← Pennsylvania knife laws›Local Knife-Law Preemption

Pennsylvania Local Knife-Law Preemption (2026)

Conditional: PA's only weapons preemption (18 Pa.C.S. 6120) bars local regulation of firearms and ammunition only; it never mentions knives, so cities like Philadelphia restrict knives locally.

ConditionalVerified Jul 7, 2026

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Official source: legis.state.pa.us →

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

Local Knife-Law Preemption in states bordering Pennsylvania

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

DelawareConditional
Delaware's preemption statute (22 Del. C. 111) bars local rules only on firearms, components and ammunition — not knives — so localities may regulate knives.
Verified Jul 7, 2026 · Source: delcode.delaware.gov · Full Delaware rule →
MarylandConditional
No statewide knife preemption: Md. Crim. Law 4-209 preempts local regulation only for handguns/rifles/shotguns and ammunition, so counties and cities may set their own knife rules.
Verified Jul 7, 2026 · Source: mgaleg.maryland.gov · Full Maryland rule →
New JerseyConditional
New Jersey has no knife-preemption statute; municipalities regulate knives under police power (N.J.S.A. 40:48-2) — e.g., Plainfield bars carrying daggers, dirks, switchblades and stilettos.
Verified Jul 7, 2026 · Source: ecode360.com · Full New Jersey rule →
New YorkConditional
New York has no knife-preemption statute, so localities set their own rules — New York City bans possessing any knife with a blade of four inches or more in public (Admin. Code 10-133).
Verified Jul 7, 2026 · Source: codelibrary.amlegal.com · Full New York rule →
OhioPermitted
ORC 9.68 (amended by SB 58, eff. 4/9/2025) mandates uniform statewide laws for 'arms' — expressly defined to include knives — voiding conflicting local knife ordinances.
Verified Jul 7, 2026 · Source: codes.ohio.gov · Full Ohio rule →
West VirginiaPermitted
Municipalities may not restrict the purchase, possession, ownership or carrying of any 'deadly weapon' — defined by 61-7-2 to include knives — except in limited municipal buildings/rec facilities (8-12-5a).
Verified Jul 7, 2026 · Source: code.wvlegislature.gov · Full West Virginia rule →

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