Legality of carry knives in NJ

[Qel Hoth 33]

So it sounds like any of us who carry any kind of blade should have a carefully prepared, well rehearsed "explainable legal purpose."

 

 

Pretty much yes. That is one of the reasons I chose a knife that had a glass breaker and a restraint cutter. I doubt they would work very well, but there's no way the cop would know that. Gives me as many reasons to have a knife as is possible pretty much.

 

As an aside, how the hell did I survive the last 20 years WITHOUT carrying a knife? I use the damn thing 10-15 times a day...

[alowerlevel 77]

As an aside, how the hell did I survive the last 20 years WITHOUT carrying a knife? I use the damn thing 10-15 times a day...

 

Lol, I dont know, Ive always carried one since I was about 16 and Id be lost without one.

[Cosmic 0]

I don't know how folks manage without a Knife either. I have carried a leatherman for the better part of 20 years, and and lost without one. Occasionally I will swap it out for a plain knife, but always regret doing that.

[this_is_nascar 162]

I EDC my little Victorinox Executive clipped to my Fenix E05 and I'm set for whatever I need a knife and light for.

[Rifleman1 32]

I don't know how folks manage without a Knife either. I have carried a leatherman for the better part of 20 years, and and lost without one. Occasionally I will swap it out for a plain knife, but always regret doing that.

 

I feel the same way. Been carrying both daily, at least since puberty.

[Ronald Silver 2]

In reality, would cops be harsher if they caught you with a fixed blade rather than a small folding blade?

(i.e. assuming you weren't all dressed up in camo ready for a hunting trip)

[johnp 45]

I carry a fixed blade everywhere I go. If you want to carry a knife but are worried about too much attention, a folder is defiently more incognito. We all know that a majority of cops are under/mis-informed about gun laws, goes without saying knife laws are the same. And gives you the possibilty to catch a cop on a bad day.

[Joeybones 1]

I am wondering if appearance or color would matter . Say you were carrying a breast cancer awareness pink folder . Would you be less likly to be arrested ? If you ended up in court would you prefer the prosecutor hold up a pink knife rather then a tactical looking all black knife. However you could open yourself to a bunch of ridicule from your buddies for having a pink knife.

I like to cary my Laredo bowie concealed in a loaf of Italian bread. It serves two purposes, It conceals the knife and if I get hungry I have something to eat.

[johnp 45]

I am wondering if appearance or color would matter . Say you were carrying a breast cancer awareness pink folder . Would you be less likly to be arrested ? If you ended up in court would you prefer the prosecutor hold up a pink knife rather then a tactical looking all black knife. However you could open yourself to a bunch of ridicule from your buddies for having a pink knife.

I like to cary my Laredo bowie concealed in a loaf of Italian bread. It serves two purposes, It conceals the knife and if I get hungry I have something to eat.

 

What are you doing with your pocket knife that is going to get you arrested, and land you in front of a prosecutor? That's the important question.

[Joeybones 1]

I say it depends on the LEO wether you get arrested or not. I have a cousin who is a superior court judge in Newark. He often cautions me against carrying any sort of knife in NJ. I don't carry every day but when I do I wonder if I will have a problem.

[BlueLineFish 615]

Here is how it breaks down if I stop someone with a knife. Where are we, where are you coming from/going to, why have I stopped you, where is the knife on you, why do you tell me you have it? It's the totality of the circumstances in a justifiable need situation like this. Do you know ow many people tell me they carry it for protection. Wrong answer dummy. It's a case by case basis that we have to decide on in he field.

[hd2000fxdl 422]

I am wondering if appearance or color would matter . Say you were carrying a breast cancer awareness pink folder . Would you be less likly to be arrested ? If you ended up in court would you prefer the prosecutor hold up a pink knife rather then a tactical looking all black knife. However you could open yourself to a bunch of ridicule from your buddies for having a pink knife.

I like to cary my Laredo bowie concealed in a loaf of Italian bread. It serves two purposes, It conceals the knife and if I get hungry I have something to eat.

 

You getting one of these???

 

[SgtToadette 59]

I recommend printing out 2 reference sheets with the knife laws laid out. Keep one in your vehicle, and the other folded away in your wallet. If you carry everyday, I recommend committing a few of the laws, including the numerical designations, to memory. If you can create the impression that you know the laws, and know them well, in an encounter with Law Enforcement your odds of coming out unscathed go up dramatically. If you are arrested and the encounter is being recorded, you have on record that you informed the officer of the laws and that they chose to ignore them. This will presumably give you a lot better advantage in court should it come to that. This is what I carry. IANAL.

