Brass knuckles are not legal in Michigan. Owning a pair is a felony under MCL 750.224, punishable by up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $2,500, or both.1Michigan Legislature. MCL 750.224 – Weapons Manufacture Sale or Possession as Felony The law makes no distinction between carrying them on the street and keeping them in a drawer at home, and there is no permit, license, or self-defense exception available to ordinary residents.
What the Law Actually Bans
MCL 750.224(1)(d) makes it illegal to manufacture, sell, offer for sale, or possess metallic knuckles. They sit on the same prohibited list as blackjacks, billy clubs, sand clubs, and bludgeons.1Michigan Legislature. MCL 750.224 – Weapons Manufacture Sale or Possession as Felony There is no qualifier about intent, location, or purpose. You don’t need to brandish them, carry them, or even leave the house with them. Possession is the offense.
The Michigan Court of Appeals reaffirmed this reach in 2025, describing the statute as containing “no limitations of place, time, purpose, or use” and prohibiting possession “in private as well as in public, in the home or elsewhere, and whatever the purpose and contemplated use.”2Michigan Courts. People v Dummer Arguments like “they were just decoration” or “I kept them in my closet” do not change the analysis.
Penalties and Collateral Consequences
Every violation of MCL 750.224 is a felony. The maximum penalties are five years in prison, a $2,500 fine, or both.1Michigan Legislature. MCL 750.224 – Weapons Manufacture Sale or Possession as Felony There is no misdemeanor version of this offense. A persistent misconception holds that first-time, non-violent possession is a 93-day misdemeanor with a $500 fine. It is not. The statute treats a collector the same as someone caught in a fight.
A first-time offender with no violent record may receive a sentence well below the five-year cap, but the felony itself is what sticks. A Michigan felony conviction can cost you the right to own firearms, bar you from certain professional licenses, and surface on background checks for employment and housing for years.
Are There Any Legal Ways to Own Them?
No, not for ordinary people. Michigan has no permit, registration, or license that allows a private citizen to own metallic knuckles. The statute includes narrow carve-outs for federal government contractors manufacturing weapons under contract and for people federally licensed by the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury to manufacture or sell certain listed weapons.1Michigan Legislature. MCL 750.224 – Weapons Manufacture Sale or Possession as Felony Neither covers self-defense, collecting, or martial arts practice. Pepper spray and similar self-defense sprays are separately excluded from the ban, but that exclusion does not reach knuckles.
Unlike firearms, which have a detailed permitting framework in Michigan, metallic knuckles have no legal path to ownership for the general public.
What Counts as “Metallic Knuckles”
The statute uses the term “metallic knuckles” without defining it, and Michigan courts rely on the ordinary meaning: metal finger rings or guards attached to a crossbar, worn over a closed fist as a weapon.2Michigan Courts. People v Dummer The word “metallic” matters. Knuckle-shaped weapons made entirely of plastic, carbon fiber, or wood sit in a grayer area, but a prosecutor can argue they qualify as a bludgeon (also banned under the same statute) or as a dangerous weapon under a related statute.
Labels do not create loopholes. Items marketed as “knuckle dusters,” “paperweight knuckles,” or “belt buckle knuckles” are treated by their function, not their packaging.
Buying Online or From a Private Seller
MCL 750.224 bans manufacturing, selling, and offering metallic knuckles for sale with the same felony penalty that applies to possession.1Michigan Legislature. MCL 750.224 – Weapons Manufacture Sale or Possession as Felony Michigan retailers cannot stock them, and private sales between individuals are equally illegal. Ordering a pair online and shipping them to a Michigan address does not create a workaround. The moment they arrive and you possess them in Michigan, you have committed a felony.
Other Charges That Can Stack
Brass knuckle cases often come with company. If evidence suggests you intended to use the knuckles against someone, MCL 750.226 adds a separate felony for going armed with a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent, carrying up to five years in prison and a $2,500 fine.3Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 750.226 – Firearm or Dangerous Weapon Carrying With Unlawful Intent
If the knuckles turn up in your pocket or glove box during a traffic stop, MCL 750.227 adds a concealed-weapon felony, also carrying up to five years and a $2,500 fine, since the exception for your own home or place of business does not cover the car.4Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 750.227 – Concealed Weapons Two felonies from one pair of knuckles changes plea negotiations considerably.
Is the Ban Still Enforceable After Bruen?
Yes. After the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen reshaped how weapons restrictions are evaluated, the Michigan Court of Appeals considered a facial challenge to the brass knuckles ban in People v. Dummer, decided in March 2025. The court upheld the statute, finding deep historical support for the restriction: at least 14 states had banned concealed carry of metallic knuckles by the end of the 19th century, and courts and legislatures from the 1840s onward treated them as “dangerous and unusual” weapons.2Michigan Courts. People v Dummer A narrower as-applied challenge remains theoretically possible, but the ban itself is intact.
If You’re Already Charged
A charge under MCL 750.224 is a felony, with real prison exposure and permanent effects on firearm rights, licensing, and background checks. A defense attorney can look at whether the search that produced the knuckles was lawful, whether the object meets the definition of metallic knuckles, and whether procedural issues create room to negotiate. For a felony, early legal advice matters far more than it would for a traffic citation.