As you can see below, this year has been extremely successful for Knife Rights because of your support. Without it, we can’t accomplish anything. With it, we’ve gotten more done this year than any prior election year. Thank you for being part of this success. We are set up to have a banner year in 2025, but we need your continued generous donations so we can get out there and work our tails off for you. Please help support these ongoing efforts by making a donation in our Ultimate Steel Year End Drawing and possibly win one of two awesome prizes from Sig Sauer and Hogue Knives.
If you prefer to make a TAX-DEDUCTIBLE donation to the Knife Rights Foundation that will support our litigation work, you can do so at: KnifeRights.org/Donate
Click on links to read full details about each legislative or litigation endeavor.
To date, Knife Rights’ efforts have resulted in 49 bills enacted repealing knife bans in 31 states and over 200 cities and towns since 2010. Despite election years typically being slow for our legislative efforts, 2024 was a great year for Knife Rights and our efforts to forge a Sharper Future™.
- Knife Owners’ Protection Act: Filed in Senate and House after election. Placeholder for 2025.
- Idaho: Knife Law Preemption enacted
- Louisiana: Knife Law Preemption enacted. This bill was the final step in our complete overhaul of Louisiana’s knife laws that we started in 2018
- Hawaii: Repealed bans on manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, and transportation of Butterfly Knives (Balisongs), Switchblades and Gravity Knives as well as Brass Knuckles (including Trench Knives and Karambits), Swords and Spears.
- West Virginia: Knife Rights supported Second Amendment Business Protection Act was enacted, enhancing preemption protection for knives (and firearms).
- Iowa: Knife Rights supported HF 2556 provides penalties for the violation of Iowa’s long-existing weapons preemption law that includes knives. Effective 1/1/2025.
- Washington: Senate passed Knife Rights’ “Spring Blade” ban repeal bill, yet again. Unfortunately, yet again, the bill died in the House.
- Mississippi: Knife Law Preemption bill died in committee.
- Delaware: Switchblade Ban Repeal bill died in committee.
- Arizona: A bill that would have banned possession and carry of “knuckles” (to include Trench Knives and Karambits), was killed in committee.
Knife Rights has always been the Second Front in Defense of the Second Amendment. Unlike other 2A advocacy organizations, we have generally received bipartisan support for bills repealing knife bans. However, in some extreme left-leaning jurisdictions repealing bans via legislation is nigh on impossible (see Washington above).
in 2023 Knife Rights initiated a post-Bruen Second Amendment-based proactive litigation campaign aimed at repealing knife bans where legislative efforts have been unable to gain traction, or never would. Our first win was against Philadelphia last year. Our litigation efforts continued in 2024.
- Federal Switchblade Act: In June Knife Rights’ federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of significant portions of the Federal Switchblade Act on Second Amendment grounds was dismissed without prejudice on standing grounds. An entirely new lawsuit was filed in September. Motion for Summary Judgement was filed in November. Oral arguments are likely to be scheduled in March or April. Meanwhile we will shortly have a new U.S. Attorney General who may be less interested in opposing this Second Amendment lawsuit and, perhaps, coming to a swift resolution.
- Hawaii: Hawaii attempted to moot (see above) an en banc appeal at Ninth Circuit of Plaintiff’s knife law ban lawsuit win at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that the Statehad requested. Oral argument was held in June. No decision to date.
- California: In our lawsuit seeking to void California’s “switchblade” ban, the District Court ruled that “switchblades” were NOT ARMS covered by the Second Amendment after Bruen. However, the court did toss us a bone by finding that there were no historical precedents for banning switchblades. Notice of Appeal is filed.
- Massachusetts: In a criminal case in which we filed a detailed amicus brief and post hearing brief, Massachusetts’ ban on carry of a “switchblade” (with a blade over 1.5 inches) was struck down by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court because switchblades ARE ARMS and the law was unconstitutional under the Second Amendment after Bruen. Also, the court found that there were no historical precedents for banning switchblades, or any knives.
- Supreme Court of the United States: Knife Rights filed an amicus brief in support of the Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the Supreme Court in the case of Snope v Brown. The petition seeks review of the en banc Fourth Circuit’s incredibly flawed decision Bruen that so-called “assault weapons” are NOT “arms” protected by the Second Amendment despite being owned by millions of Americans and being the most popular rifle in the U.S. today. If SCOTUS takes the case, a positive decision would help our litigation campaign.
- Minnesota: A Second Amendment lawsuit has been filed challenging Minnesota’s complete ban on switchblades (Eighth Circuit).
- City of Tempe, Arizona: The City enacted a ban on “knuckles” possession in public, as well as ban on sales. Besides being unconstitutional under the Second Amendment and Arizona’s Constitution, it is also likely not legal under Arizona’s Knife Law Preemption statute we got enacted in 2010. We have initiated efforts provided for by the state’s preemption enforcement statute, as well as seeking plaintiffs for a potential legal challenge.
All that you read above is only possible with you sincerely appreciated support. Please help support us going into 2025 by making a donation in our Ultimate Steel Year End Drawing and possibly win one of two awesome prizes from Sig Sauer and Hogue Knives.
If you prefer to make a TAX-DEDUCTIBLE donation to the Knife Rights Foundation which supports our litigation work, you can do so at: KnifeRights.org/Donate