 

In response to the comment immediately above me, appearance shouldn't matter legally, but it can matter when officer discretion is in play. I no longer carry a "tactical" looking knife (black coated blade, black handle) and opted for one less menacing in appearance for that reason.

[johnp 45]

I recommend printing out 2 reference sheets with the knife laws laid out. Keep one in your vehicle, and the other folded away in your wallet. If you carry everyday, I recommend committing a few of the laws, including the numerical designations, to memory. If you can create the impression that you know the laws, and know them well, in an encounter with Law Enforcement your odds of coming out unscathed go up dramatically. If you are arrested and the encounter is being recorded, you have on record that you informed the officer of the laws and that they chose to ignore them. This will presumably give you a lot better advantage in court should it come to that. This is what I carry. IANAL.

 

In response to the comment immediately above me, appearance shouldn't matter legally, but it can matter when officer discretion is in play. I no longer carry a "tactical" looking knife (black coated blade, black handle) and opted for one less menacing in appearance for that reason.

 

Carrying a summary of the laws in your wallet is a good idea. But can I ask what "specific" laws did you firmly commit to memory? Because when I read NJ knife laws, all I see is the same bs, no dirk, stitletto, switchblade. Even in the laws themselves I see no clear definition of what is legal.

[HarryLee 0]

wear a leatherman multitool on your hip. i'm don't think any cop will bother you

[SgtToadette 59]

Carrying a summary of the laws in your wallet is a good idea. But can I ask what "specific" laws did you firmly commit to memory? Because when I read NJ knife laws, all I see is the same bs, no dirk, stitletto, switchblade. Even in the laws themselves I see no clear definition of what is legal.

Yeah NJ law is funny like that. I try to commit to memory the definitions, particularly what a "switchblade" is legally defined as. A lot of people have a preconceived notion that anything that has a spring action is a switchblade, and under typical, non-legal vernacular they are correct. However, the law specifies that a switchblade is only a switchblade if it is released via a component on the handle, therefore assisted knives, such as the one I carry, are not legally considered switchblades under NJ law. If a cop accuses me of possessing one, and I can legally show/explain to him/her that they are not legally correct, they likely won't have much else to go off of.

 

I also try to memorize the need to have an "explainable lawful purpose." It doesn't say it has to be a good reason, just a lawful one. What's lawful? Section 2C doesn't say, but I presume that since this is America, I can't be punished for laws not on the books, so lawful would mean anything not specified to be unlawful. If I claim I carry a knife to open packaging, cut my seatbelt in an event of a collision, and/or for work related purposes, since all of those all lawful purposes, I am not guilty of a crime (at least in a very nit-picky, technical kind of way).

 

I'm not the kind of person who likes to split hairs or get hung up on semantics, but when I live in a state where I am guilty until proven innocent because intentionally vague laws were created because people "

," I feel it's a necessity to turn that vagueness in my favor to keep my bottom out of jail/court.

[GRIZ 3,369]

I recommend printing out 2 reference sheets with the knife laws laid out. Keep one in your vehicle, and the other folded away in your wallet. If you carry everyday, I recommend committing a few of the laws, including the numerical designations, to memory. If you can create the impression that you know the laws, and know them well, in an encounter with Law Enforcement your odds of coming out unscathed go up dramatically. If you are arrested and the encounter is being recorded, you have on record that you informed the officer of the laws and that they chose to ignore them. This will presumably give you a lot better advantage in court should it come to that. This is what I carry. IANAL.

 

In response to the comment immediately above me, appearance shouldn't matter legally, but it can matter when officer discretion is in play. I no longer carry a "tactical" looking knife (black coated blade, black handle) and opted for one less menacing in appearance for that reason.

 

I question the wisdom of this. When you go to the dentist do you tell him how to fill your tooth? If you hire a plumber or electrician do you remind them of what building code standards are? Do you carry a copy of NJS Title 39 and start quoting statutes if your involved in a vehicle stop? Police are no different than anyone else and don't care for people who try to keep telling them their job or what they don't know. You aren't going to "create an impression you know the laws and know them well" you are going to create the impression you're a PITA.

 

That's my take on this advice. Cops don't further their careers by making false arrests and I don't know where people (moreso on gun forums) get that idea. Police generally know a lot more about the law than some think.

