Know Your Rights: A Summary of Nevada’s Knife Laws
Nevada, the Silver State, is quite different from other states when it comes to knives. Anyone may have the requirement to carry a knife for their profession and others for self-defense.
Nevertheless, the Nevada knife laws are there for the citizens to live a safe lifestyle. Even though most of them are legal to be used, there are exceptional knives that you might need Concealed Carry Weapon permission.
They are mostly for the ones that are capable of harm.
Additionally, as there is no Statewide Preemption, the laws vary from place to place. The premises you are carrying it to also play a significant role in the laws. For example, it is strictly prohibited to carry any knife in school.
Let’s look at every ins and out there are about knife and Nevada.
Highlights
It’s best if you get a clear idea even before reading the whole article where we dig in deep with the laws. Thus, the highlight section;
- Nevada is not strict about knives
- The federal law restricts the laws in Nevada
- Both concealed and open carry is allowed
- No restriction on selling and transferring
- Machetes are strictly prohibited from being carried
- Laws are linear toward government defense officials
- No knives can be carried at schools, universities, and daycare centers
Federal Law On Knives
Federal law in the USA is superior one than any other state law. Even though state law doesn’t stop you from carrying, importing, or selling a knife, federal law does.
The 15 U.S. Code § 1242 says that if you are doing the things mentioned above and it’s a “switchable knife”, then you are in trouble.
If the proceeding is taken into court, then there’s no way you are going to be saved by the Nevada law itself. The jury will prioritize federal law over any other law.
What Are Switchable Knives?
You might be wondering what switchable knives are and why federal law prohibits them. Well, any knife that opens up with the slight mechanism of push, spring, or switch then it is considered a switchable one.
In a nutshell, they are the ones that open their blades up in an automated manner.
They are banned due to their swiftly cutting edges and are considered dangerous for this in the first place. The switchable knives are often sharp and have the capability of doing hurtful things.
Thus, for a switchable knife to be carried, Concealed Carry Weapon permission is required.
What Is A CCW Permit
The Concealed Carry Weapon(CCW) permit is required to be taken by the citizen and non-citizens of Nevada. Mostly to carry a knife or other firearms that are considered dangerous by the law.
The permit requires one to go through the course on firearms. Additionally, the safety course as well.
However, the most important aspect here is the reason to apply for the CCW permit in the first place. You cannot go to the permit office and come up with invalid reasons. Rejection is confirmed here.
Nevertheless, one must be at least 21 years old to qualify to apply for the permit. The process is way linear for a government defense service holder.
Can I Carry A Knife In Nevada
Unless it’s a switchable one, you can carry a knife in Nevada and there are no strict laws about it. As mentioned before, there is no Statewide Preemption present in the Sagebrush State.
Thus, knife laws in Nevada vary from place to place, and the county your location is in will be in charge.
It’s best to go through your local lawyer and get to know about the laws. However, when it comes to Machetes, every county will go against it. They are illegal everywhere in Nevada and are strict about it.
Why Machetes Are Illegal In Nevada?
Machetes are considered something that is only used in the agricultural side in the USA. Apart from being used for chopping and cutting, the Machetes are capable of stabbing as well.
Due to their one-sided sharp edges, they certainly fall under the lethal category.
Moreover, the machetes are so sharp that penetrating limbs is a piece of cake. As a result, there’s no way that Nevada or any other state would allow you to carry such a dangerous weapon within yourself.
Other Illegal Knives In Nevada
Machetes aren’t the only ones that can get dangerous, according to Nevada. There are also other knives as per the law NRS 202.350.
Leaving out everything, let’s talk about NRS 202.350’s prohibited knife categories.
Belt-Buckle Knife
As the name suggests, a belt buckle knife is made from a bucket and the blade is integrated with it.
They can be connected with your leather belt and can be drawn anytime. Mostly they are used for self-defense and need to get a permit to own one.
Dirk/Dagger
From ancient, the dirk/dagger has been famous for being used in combats. Till now, they are still seen as lethal weapons almost everywhere.
Frame-lock Knife
A framework knife can be opened with a mechanism that lets you unfold it single-handedly. Thus, it falls under the switchable knife category and is illegal to carry one.
Legal knives In Nevada
The list of legal knives that you can carry in Nevada is endless. Thus, we are not going to put out a list of 100 that you can carry.
As long as they are not Machetes, Belt-Buckle Knife, Dirk/Dagger, Frame-lock Knife, or switchable ones, then you are free to carry them.
However, there’s a legal knife length that you need to maintain. What’s the size? Check it out in the next section.
What’s The Legal Size Of A Knife In Nevada
Nevada as a whole hasn’t set up a size of the blade that you must not cross for it to become illegal. However, some sectors have set what size knife is legal to carry in Nevada.
In most counties, you are allowed to hold a knife with a blade of three inches. That means, from the knife’s bolster to the point, it has to be three inches.
You might also find places where a 5-inch knife is also legal.
Where Can’t I Carry A Knife In Nevada?
The Battle Born State may not be strict about knives themselves but certainly is when it comes to sensitive locations.
As per NRS 202.265, the three sensitive spaces include schools, universities, and licensed daycare services.
When the question of security arises in these locations, Nevada is extremely harsh with the one carrying a knife.
As a result, it doesn’t matter, even if it’s a knife you can carry on the streets. You simply can’t take one in a school, university, or daycare service center.
Similarly, you can carry a knife in car in Nevada but not if the car is related to these services.
Here’s everything you need to know about what you cannot carry in these locations;
Penalties For A Knife Carry In Nevada
Wondering what penalties you might run into for possessing a knife? mostly it’s in the middle spot of being considered a felony and a minor mistake.
In a nutshell, there are three stages of how big of a villain you are to the government. They are;
- Misconduct: You are seen as a small law-breaker or someone who did something unintentionally.
- Gross Misdemeanor: You remain above the misconduct lawbreaker and one step closer to becoming a felony.
- Felony: The last thing you want to be is a felony. A felony is the ultimate level of a lawbreaker and is not treated well in the overall system.
Thankfully, carrying a knife doesn’t make you a felony. If you carry a switchable knife without a Concealed Carry Weapon permission, then you fall under the Gross Misdemeanor category.
Additionally, carrying any knife at a school, university, or child care service is a gross misdemeanor. Here you will receive a year of jail time and/or a maximum of 2000 dollars of fine.
On the other hand, if you threaten or even wave a knife at anyone then you will fall under the misconduct section.
As a consequence of the NRS 202.257 law, a jail time of 6 months and a thousand dollars is expected as a penalty.
However, you might even get away with misconduct as it is seen as almost a nom crime.
Exceptions
Like any other state, Nevada also prioritizes peacemakers and is excluded from a few laws. Thus, the laws are made an exception for them. Let’s check them out!
- Daycare provider owners may keep knives for safety.
- Security guards are allowed to carry a knife in schools or universities.
- Government Security Force may keep knives with them even if it’s in a school or at a daycare service.
Conclusion
To conclude, that’s all you need to know about Nevada knife laws. Nevada is quite chilled when it comes to knives. However, the federal law does bring up limitations by excluding switchable knives from the others.
On the other hand, the only knife that Nevada themselves doesn’t support is the Machete. They are quite dangerous and can easily be distinguished from a usual knife.
Nevertheless, laws do vary from place to place in Nevada, and it’s always a good idea to check up with a local lawyer.
