Are swords legal in the U.S?

[Mr. Karate]

Some time this year I'm going to purchase a katana, but the problem is, are swords illegal like in Japan without a permit?

[scottnshelly]

This answer is going to vary by region. In Oklahoma, it is illegal to carry any weapon with malicious intent. It is perfectly legal to carry a weapon (not sure about guns) to or from any competition or training. That means that you can take a sword to your Dojo to learn how to use it; you cannot take it to the mall for self defense purposes. You can take a sword to a tournament; you cannot take it to an enemy’s house to threaten him with it.

The best way to find out for your specific area would be to contact your local Police Department. Your Instructor may already know the answer to this.

[Martial_Artist]

You live in California? Everything is illegal there. Or highly restricted and permitted up the yin-yang. Sorry, tough luck for Californians.

[scottnshelly]

I went to http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/statute.html and did a search for the word "weapon" and for "sword". Neither produced any statutes stating anything about a sword, except a cane sword and nunchaku.

SECTION 1. Section 12020 of the Penal Code is amended to read:

12020. (a) Any person in this state who manufactures or causes to

be manufactured, imports into the state, keeps for sale, or offers

or exposes for sale, or who gives, lends, or possesses any cane gun

or wallet gun, any undetectable firearm, any firearm which is not

immediately recognizable as a firearm, any camouflaging firearm

container, any ammunition which contains or consists of any flechette

dart, any bullet containing or carrying an explosive agent, any

ballistic knife, any multiburst trigger activator, any nunchaku, any

short-barreled shotgun, any short-barreled rifle, any metal knuckles,

any belt buckle knife, any leaded cane, any zip gun, any shuriken,

any unconventional pistol, any lipstick case knife, any cane sword,

any shobi-zue, any air gauge knife, any writing pen knife, any metal

military practice handgrenade or metal replica handgrenade, or any

instrument or weapon of the kind commonly known as a blackjack,

slungshot, billy, sandclub, sap, or sandbag, or who carries concealed

upon his or her person any explosive substance, other than fixed

ammunition, or who carries concealed upon his or her person any dirk

or dagger is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not

exceeding one year or in the state prison. However, a first offense

involving any metal military practice handgrenade or metal replica

handgrenade shall be punishable only as an infraction unless the

offender is an active participant in a criminal street gang as

defined in the Street Terrorism and Enforcement and Prevention Act

(Chapter 11 (commencing with Section 186.20) of Title 7 of Part 1).

A bullet containing or carrying an explosive agent is not a

destructive device as that term is used in Section 12301.

(b) Subdivision (a) does not apply to any of the following:

(3) The possession of a nunchaku on the premises of a school which

holds a regulatory or business license and teaches the arts of

self-defense.

(4) The manufacture of a nunchaku for sale to, or the sale of a

nunchaku to, a school which holds a regulatory or business license

and teaches the arts of self-defense.

(3) As used in this section, a "nunchaku" means an instrument

consisting of two or more sticks, clubs, bars or rods to be used as

handles, connected by a rope, cord, wire, or chain, in the design of

a weapon used in connection with the practice of a system of

self-defense such as karate.

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate?WAISdocID=9296666254+0+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve

[Mr. Karate]

Thanks for the information.

[Tiger Burford]

Swords are legal to own in Ca. I have a few and often teach the way of the sword to many local cops.

[Qui Gon Tzu]

Soon all our weapons as well as are arts may be questioned by the goverment of what was once known as the United States. It would seem that they are reducing some freedoms now.......

[kiba no chi]

Soon all our weapons as well as are arts may be questioned by the goverment of what was once known as the United States. It would seem that they are reducing some freedoms now.......

I agree, our rights are being reduced more and more every day, thats about the only thing I DONT like about america

[sdargie]

I would be very appreciative if someone had some exact info like that for Massachusetts. The best I've come up with from rooting around the internet is that it's ok to own almost anything in your house or dojo but you can get in huge trouble for having them on your person or in your car. So if somehow they misteriously end up in your house or dojo, don't ever move them.

Hopefully there are some people here who are more educated on the subject than I am.

[kiba no chi]

to transport your sword somewhere, you need to put it in a swordbag and carry it as an identified weapon, and if you need to put it in a car your supposed to put it in the trunk