Nebraska Knife Laws 101: All You Should Know About

Nebraska is a state whose economy is mostly dependent on the meat industry.

Additionally, Nebraska’s top industry is agriculture, with cattle production making up the majority of the sector.

Hence, carrying a knife is often a norm for the people in Nebraska directly involved in these industries.

However, as a responsible citizen, you might also be interested in learning about Nebraska knife laws.

Due to the strong regulations in the states, getting into trouble is simpler. It is, therefore, essential that you are familiar with all applicable legislation to avoid infringing the law.

If you are here, consider yourself fortunate that you did not stumble across the official website for Nebraska law.

The guidelines are so difficult to understand, you will give up. We are just here to clarify those relevant laws in the easiest way possible.

So let’s get started!

Highlights

Before we get into detail, highlights of the entire article would be a useful section for you. So here they are;

• Daggers, dirk, and stiletto can be owned but cannot be carried
• A defendant cannot carry any knives at all
• Concealed carry is not a problem for knives with a length of 3.5 inches or less
• Knives that are capable of inflicting cutting, stabbing, or tearing wounds are prohibited for concealed carry despite their length
• All knives can be openly carried
• Restricted Areas: Areas run by local governments and government agencies/departments
• No statewide preemption
• Penalty: $1,000 fine or imprisonment for no longer than a year
• Weapon permit doesn’t apply to knives

List Of Illegal Knives In Nebraska

Nebraska believes in freedom as long as you are not a Defendant ( a person who has been formally charged with committing a crime). Therefore, there aren’t any knives that are illegal to own.

Contrarily, there are three knives that you cannot carry outdoors. They are;

• Daggers
• Dirk
• Stiletto

However, the list of illegal knives isn’t this short if you are a defendant. You are not allowed to own/carry any knife at all if you are;

• a person found guilty of a criminal
• a person who is wanted person in the state
• a person in violation of a protective order against domestic abuse

Is Nebraska Safe If All Knives Are Legal?

You might be wondering if even Nebraska is safe if all knives are legal there. As a result, doubt knife laws in Nebraska.

Well, there is something called a deadly weapon in Nebraska which makes sure everyone is safe here. As per §28-109, a deadly weapon means;

As you can see here, the type of knife doesn’t play any significance here.

Rather the purpose it is being used for matters more. If anyone has the intention or uses it in a dangerous manner then a simple knife that is legal is considered an illegal one.

Nebraska Knife Regulations: Maximum Length

The length of the knife you are willing to own or carry also plays a significant role. So you need to consider what size knife is legal to carry in Nebraska.

Here, the blade length of the knife is taken into account for it to be legal. Generally, the length parameters are the knife’s tip to bolster.

When it comes to open carry, the length of the knife doesn’t matter. On the other hand, in terms of concealed carry, a maximum length of 3.5 inches is allowed.

However, there is a lot to talk about when it comes to concealed carry. Let’s dig in.

Concealed Carry

As per 28-1202, the legal knife length for concealed carry is 3.5 inches for a knife. Yet, there have been cases where a knife less than 3.5 inches was considered and concluded as an illegal one.

In State v. Bottolfson, the Nebraska Supreme Court determined in 2000 that a knife with a blade shorter than 3.5 inches might still be “dangerous.”

As the knife was “capable of inflicting cutting, stabbing, or tearing wounds” and was thus prohibited from being carried in a concealed manner.

Additionally, from the State v. Goodwin, Nathaniel Goodwin Jr. we see that it’s okay to carry a knife in car in Nebraska as it is considered a concealed carry. Even though it was a gun, the judge concluded it was concealed.

Overall, make sure that you are not concealed carrying a knife that is “capable of inflicting cutting, stabbing, or tearing wounds.”

Restricted Areas

Any building or area that is run by local governments and government agencies/departments is prohibited from carrying a knife.

You should certainly not carry a knife in either a concealed or open manner here.

On the other hand, there is nothing about school when it comes to restricted areas to carry a knife in Nebraska.

However, we wouldn’t support the idea of carrying a knife in these sensitive places. You may get into trouble if done.

Statewide Preemption

There is no statewide preemption present in the state of Nebraska. Thus, the regulations may vary from one place to another in the state.

You may want to consult a local lawyer to confirm all the facts.

Permit Doesn’t Matter

If you think that you can get away with knives by owning a weapon permit then you are wrong.

The state’s law that lists having a permit as a defense against being accused of carrying a concealed weapon mentions only handguns and not knives.

Thus, Nebraska makes no additional allowances for those who have concealed weapons permits to conceal carry knives longer than 3.5 inches.

That is simply how things are in this state.

Punishment For Breaking The Knife Laws In Nebraska

Lastly, the penalty section is where you get to know about the punishments

that you can expect to be receiving. In a nutshell, A first offense of violating the concealed carry ban in Nebraska is considered a Class 1 misdemeanor.

There is, therefore, no minimum penalty and a $1,000 fine or imprisonment for no longer than a year as the maximum punishment.

Nonetheless the punishment for carrying illegal knife, both to restricted places and in public, is determined by the local government.

Conclusion

Overall, Nebraska knife laws are very easy to follow. Firstly, there are no illegal knives except only three; daggers, dirk, and stiletto.

They cannot be carried outdoors but can be owned.

Secondly, the regulations on carrying types are simple as well. You can open carry any knife of any length.

On the other hand, only a maximum of 3.5 inches of the knife is allowed to be carried in a concealed way.

Additionally, if a knife is capable of inflicting cutting, stabbing, or tearing wounds, then there is no escape.

The size won’t matter if you carry it in a concealed manner. The next thing you know is that you have to deal with the court!