Minnesota Knife Laws: What You Can Carry

Minnesota lets you carry most knives. Swords, machetes, daggers, balisongs, fixed blades of any length, and spring-assisted folders are all perfectly legal under state law. The list of what you can own is long.

The list of what you cannot carry is limited to switchblades and out-the-front automatics. That single ban, enacted in 1963, remains the only knife-type restriction on the books at the state level.

But state law is only part of the story. Minneapolis, Woodbury, and Ramsey County each enforce their own blade-length limits, and none of them are required to follow the same rules the state sets.

If you carry a knife in Minnesota without checking your local ordinances, you could end up facing misdemeanor or even felony charges for something you assumed was fine.

What follows is a breakdown of what is legal, what is not, where local governments draw the lines, and the penalties for crossing those lines.

Minnesota Knife Laws and Local Limits

• Switchblades and out-the-front automatic knives are the only types of knives banned under Minnesota state law.

• Folding knives, fixed blades, balisongs, throwing knives, swords, machetes, and spring-assisted knives are all legal to own and carry.

• Minneapolis restricts blades over 4 inches. Woodbury caps it at 3 inches. Ramsey County parks enforce a 3-inch limit.

• Minnesota has no statewide preemption, so cities and counties can pass stricter rules than the state.

• Penalties range from 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine up to 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, depending on location.

• A federal lawsuit challenging the switchblade ban under the Second Amendment was filed in September 2024 and remains pending as of early 2026.

How the Switchblade Ban Came About

Minnesota’s switchblade prohibition is found in Chapter 609 of the Minnesota Criminal Code, specifically under § 609.66. The provision was adopted in 1963, during a period when states across the country were passing similar bans.

Much of that momentum traced back to a November 1950 Woman’s Home Companion article titled “The Toy That Kills,” which portrayed switchblades as tools of juvenile crime. The article triggered a national campaign that eventually produced the Federal Switchblade Act and a wave of state-level bans. Minnesota’s law was part of that wave, and it has remained mostly unchanged since.

What Knives Are Legal in Minnesota

The state restricts one category of knives by name. Everything else falls outside the ban. You can legally own, carry, buy, sell, and give away the following in Minnesota:

• Folding knives and pocket knives

• Buck knives

• Fixed-blade knives, including Bowie knives and daggers

• Hunting and fishing knives

• Machetes

• Swords

• Disguised blades

• Throwing stars and throwing knives

• Utility knives

• Butterfly knives (balisongs)

• Spring-assisted knives

Spring-assisted knives deserve a quick note. These require manual input to begin opening the blade, and a spring mechanism completes the action. Because the blade does not deploy automatically from a closed position, the item falls outside the switchblade definition and remains legal.

Which Knives Are Banned?

Minnesota Statute § 609.66 makes it illegal to manufacture, transfer, or possess a switchblade knife that opens automatically. Out-the-front knives fall under this same prohibition because their blades deploy automatically with the push of a button or switch. No other knife type is banned by name under state law.

Under the rule of expressio unius est exclusio alterius, the express mention of one item in a statute excludes all others not mentioned. Since the law names only switchblades, other knife types are not restricted at the state level.

The “Dangerous Weapon” Provision

Minnesota Statute § 609.02 defines a dangerous weapon as any device designed as a weapon and capable of producing death or great bodily harm. This means a knife that is otherwise legal to carry can become unlawful depending on how it is used or what a person intends to do with it.

A hunting knife carried for utility purposes is legal. That same knife, carried with the intent to threaten or harm someone, can be treated as a dangerous weapon. Context and intent matter in every case.

Penalties for Violations

The penalties for knife-related offenses in Minnesota vary depending on where the violation occurs:

Violations of school and court facility rules are classified as felonies. The others are misdemeanors or gross misdemeanors, depending on the circumstances. These penalties apply to possessing banned knives and carrying legal knives in prohibited locations.

Local Ordinances That Override State Law

Minnesota does not have statewide preemption for knife laws. This means cities and counties are free to pass their own restrictions, which can be stricter than the state allows. If you carry a knife that is legal under state law, you can still face charges under a local ordinance.

Here are three local restrictions to be aware of:

• Minneapolis: Code of Ordinances § 393.10 classifies any knife with a blade longer than 4 inches as a weapon. Carrying such a knife within city limits is prohibited.

• Woodbury: The city imposes a 3-inch blade limit.

• Ramsey County: It is unlawful to possess a knife with a blade of 3 inches or more in any county park.

These are not the only municipalities with knife restrictions, but they are among the most commonly encountered. If you are heading into the Twin Cities metro area or surrounding suburbs with a knife, checking the local code beforehand is a practical step.

Recent Legal and Legislative Efforts

Several attempts have been made to change Minnesota’s knife laws over the past decade. None has succeeded so far.

House File 2567 (2017)

Knife Rights introduced HF2567 in 2017 to remove the switchblade ban from § 609.66. The bill did not pass.

Senate File 1026 and House File 824 (2021)

In February 2021, both SF 1026 and HF 824 were introduced as constitutional amendment bills. They proposed establishing the right to acquire, keep, and carry arms, including knives. Neither bill advanced.

Knife Rights, Inc. v. Ellison (2024)

On September 26, 2024, Knife Rights filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota under Case No. 0:24-cv-03749. The suit challenges the state’s complete ban on switchblades as unconstitutional under the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision and Second Amendment precedent.

As of early 2026, the case remains pending with no final ruling reported. In a related case, a Ninth Circuit panel ruled against Knife Rights in January 2026, upholding California’s similar ban on switchblades. That ruling could influence how the Minnesota case is argued going forward, though each court’s decision does not bind other circuits.

Carrying Knives at School or in Court

Bringing a knife into a school building, onto school property, or into a courthouse in Minnesota carries the heaviest penalties under state law. These locations are treated differently from public spaces and residential areas.

A conviction under the relevant subsections of § 609.66 is a felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. There are very few exceptions to this rule, and they generally apply to law enforcement or authorized personnel.

Practical Guidelines for Carrying in Minnesota

If you live in or plan to visit Minnesota and want to carry a knife, keep these points in mind:

• Switchblades and out-the-front automatics are illegal statewide. Do not carry them.

• Every other common knife type is legal at the state level, including balisongs and spring-assisted folders.

• Check local ordinances before carrying in any municipality. Minneapolis, Woodbury, and Ramsey County all have blade-length restrictions that exceed the state's prohibitions.

• Do not bring any knife into a school or courthouse.

• How you carry a knife and what you intend to do with it can turn a legal knife into a charge of carrying a dangerous weapon.

• If you are unsure about a specific city’s rules, contact the local police department or review the municipal code online.

The Current Framework for Knife Carry in Minnesota

Minnesota’s knife laws are relatively permissive at the state level, with only one outright ban covering switchblades and out-the-front automatics. The real complexity comes from local ordinances, which vary from one city or county to the next.

The pending federal lawsuit, Knife Rights, Inc. v. Ellison, could change the legal landscape if the court rules that the switchblade ban violates the Second Amendment, but that outcome remains uncertain. For now, the rules are what they are.

Carry what the law allows, know your local restrictions, and pay attention to where you are headed before you clip a knife to your pocket.