Butterfly knives are not illegal in Tennessee. You can buy, own, and carry a balisong of any blade length, openly or concealed, without a permit. The state removed all knife-specific restrictions from its weapons laws in 2014, so the only limits left are about where you take the knife, not whether you can have it.
Carrying a Balisong in Public
Tennessee’s unlawful-carry statute now applies only to firearms and clubs. The law makes it an offense to carry “with the intent to go armed, a firearm or a club.” Knives are not listed.1Justia. Tennessee Code 39-17-1307 – Unlawful Carrying or Possession of a Weapon That leaves no permit requirement, no blade-length cap, and no distinction between carrying a knife as a tool and carrying it for self-defense.
Older guides to Tennessee knife law sometimes mention a four-inch blade limit. That limit was repealed in 2014 along with the ban on switchblades and automatic knives.2Tennessee General Assembly. Bill Information – SB1771 A butterfly knife with a six-inch blade is treated the same as a small folding pocketknife in ordinary public settings.
Because Tennessee preempts local knife regulation, Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, and every other city and county follow the same rule. A municipality cannot ban butterfly knives or add its own blade-length limit.3FindLaw. Tennessee Code 39-17-1314
Where You Still Can’t Take One
The legal carry rules have hard exceptions by location. These are where owners get into real trouble.
Schools and College Campuses
Carrying a butterfly knife on school property is the most serious knife offense in Tennessee. The statute prohibits possessing or carrying, with intent to go armed, weapons including bowie knives, daggers, switchblades, and ice picks, plus “any other weapon of like kind,” on any public or private school building, bus, campus, athletic field, or recreation area. “Weapon of like kind” is defined broadly to cover any sharp pointed or edged instrument, with narrow exceptions for nail files and tools used for food preparation, instruction, or maintenance.4Justia. Tennessee Code 39-17-1309 – Carrying Weapons on School Property A balisong fits that description.
A violation is a Class E felony, which carries one to six years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $3,000 depending on criminal history.5Justia. Tennessee Code 40-35-112 – Sentence Ranges The statute applies by weapon type and intent, not blade length. A knife in a backpack counts.
Properly Posted Property
Any owner, business, or government entity can prohibit weapons on property it controls by posting visible signs at every primary entrance. Entering posted property with a knife violates state law.6Justia. Tennessee Code 39-17-1359 – Prohibition at Certain Meetings, Posting Notice The penalty is a Class B misdemeanor punishable by a $500 fine only, with no jail time, but the conviction goes on your record and the knife can be confiscated.
Courthouses
Tennessee Code 39-17-1306 separately bars weapons during judicial proceedings. Courthouses screen at entry and will seize a butterfly knife on the spot.
When Legal Possession Becomes a Crime
The unlawful-carry statute still punishes possessing a deadly weapon with intent to use it during a criminal act or an escape. A knife counts as a deadly weapon for this purpose. The offense is a Class E felony carrying one to six years of imprisonment, and if the weapon is a switchblade the maximum fine rises to $6,000.1Justia. Tennessee Code 39-17-1307 – Unlawful Carrying or Possession of a Weapon
This is about what you do with the knife, not the fact that you own one. Carrying a balisong clipped to your pocket on a walk is lawful. Pulling it out to threaten someone during a robbery is a separate felony stacked on top of the underlying crime.
Buying and Shipping a Butterfly Knife
Tennessee law controls what happens inside the state, but federal rules apply if the knife crosses the border or moves through the mail. U.S. Customs and Border Protection classifies balisong and butterfly knives as switchblades for import purposes, so a butterfly knife shipped from overseas can be seized at the border.7eCFR. 19 CFR Part 12 – Switchblade Knives
The Federal Switchblade Act also prohibits mailing switchblades through the U.S. Postal Service and restricts interstate commerce in them.8GovInfo. 15 USC 1241 The federal definition covers blades that open by button, gravity, or inertia. Whether a balisong fits that definition for domestic commerce is debatable, since the handles are manipulated by hand. The customs rule is clearer, naming balisongs directly. A butterfly knife bought from a domestic seller and shipped by UPS or FedEx avoids the postal restriction; one shipped from abroad is at risk at customs.
Felons, Minors, and Age Limits
Tennessee’s felon-in-possession rules apply to firearms, not knives.1Justia. Tennessee Code 39-17-1307 – Unlawful Carrying or Possession of a Weapon A person with a felony conviction can lawfully own and carry a butterfly knife under state law, and federal felon-in-possession restrictions likewise do not reach knives.
The state sets no minimum age to buy, own, or carry a knife, and the 2014 amendment removed the old prohibition on selling or giving a switchblade to a minor.2Tennessee General Assembly. Bill Information – SB1771 Retailers can set their own age policies. The school-property felony is a particular trap for younger owners who forget what’s in a bag.