Posted: 4/13/2011 3:53:06 PM EDT
| I'm looking to get my father in law a nice knife––leaning towards an auto-benchmade but don't wanna get the guy in trouble. Anyone shed any light on if auto knives are a go, or no-go in Florida? (Levy County if it matters) |
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Good to go. Prior to about 2003 "self-propelled" knives were illegal in FL, but legislature revised the statute to clearly define the "Spetnaz" type self propelled knives where the blade physically separates from the handle as what they meant by "self-propelled". Prior to that "switchblades" were considered illegal. Florida Statutes chapter 790 governs weapons.
Florida preempts local political subdivisions from enacting rules or ordinances regulating weapons, so it does not matter what county you are in. Keep in mind that most people and some LE still believe they are illegal, as they are convinced that "switchblades" are the weapons of assassins and gangsters. There are a lot of mail order auto-knife dealers in Florida, so if you purchase one from them, you don't have to worry about Federal interstate issues. Keep in mind some dealers may not sell you you without .mil or LE ID, but most will. |