← New York knife laws›Switchblade & Automatic Knife Laws

New York Switchblade & Automatic Knife Laws (2026)

Restricted: A switchblade remains a per-se prohibited weapon (class A misdemeanor) under NY Penal Law 265.01(1); gravity knives were removed from the ban in 2019.

RestrictedVerified Jul 7, 2026

Knife laws change at the state line — and in your state.Track them in the free LawLert iPhone app: it alerts you when you cross into a state where they differ, and when they change in your state. No account.Get the app

Official source: nysenate.gov →

General legal information, not legal advice — verify important decisions with a licensed attorney.

Switchblade & Automatic Knife Laws in states bordering New York

The same rule in each neighboring state LawLert has verified, from that state’s own official source.

ConnecticutRestricted
Carrying a switchblade with a blade over 1.5 inches on the person is a class E felony (Conn. Gen. Stat. 53-206); only automatic blades 1.5 inches or under may be carried.
Verified Jul 7, 2026 · Source: cga.ct.gov · Full Connecticut rule →
MassachusettsPermitted
G.L. c.269 10(b) bans carrying automatic knives over 1.5 in., but Commonwealth v. Canjura (SJC, 2024) struck that switchblade ban as unconstitutional — autos are now legal to own and carry.
Verified Jul 7, 2026 · Source: malegislature.gov · Full Massachusetts rule →
New JerseyRestricted
Possessing a switchblade, gravity or ballistic knife (or dagger, dirk, stiletto) 'without any explainable lawful purpose' is a fourth-degree crime; self-defense is not a lawful purpose (N.J.S.A. 2C:39-3(e)).
Verified Jul 7, 2026 · Source: pub.njleg.gov · Full New Jersey rule →
PennsylvaniaPermitted
Act 119 of 2022 (eff. Jan 2, 2023) struck automatic/switchblade knives from 18 Pa.C.S. 908's 'offensive weapons' definition, making them legal to own and carry in PA.
Verified Jul 7, 2026 · Source: legis.state.pa.us · Full Pennsylvania rule →
VermontPermitted
Vermont repealed its switchblade ban in 2025 (Act 64, signed 6/12/2025); autos/OTF/gravity knives of any length are now legal to own and carry (13 V.S.A. 4013 now covers only zip guns).
Verified Jul 7, 2026 · Source: legislature.vermont.gov · Full Vermont rule →

Don't get caught off guardCross into a state where this law is different and the free iPhone app tells you what changed, even with the app closed. It also alerts you when a law you track changes where you live. No account.Get the free app

Track this law — get alerted when it changes

We watch the official sources behind New York knives rules. If a tracked rule changes, you get one short email — never more than one a week. Free, unsubscribe anytime.