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South Dakota Switchblade & Automatic Knife Laws (2026)

Permitted: South Dakota repealed its automatic-knife ban (1976) and ballistic-knife ban (2006); current SDCL ch. 22-14 has no knife-type or blade-length prohibition.

PermittedVerified Jul 7, 2026

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Official source: sdlegislature.gov →

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

Switchblade & Automatic Knife Laws in states bordering South Dakota

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

IowaPermitted
Automatic/switchblade knives are legal for adults to own and carry; Iowa Code 702.7 lists them as 'dangerous weapons' but no law bans possession and 724.5 permits unlicensed carry.
Verified Jul 7, 2026 · Source: legis.iowa.gov · Full Iowa rule →
MinnesotaRestricted
Manufacturing, transferring or possessing a switchblade opening automatically is a crime under Minn. Stat. 609.66 subd. 1(a)(4); a 2024 federal challenge is pending, so the ban stands.
Verified Jul 7, 2026 · Source: revisor.mn.gov · Full Minnesota rule →
MontanaPermitted
Montana bans no knife by type (switchblade ban repealed 2019) and defines a concealed weapon as only a firearm, so automatic knives are legal to own and carry (MCA 45-8-315).
Verified Jul 7, 2026 · Source: mca.legmt.gov · Full Montana rule →
NebraskaPermitted
No Nebraska statute bans switchblade/automatic knives; only minors and prohibited persons are barred from carrying concealed weapons, so an adult may own and carry an automatic (Neb. Rev. Stat. 28-1202).
Verified Jul 7, 2026 · Source: nebraskalegislature.gov · Full Nebraska rule →
North DakotaConditional
Switchblades/gravity knives are 'dangerous weapons' but not banned to own or open-carry; only concealing one (or any knife 6+ inches) requires a class 2 license (NDCC 62.1-01-01).
Verified Jul 7, 2026 · Source: ndlegis.gov · Full North Dakota rule →
WyomingPermitted
No Wyoming statute bans or restricts switchblade, automatic (OTF), gravity or any knife by type; such knives may be freely owned and carried (W.S. Title 6).
Verified Jul 7, 2026 · Source: wyoleg.gov · Full Wyoming rule →

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