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Louis Martin Custom Knives

Reviewed

Texas Knife Laws

In Texas, switchblades are legal and butterfly knives are legal. Blades over 5.5 inches are "location-restricted": legal to carry generally, but banned in schools, bars, hospitals, and similar places. The blade limit to know: 5.5 inches for location-restricted status.

Switchblades: Legal

Legalized in 2013.

Butterfly Knives: Legal

Butterfly knives are legal.

Concealed Carry

Blades over 5.5 inches are "location-restricted": legal to carry generally, but banned in schools, bars, hospitals, and similar places.

Local Ordinances

Texas has statewide preemption: cities and counties cannot pass stricter knife laws than the state. The 2017 reform replaced the old illegal-knife list with the location-restricted system.

Not legal advice. This page was last reviewed October 13, 2026. Statuses come from state statutes and reputable trackers, and the linked facts below were checked against the official statute or code text on October 13, 2026. Laws change; verify the current statute or consult a lawyer before buying or carrying. See the full 50-state comparison.

The Law in Detail

Key statutes: Tex. Penal Code §§46.01, 46.02, 46.03

Texas distinguishes knives solely by blade length: a "location-restricted knife" is any blade over 5.5 inches, with no restrictions below that threshold. Most violations are Class C misdemeanors with a maximum $500 fine, but carrying a location-restricted knife into a school is a third-degree felony. McMurrough v. State (1999) set the blade measurement methodology, and Local Government Code §229.001 preempts municipal knife regulation.

Checked Against the Statute Text

  • Selling or giving a location-restricted knife to anyone under 18 is a Class A misdemeanor; written permission (for a sale) or effective consent (for other transfers) from the child's parent or legal custodian is an affirmative defense. (Tex. Penal Code §46.06(a)(2), (c), (d))
  • Cities may not adopt or enforce rules on the possession, carrying, transfer, sale, storage, or transportation of knives. Any such ordinance is void, and the Texas attorney general may sue to stop a city that adopts one. (Tex. Loc. Gov't Code §229.001(a), (a-1), (f))

The FAQ answers below include statute details from these sources:

Each fact linked above, including those in the FAQ answers, was checked against the official statute or code text on October 13, 2026. General information, not legal advice.

Texas Knife Law FAQ

Are switchblades legal in Texas?
Switchblades (automatic knives) are legal in Texas. Legalized in 2013. Reviewed October 13, 2026; this is general information, not legal advice.
Are butterfly knives legal in Texas?
Butterfly knives (balisongs) are legal in Texas. Butterfly knives are legal.
Is it legal to carry a knife in Texas?
Generally yes, within limits: Blades over 5.5 inches are "location-restricted": legal to carry generally, but banned in schools, bars, hospitals, and similar places. Carrying any knife with intent to use it unlawfully is a crime everywhere. Anyone under 18 who carries a location-restricted knife commits a Class C misdemeanor unless they are on premises they own or control, inside or directly en route to a vehicle or boat they own or control, or under the direct supervision of a parent or legal guardian.
What size knife can you legally carry in Texas?
The limit to know is 5.5 inches for location-restricted status. The 2017 reform replaced the old illegal-knife list with the location-restricted system. Texas defines a location-restricted knife as any knife with a blade over five and one-half inches, and no knife appears on the state's prohibited weapons list in §46.05. Location-restricted knives are not allowed in the places listed in §46.03, including schools and school buses, polling places, courts, racetracks, secured airport areas, bars that earn 51 percent or more of their income from on-site alcohol sales, high school, college, and professional sporting events, correctional facilities, hospitals and nursing facilities (without written authorization), amusement parks, and properly noticed open government meetings.

Traveling Through?

Knife law changes at the state line. Bordering states: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma.

Hand-Forged Knives, Shipped to Texas

Every Louis Martin blade is hand-forged and ships free anywhere in the US, including right here in Texas. Start with our pocket knives and everyday carry pieces, browse the full collection, or read our guide to the best knives in Texas, and keep our national knife law guide handy when you travel.