 

 

[johnp 45]

I question the wisdom of this. When you go to the dentist do you tell him how to fill your tooth? If you hire a plumber or electrician do you remind them of what building code standards are? Do you carry a copy of NJS Title 39 and start quoting statutes if your involved in a vehicle stop? Police are no different than anyone else and don't care for people who try to keep telling them their job or what they don't know. You aren't going to "create an impression you know the laws and know them well" you are going to create the impression you're a PITA.

 

That's my take on this advice. Cops don't further their careers by making false arrests and I don't know where people (moreso on gun forums) get that idea. Police generally know a lot more about the law than some think.

 

Even when it comes to NJ gun laws?

[Darkmagik 2]

 

 

I question the wisdom of this. When you go to the dentist do you tell him how to fill your tooth? If you hire a plumber or electrician do you remind them of what building code standards are? Do you carry a copy of NJS Title 39 and start quoting statutes if your involved in a vehicle stop? Police are no different than anyone else and don't care for people who try to keep telling them their job or what they don't know. You aren't going to "create an impression you know the laws and know them well" you are going to create the impression you're a PITA.

 

That's my take on this advice. Cops don't further their careers by making false arrests and I don't know where people (moreso on gun forums) get that idea. Police generally know a lot more about the law than some think.

 

I am so sorry but that is completely not true yes the know many of the thousands of laws but when it comes to knives or firearms many are mislead to beleive a make up law and think they are right why in the world would i say something like that because i am always around many leo and yes i have personally asked thirty to forty different cops from all over nj and they all know many laws but many are mislead to the idea oh if your knife is bigger than 4 inches its illegal so if you say they are aware of the law and they say that to me i laugh and say listen your wrong and will all due respect i think you should read this and i hand them the law and they read it and i explain it after they summarize it why would i challenge an leo because either he is wrong with what he said or to ensure the enforcement of the laws that exist not one that he or she made up. Nj is a horrible place for many things a great for others but when it comes to misinformed leos and politicians we rank high so i rather educate them than waste thousands of dollars for a defense lawyer and a lawyer to sue their department for an unlawful arrest. You may not like what i say but it is the honest truth people are misinformed daily and its not a joke if your rights are infringed well guess what you dont have them anymore so fight for them and use them to keep them. It seems to me the only arm we can bear in nj without many legal issues is a knife and i dont plan to give that up so the hero cop can watch a video of my dumba** get assaulted and murderes so he can tell my family dont worry we will catch them yea okay and i am dead so what.

[SgtToadette 59]

I question the wisdom of this. When you go to the dentist do you tell him how to fill your tooth? If you hire a plumber or electrician do you remind them of what building code standards are? Do you carry a copy of NJS Title 39 and start quoting statutes if your involved in a vehicle stop? Police are no different than anyone else and don't care for people who try to keep telling them their job or what they don't know. You aren't going to "create an impression you know the laws and know them well" you are going to create the impression you're a PITA.

 

That's my take on this advice. Cops don't further their careers by making false arrests and I don't know where people (moreso on gun forums) get that idea. Police generally know a lot more about the law than some think.

 

I always suggest that people are polite, cordial, and professional when dealing with police. I certainly respect them as people and professionals. I don't recommend being abrasive or confrontational. I don't suggest having a know-it-all attitude.

 

My advice is for the person who finds themselves in a situation where a law enforcement officer is accusing them of carrying a prohibited weapon and/or is trying to confiscate their knife. If an officer tries to make the claim that since my knife is spring-assisted it's switchblade, I will professionally correct them and demonstrate that I take the carrying of knives seriously. The sad truth of the matter is that when you have immature teenagers who carry around and play with cheap, $10 WalMart knives because they think it makes them cool, it creates the impression that all people who carry knives have that same juvenile attitude. As a responsible and law-abiding citizen I feel it's my duty to understand what the law allows me and to treat potentially dangerous items with the respect they deserve.

 

If the police officer won't have any of it, then you're absolutely right and there's not going to be much I can do regardless of the impression I attempt to create. If I do come off as a pain in the a**, I'd rather have minor charges tacked on then face potentially more severe repercussions. The best advice would be simply to not be in that situation to begin with and the phrase "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" seems to ring very true, especially in the Garden State.

[GRIZ 3,369]

Even when it comes to NJ gun laws?

 

 

That depends. If you're talking about the average joe on the street my money is on the cop. If its a gun enthusiast/activist I'd have to go with the gun guy. So in general I'd say most cops know more. Keep in mind the gun guy is only focusing on relatively small parts of the law dealing with firearms and maybe fish and game if they are into that.

