Knife Rights’ bill to repeal Louisiana’s ban on the concealed carry of switchblades, HB 463, was signed Thursday by Governor John Edwards.
NOTE: The new law does not go into effect until August 1st. Until then, concealed carry of a switchblade (automatic) knife remains illegal in Louisiana.
In 2018 Knife Rights was able repeal Louisiana’s complete ban on switchblades,but in order to get it passed we had to compromise by including the restriction that the knife not be “intentionally concealed on one’s person.”
Last year, Louisiana HB 124, providing for the concealed carry of any “instrumentality customarily used or intended for use as a dangerous weapon” as long as the carrier has a concealed handgun permit, was enacted. That included knives, except, unfortunately, switchblades. Intentional concealed carry of a switchblade (automatic knife) remains illegal in Louisiana, even for concealed handgun permitees. HB 463 would remove that ban.
Knife Rights has led the effort to repeal switchblade bans or restrictions in 19 states, starting with New Hampshire in 2010. Repeals have since been enacted in Alaska, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
Altogether, Knife Rights’ efforts have resulted in 39 bills repealing knife bans in 25 states and over 150 cities and towns since 2010.