Massachusetts Knife Laws (2025)

On August 27, 2024, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the state's ban on carrying switchblade (automatic or OTF) knives violated the Second Amendment, effectively legalizing them in terms of constitutional rights.

The court determined that switchblade knives are bearable arms and thus fall under Second Amendment protection, referencing that folding knives were commonly used by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes at the time of America’s founding. This aligns with U.S. Supreme Court rulings such as Bruen and Heller.

The banned provision was Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 269 Section 10(b), which prohibited carrying automatic knives with blades longer than 1.5 inches. The court held that this restriction was unconstitutional.

Yes. Certain locations remain off-limits, such as school grounds and governmental buildings, as specified in M.G.L. 269 Section 10(j). Carrying knives for offensive purposes or in a dangerous manner is also still prohibited.

Although Massachusetts law previously differentiated between owning and carrying automatic knives, this court ruling specifically negates the carrying ban for switchblades over 1.5 inches, thereby expanding lawful use beyond mere ownership.

The case involved David E. Canjura, who was charged in 2020 with carrying a dangerous weapon after police found a spring-assisted switchblade on him. He challenged the charge, asserting a Second Amendment right to bear arms. The court's decision came in the context of this case.

Yes. The ruling follows a broader judicial trend applying the Bruen standard: modern restrictions on weapons must align with historical traditions of regulation. The court also referenced prior decisions striking down bans on stun guns and similar arms as consistent with this approach.

The ruling has been hailed by knife owners and advocacy groups as a step toward modernizing knife law. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell called the decision disappointing, and observers note that law enforcement and other states may now reassess their own switchblade restrictions.