Penalties A violation is a misdemeanor with a $100 to $1,000 fine and 90 days to one year in jail.
The statute specifically covers firearms rather than all deadly weapons. That does not mean a person in a prohibited category can safely carry brass knuckles. Any altercation involving the weapon exposes that person to brandishing or assault charges, and the same categories typically make someone a prohibited person under federal firearms law. Treating the prohibited-persons list as applying to all deadly weapons is the safer approach in practice.
Taking Them Out of State or on a Plane
West Virginia’s permissive rules stop at the state line. Several neighboring states ban possession of brass knuckles outright, and carrying them across the border can bring felony charges in the destination state regardless of West Virginia law. No federal reciprocity agreement covers non-firearm deadly weapons. Check the destination state before you travel.
The TSA prohibits brass knuckles in carry-on bags. They may be packed in checked luggage, but the TSA warns that if an inspected checked bag contains an item illegal in the destination state, the agency refers the matter to law enforcement.9Transportation Security Administration. What Can I Bring? Attempting to bring them through a checkpoint can also trigger civil penalties from the TSA on top of any criminal charges.
Buying and Selling
West Virginia does not restrict the purchase, sale, or manufacture of brass knuckles. No background check, waiting period, or dealer license is required. You can buy them online, at flea markets, or from local retailers. The legal exposure begins only when you carry or use them in a way the statutes above prohibit. Sellers shipping to other states need to check the receiving jurisdiction’s law, because possession bans elsewhere can create liability on that end.