Knife Laws in Florida

Florida is somewhat challenging about knife laws. There are some restrictions on owning and carrying knives. Some knives are legal and others are illegal in Florida.

In this article, you will find all you want to know about knife laws in Florida.

Illegal Knives to Own in Florida

Balisong knives, Cane knives, and belt knives are perfectly legal in Florida like many other states. Automatic knives / Switchblades are also legal to own in this state of the US.

All types of disguised knives are also possessive here. Bowie knives and other large and sharp blade knives are legal as well.

Throwing knives and stars are also allowed to be owned here. You can own knives that are undetectable by the metal detector.

Illegal Knives to Own in Florida

Knife laws in Florida describe illegal knives as well. It is good news for knife users that almost all types of knives are legal to own in this state. But there is a type of dangerous knife known as a Ballistic knife that is illegal here.

If you need a knife without ballistic, feel easy to own. This is only one type of knife that is illegal to own in Florida.

Carry Limits

In short, we can say that there is not any restriction about carrying a knife. You can carry all knives openly as long as they are visible and legal. So you can not carry a Ballistic knife because it is illegal in Florida. 

Concealed Carry

Knife laws are a bit complicated when we talk about concealed carry. Generally, you can carry work knives concealed, such as knives for box opening or multi-tool knives. 

Remember that your knife blade should be less than 4 inches. If you have a knife with a blade larger than 4 inches, you may face difficulty. It is unlawful to conceal a knife with a blade larger than 4 inches. 

If you need to conceal a large blade knife then you have to obtain a valid license from the Government of Florida. But it is not easy to obtain a valid license without a serious reason.

Specific Locations / Circumstances

Anyone is not allowed to bring knives to schools, colleges, universities, and other educational places. These places are weapon-free zones. 

So you can not carry a knife in these places and in their properties. This rule also applies to their properties like grounds and school places. You can not carry on their activities as well even those that occur out of school properties.

Restrictions on Sale or Transfer

Ballistic knives are illegal to own in Florida. So their sale and transfer are illegal as well. Besides that, minors are prohibited to own knives; so you can sell them large blade knives. Minors can own only pocket knives.

Statewide Preemption

There is not a statewide preemption in this state.

Major Cities in Florida with Knife Ordinances

There are many ordinances in Florida about knives. This state allows cities and municipalities to come up with their own ordinances. Most of these ordinances are related to concealed carry.

City, State	Law Title/ Chapter/ Section	Concealed Carry Legal	Max Size Restriction	Short description of the law
Alachua Co. FL	113.01. & 123.40.	Yes	3″	the blade does not exceed a three-inch length. / No Knife of any length in courthouses /
Altamonte Sps., FL	12-37.			Whoever shall carry concealed arms of any kind except a common pocket knife,
Belle Glade, FL	18-68.			or by carrying any arms, such as pistols, knives except small pens or pocket knives,
Boca Raton, FL	13-100. thru 13-102			unlawful to carry, possess or display any weapon while participating in any special event/demonstration.
Bradenton Beach, FL	6-33.	Yes	2.5″	possess any folding knife with a blade that exceeds 2 1/2 inches in length.
Broward Co. FL	2.2.			No Knives are allowed in the Airport Terminal.
Casselberry, FL	62-1903.			City Employees can’t possess a knife of any kind even in their Auto on City Property.
Citrus Co. FL	58-78.			No Weapons in Court House including knives commonly referred to as pocket knives
Coconut Creek, FL	17-27. & 21-12.2.			carry any knife while participating in a parade/picket line/group demonstration/block party. Emp. on City Property
Coral Gables, FL	62-186.			at any special event, parade, or public assembly to carry or possess any weapon, Knife
Crestview, FL	54-7.	Yes	3″	knife (other than a small pocket knife with its blades under three inches in length)
Delray Beach, FL	132.02.			by carrying any arms, such as pistols, knives (except pocket knives),
Ft. Lauderdale, FL	26-202.1.			Parade and public assembly prohibitions (no knives.)
Ft. Pierce. FL	11-15.	Yes	4″	an ordinary pocket knife containing a blade not longer than four (4) inches.
Gainesville, FL	17-5.	Yes	3″	In City-owned buildings, pocket knives provided the blade of the pocket knife does not exceed a three-inch length.
Gulfport, FL	14-55.			It shall be unlawful to carry or have concealed about one’s person or other weapons except for a common pocket knife
Lake Wales, FL	Sec. 18-82			Prohibited acts in city parks and facilities . . . . shall any person carry on his or her person, in plain view, any knife
Miami Beach, FL	106-375.			Any participant in a demonstration, rally, picket line, or parade within the city who carries a knife
Oakland, FL	50-53.			It shall be unlawful for any person other than an authorized officer to carry a knife
Oakland Park, FL	8-16.			are prohibited from carrying secretly about their person any clasp knife, more than an ordinary pocket knife.
Palm Beach Co. FL	1-1.			The weapon shall mean a knife, or any other instrument utilized to coerce, intimidate or injure an individual.
Port Orange, FL	58-51.			At Special Events knife, hatchet or any other instrument customarily used or intended for use as a dangerous weapon.
Sarasota, FL	21-143.			No person shall carry or have concealed about his person any weapon, except a common pocket knife.
South Daytona, FL	10-3.			No person shall carry or have concealed about his person any weapon, except a common pocket knife.
South Miami, FL	15-15. & 15-18.			are prohibited from carrying secretly about their person any clasp knife, more than an ordinary pocket knife.
Starke, FL	66-34.			are prohibited from carrying secretly about their person any clasp knife, more than an ordinary pocket knife.

 Exceptions

Army individuals and veterans are exempt from these laws about concealed carry and blade size. They can carry all types of knives without any license. All other people have to obey all of these laws.

Summary of Knife Laws in Florida

Generally, we can say that Florida has straightforward laws about knives. The main thing is to keep in mind that your knife size should not be larger than 4 inches.

Knives are legal to carry openly. You can conceal a knife with a size smaller than 4 inches. The main point you have to remember is that Ballistic knives are illegal here. So you can not buy or sell them here.

The other main point is that many cities and municipalities have their own ordinances. So double-check the local knife laws as well before carrying a knife.