Brazil Knife Law: The Dos And Don’ts Of Carrying Blades

Despite being the country with the highest crime rate, Brazil hasn’t focused on its knife laws yet. No websites or clear laws are available that would help us confirm the Brazil knife laws.

But, we have gone through multiple sources and forums to find laws that would help any tourist or citizen to be aware.

So if you are someone who is going to Brazil anytime soon and worried about carrying a knife, consider yourself lucky. We have prepared every ins and out there is to the law regarding knives.

Starting from what size knife is legal to carry in Brazil to what type of knives you can carry.

However, before we get started, we thought adding a highlights table would make things easier for you. Yet, don’t depend on the highlights only, as you have to know in-depth to utilize the laws properly.

Highlights

Here are the highlights of the entire article;

• Double-edged knives are banned
• Open carry is not recommended
• 15 cm (overall knife size) is the maximum legal length
• Any type of knife is banned in the airport and will be stuck at customs
• Always avoid sensitive areas like schools, stadiums, theaters, and government buildings
• No fines are mentioned but jail time varies from 1 to 3 years

List Of Illegal Knives In Brazil

As mentioned before, the laws are not open to everyone. Thus, we had to take it from the people there. From sources, we have found that the only knives that are banned;

• Daggers
• Push knives
• Balisongs

The interesting thing about these knives is that they all belong to the same category of knives. All of them are double-edged knives. Thus, we can conclude that any double-edged knives are banned in Brazil.

So what are double-edged knives, then? Knowing it will certainly help you distinguish a double-edged sword.

Double-Edged Knives

Any knife or other object with a blade on both sides, whether or not the blade finishes at a sharp point, is referred to as a double-edged knife. This includes all types of swords.

Here’s how you distinguish them;

A knife will have a minor angle or incline that slopes down to the edge, either on one or both sides. This is the bevel. A double-bevel knife is one that has one on each side. A single bevel knife is one that has one on just one side. To know which one is better to use read this article.

Table: Why Are These Knives Banned?

At this point, you might be wondering why these knives are illegal in the first place. Well, let’s take a look at the perspective of the Brazilian government regarding these knives.

Knife Type	Reason For Ban
Daggers	Can be used to sneak up on someone from the back without getting detected
Push knives	The knife’s thin “neck,” and T-shaped handles cause the blade to stick out through the fingers and in front of the knuckles. Any blow delivered with the fist clenched around the knife transforms into a potentially fatal knife thrust
Balisongs	They can be opened extremely quickly and cause serious harm

Concealed vs Open Carry

Open carrying a knife is a big deal here in Brazil. The number of homicides in 2018 was 57,956 and 45,503 in 2019. The numbers are huge and have led Brazil to the top list of most homicides in a country. Thus, civil officers are quite strict regarding dangerous weapons such as knives in public hands.

Therefore, it’s best to avoid open carry in Brazil. On the other hand, concealed carry is safe and secure as long as it’s not a double-edged knife. You can carry a knife in car in Brazil or in your bag, it doesn’t matter.

However, that doesn’t mean you will carry a long sword in your bag. That doesn’t make sense and is absurd. You cannot explain to an officer why you have that in your bag. It will only lead to suspicious acts and put you in jail.

What Size Of A Knife Can I Carry?

Coming from the previous section, we are certain that you are wondering what size of knife you are allowed to carry then. You would be surprised to hear that the legal knife length is whopping almost 6 inches or 15 centimeters. Whereas the average legal length of a knife is 4 to 5 inches.

To sum up, you have a lot of freedom to carry a big enough knife. The length is measured from the butt of the knife to the point. Therefore, the overall size of the knife is considered and not the blade size.

Places To Avoid

Whether it be a knife that belongs on the legal list or an illegal one, there are certain areas where you can’t carry a knife. These are the sensitive areas such as schools, stadiums, theaters, and government buildings.

List Of Legal Knives In Brazil

Almost most knives are legal till you maintain the length. So let’s look at some common examples of knives that are legal here;

• Pocket knives
• Hunting knives
• Ballistic knives
• Pan knives
• Cane knives
• Utility knives

Can I Bring A Knife To Brazil Airport?

If you are a tourist and would love to bring your knife collection to Brazil, it certainly isn’t possible. The same goes for a citizen who is willing to bring a knife from other countries to Brazil. Your favorite collection would be stuck at customs and won’t be returned.

Bringing any type of knife is not allowed in the airport. As a result, don’t even think about bringing it here on the Land of the Holy Cross.

Penalties For Violating Knife Laws

Just like in any other country, there are penalties for violating the Knife laws in Brazil. There is nothing mentioned about the amount of the fine, but one to three years in prison is certain.

The jail time varies with your reasoning. If you can’t show the judge that you had good intentions, you will be penalized with the maximum jail time.

FAQ

Some Brazillian and tourists came across different questions regarding knife laws there. We will answer them here.

Are police officers strict on knife carriers in Brazil?

If you showcase your knife or play with it in public, certainly police officers will stop you and ask for your reason of carry. So yes, if you are open about it, officers will be strict.

Are Brazil Customs strict on knives?

You don’t want to show yourself with a knife in your bag in Brazil airport. They are strict about it and won’t play nice.

Can I bring a knife to a park in Brazil?

It’s better if you don’t. However, if you do have a valid reason to carry one in a park, then no officer will charge you for fault.

Conclusion

Overall, the brazil knife laws are not too difficult to maintain. As long as you are confident that it is not a double-edged knife and is less than 15 centimeters, you are good.

However, bear in mind that 15 centimeters are the overall knife size, not just the blade size.

Similarly, if you can’t prove yourself a person with good intentions, you will be penalized with maximum jail time. So always keep your intentions clean.

Also, don’t make the mistake of bringing a knife here if you are traveling from another country. It will never leave customs.