Knife Laws

It is LEGAL to own and carry any type of knife in the State of Utah as long as you are not a restricted person as defined in 76-11 Part 3.
Legal knives include a butterfly knife, dirk, dagger, stiletto, bowie knife, automatic*, gravity*, switchblade*, or a disguised knife (in a belt buckle, necklace, etc)
* See Federal restrictions below.

• Bowie Knife
  Is essentially a heavy dagger with a pointed, straight 12-20 inch blade. The “toothpick” is balanced and weighted for throwing and can also be used for thrusting.
  The historical Bowie knife was not a single design but was a series of knives improved several times by Jim Bowie over the years. The version most
  commonly known as the historical Bowie knife was rather large and of massive construction, as knives go, usually having a blade of at least 6″ (15cm)
  in length, some reaching 12 inches (30cm) or more, with a relatively broad blade that was an inch and a half to two inches wide (4 to 5 cm) and made of steel
• Pen Knife
  A small folding pocket knife, originally used for cutting a quill to make a pen nib. It may have single or multiple blades and additional tools
  incorporated into the design. Over the last hundred years, there has been a proliferation of multi-function knives with diverse and often ingenious
  gadgets including awls, reamers, scissors, nail files, corkscrews, tweezers, toothpicks, and so on, and the tradition continues with the incorporation of modern devices such as ballpoint pens, LED torches and USB flash drives. The most famous example of a multi-function knife is the Swiss Army knife, some versions of which number dozens of functions and are more of a folding multi-tool, incorporating a blade or two, than a penknife with extras.
• Gravity Knife
  A knife that can be opened solely by the forces of gravity or centripetal force. One method of opening is where the blade exits out the front
  of the handle point-first and locks into place. Another form is like a switchblade, but instead of a button or spring, the knife is “flipped” out of the handle, and locked into place. To retract the blade back into the handle, a release lever or liner lock is pressed. Should the knife be equipped with a spring to open the blade, it is referred to as an Out-The-Front Automatic (OTF) knife, or a switchblade if it exits out of the side. Knives commonly mistaken for gravity knives include OTF automatic knives, the switchblade and the butterfly knife (or balisong), and occasionally common folding knives (see penny knife).
• Gimlet
  A weapon that looks like an ice pick and opens like a switchblade knife.
• Clasp Knife
  A folding knife, strictly speaking, is one equipped with some means of holding the blade in the open position when in use, so that it cannot close
  accidentally on the user’s fingers. The term tends to refer to a medium-sized to large knife. It implies a locking mechanism such as a twisting ring or catch that must be released in a distinct action before the knife can be folded, as opposed to the more usual sliding spring which requires only that a sufficient force be applied to the back of the knife for it to fold into the handle, and for which the term penknife is normally used. The term lock-knife or lockback knife also exists to make this distinction.
• Dirk
  A Scots word for a long dagger; sometimes a cut-down sword blade mounted on a dagger hilt, rather than a knife blade. Dirks were made with either
  double-edged or single-edged blades, and there was no standard blade configuration. Reference books covering naval dirks invariably show the popularity catch an opponent’s blade, a concept borrowed from the medieval Scottish dirk, and also often had an upper guard that bent forward at an angle, also intended to catch an opponent’s blade. The back edge of the curved clip point also called the “false edge,” was often sharpened to allow someone trained in European techniques of saber fencing to execute the maneuver called the “back cut” or “back slash.” A brass quillon was attached to protect the hand, usually cast in a mold.
  The blade shape was likely derived from the Spanish Navajo clasp knives carried in Spain and the Spanish colonies in the Americas.
• Butterfly Knife / Balisong
  The Balisong, called a Butterfly knife in the West, and sometimes known as a Batangas knife, is a form of folding pocket knife with two handles that
  counter-rotate around the tang such that, when closed, the blade is concealed within grooves in the handles. In the hands of a trained user, the knife blade can be brought forth quickly using one hand. Manipulations (flipping) are performed for art or amusement and require great skill. Translated from Tagalog, the word “Balisong” means “Broken Horn” (literally, “baling sungay”) as the original Balisongs were made from carved animal horns and recycled knife blades. The name butterfly knife is a term coined in the United States much like “drumbox” for the kahon.
• Jack Knife
  A large clasp knife. To fold or double. A large knife with one or more folding blades.
• Stiletto
  a. A small dagger with a slender, tapering blade.
  b. Something shaped like such a dagger.
• Switchblade
  There are two basic types of switchblades: Side-Opening and Out-The-Front (OTF).
  1. A side-opening knife’s blade pivots out of the side of the handle (in the same manner as an ordinary folding knife).
  2. An OTF knife’s blade slides directly forward, out of the tip of the handle.
  There are two types of OTF knives: Double Action and Single Action.
  • Double Action OTFs allow the user to extend or retract the blade with the press of a sliding button. Spring tension in these knives is provided by the movement of the button, which makes them much safer to carry since they will not open accidentally. However, the extra force the spring requires can also make the intentional opening more difficult.
  • Single Action OTFs require the user to retract the blade manually and compress the spring. Because they often use a lever to compress the spring, stronger springs can be used. This makes them open more vigorously than the double-action type and allows them to achieve tighter lock-ups.

• 10-8-47.5. Knives regulated by state.
• 17-50-332. Knives regulated by state.
• 17B-1-103. Local district status and powers — Registration as a limited purpose entity.
• 76-11-101. Definitions.
• 76-3-203.2. Definitions — Use of dangerous weapon in offenses committed on or about school premises — Enhanced penalties.
• 76-11 Part 3. Persons Restricted Regarding Dangerous Weapons

Federal laws on switchblades and ballistic knives do not apply to the possession or sale of switchblade and ballistic knives within a state’s boundaries. Knife laws within a state are controlled through state laws, in our case there are none in Utah.