Did You Know It’s Illegal To Conceal Carry This Knife In Iowa?

There are many reasons why someone might want to carry a knife on them on a regular basis. You might need to use one as a tool, you might want to use one to protect yourself, or you might need to use one if you're in a survival situation. The list is pretty endless as a simple knife can be used in a wide variety of ways.

Are there any knives that are illegal to conceal carry in Iowa? It turns out that there are a lot more knives that you aren't allowed to conceal carry than I would've originally thought.

First off, what is a switchblade knife? If you don't know, this video does a fantastic job of showing you.

Iowa Knife Laws

Iowa's knife laws can actually get pretty complicated and complex as some knife laws are interpreted differently by different people. According to EDC Ninja, these knives are explicitly illegal in Iowa; ballistic knives, switchbles, balisongs, cane swords, lipstick knives, daggers, and stiletto knives. It is also illegal to carry a knife that has a blade exceeding five inches in length, according to Iowa Code 702.7.

In the state of Iowa, you are allowed to carry a knife in public, as long as it is not considered a "dangerous weapon" which are the knives mentioned above. According to Iowa Code 702.7, a dangerous weapon is

A “dangerous weapon” is any instrument or device designed primarily for use in inflicting death or injury upon a human being or animal, and which is capable of inflicting death upon a human being when used in the manner for which it was designed, except a bow and arrow when possessed and used for hunting or any other lawful purpose.

The Good News

If you are interested in carrying some kind of switchblade knife, they are not illegal to own and I believe you can get a weapons permit allowing you to conceal carry one. According to the Dubuque Sheriff,

An Iowa carry permit also allows the concealed carrying of other non-firearm dangerous weapons such as knives with blades in excess of five inches, switchblade knives, Tasers/stun guns, or any other dangerous weapon.

Here's where I would like to add that I am not a lawyer and if you're really that interested in owning and carrying a switchblade, I would do some research on the county you live in and talk to a real lawyer.

Did you know that if you own a knife that has a blade under 5 inches but you are operating it in a dangerous manner, a court can consider that knife a "dangerous weapon?"