 

Gun entusiasts/activists misinterpret laws many times as they are depending on their interpretation not what courts have ruled. I will admit NJ gun law is difficult at times. Look at how many regulars on this forum feel if you have a handgun in the car with no deviation from your direct route when the law says "reasonable" which I admit is very open ended. I would like someone to relate to me a verfiable incident where someone was arrested coming home from the range because they stopped to use the bathroom.

 

 

I am so sorry but that is completely not true yes the know many of the thousands of laws but when it comes to knives or firearms many are mislead to beleive a make up law and think they are right why in the world would i say something like that because i am always around many leo and yes i have personally asked thirty to forty different cops from all over nj and they all know many laws but many are mislead to the idea oh if your knife is bigger than 4 inches its illegal so if you say they are aware of the law and they say that to me i laugh and say listen your wrong and will all due respect i think you should read this and i hand them the law and they read it and i explain it after they summarize it why would i challenge an leo because either he is wrong with what he said or to ensure the enforcement of the laws that exist not one that he or she made up. Nj is a horrible place for many things a great for others but when it comes to misinformed leos and politicians we rank high so i rather educate them than waste thousands of dollars for a defense lawyer and a lawyer to sue their department for an unlawful arrest. You may not like what i say but it is the honest truth people are misinformed daily and its not a joke if your rights are infringed well guess what you dont have them anymore so fight for them and use them to keep them. It seems to me the only arm we can bear in nj without many legal issues is a knife and i dont plan to give that up so the hero cop can watch a video of my dumba** get assaulted and murderes so he can tell my family dont worry we will catch them yea okay and i am dead so what.

 

Your response lacking capitalization and punctuation is difficult to understand. I'm sure the police will appreciate you educating them as long as you are as concise and exhibit your command of syntax as you do in your response.

 

I always suggest that people are polite, cordial, and professional when dealing with police. I certainly respect them as people and professionals. I don't recommend being abrasive or confrontational. I don't suggest having a know-it-all attitude.

 

My advice is for the person who finds themselves in a situation where a law enforcement officer is accusing them of carrying a prohibited weapon and/or is trying to confiscate their knife. If an officer tries to make the claim that since my knife is spring-assisted it's switchblade, I will professionally correct them and demonstrate that I take the carrying of knives seriously. The sad truth of the matter is that when you have immature teenagers who carry around and play with cheap, $10 WalMart knives because they think it makes them cool, it creates the impression that all people who carry knives have that same juvenile attitude. As a responsible and law-abiding citizen I feel it's my duty to understand what the law allows me and to treat potentially dangerous items with the respect they deserve.

 

If the police officer won't have any of it, then you're absolutely right and there's not going to be much I can do regardless of the impression I attempt to create. If I do come off as a pain in the a**, I'd rather have minor charges tacked on then face potentially more severe repercussions. The best advice would be simply to not be in that situation to begin with and the phrase "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" seems to ring very true, especially in the Garden State.

 

I want to first address your advice on a non-menacing knife. There is no difference if you have a Hello Kitty bowie or a more traditional one. If you carry something (as someone else mentioned) that has a seat belt cutter blade, screwdrivers, wrenches etc. That would be non-menacing IMO as there are clearly legal uses for such a knife combo..

 

If a LEO is confiscating (seizing) your knife because they feel its "illegal" (whatever that means in NJ) then they better be arresting you too or a least issue you some kind of summons (don't know if you can do that in NJ). What happened to never talking to the police? This is an example of if you refuse to explain a legal purpose for the knife you are leaving the police no recourse but to arrest you. I've said before making bum arrests is no way for a cop to enhance their career,

 

if the LEO decides to arrest no amount of knowledge to try to impart upon him or her is going to change that.

You're not going to hash it out at the side of the road.

 

As Blueline said have a reasonable reason for having the knife you have.

[Nathaniel 0]

If you're that paranoid, you need to leave the state. In NJ you can be arrested for anything, lest we forget... "When dealing with guns, the citizen acts at his own peril" -NJ Supreme Court

Are you serious? Now don't tell me carrying BB Guns is a criminal offence as well?

[Qel Hoth 33]

Are you serious? Now don't tell me carrying BB Guns is a criminal offence as well?

 

I'm hoping you're being sarcastic, but in case you aren't...

 

Yes, carrying a BB/pellet gun (pistol or rifle) outside the exemptions is a third degree crime.

[Jon 264]

Are you serious? Now don't tell me carrying BB Guns is a criminal offence as well?

 

???

 

Yes, it is a criminal offenSe, but that is spelled out in black and white. Knives are not.