The legality of brass knuckles by state falls into three rough groups: about a dozen states ban them outright, a larger group allows possession but restricts how you carry or sell them, and a small handful let adults own and carry them with few limits. There is no federal ban on private possession, so where you are standing decides whether a pair in your pocket is legal, a misdemeanor, or a felony. Penalties run from small fines to five years in prison.
States That Ban Brass Knuckles Outright
In these states, manufacturing, selling, or possessing knuckle weapons is a crime by itself. You do not have to carry them in public or intend to use them; having a pair at home can be enough.
California. Penal Code Section 21810 bans making, importing, selling, lending, and possessing metal knuckles. The offense is a “wobbler,” charged as either a misdemeanor with up to a year in county jail or a felony carrying 16 months, two years, or three years in state prison.1California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 21810 Prosecutors do not have to prove you intended to use them.
New York. Penal Law Section 265.01(1) makes possessing metal or plastic knuckles a fourth-degree criminal weapon charge. No intent to use the item is required.2New York State Senate. New York Penal Law 265-01
Illinois. The statute criminalizes selling, manufacturing, purchasing, possessing, or carrying metal knuckles “or other knuckle weapon regardless of its composition.” That last phrase closes the loophole in states that only ban metallic versions.3Illinois General Assembly. 720 ILCS 5/24-1
Michigan. Michigan treats possession as a felony. Under MCL 750.224, making, selling, or possessing metallic knuckles is punishable by up to five years in prison, a $2,500 fine, or both.4Michigan Legislature. MCL 750-224 That is the harshest baseline in the country for simple possession.
Massachusetts. Carrying metallic knuckles is punishable by up to two and a half years in jail for a first offense, and up to five years in state prison for someone with a prior felony conviction.5General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Part IV, Title I, Chapter 269, Section 10
New Jersey. Knowing possession of metal knuckles “without any explainable lawful purpose” is a fourth-degree crime.6Justia Law. New Jersey Revised Statutes 2C 39-3
Minnesota. The state bans manufacturing, transferring, or possessing metal knuckles, with a narrow carve-out for museums and collectors displaying items for public exhibition.7Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 609.66
Colorado classifies metallic knuckles as an illegal weapon, making knowing possession a class 1 misdemeanor. Connecticut, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington also maintain full bans.
States That Allow Possession but Restrict How You Carry or Sell Them
A larger group of states does not criminalize simple ownership but draws hard lines around concealed carry, sale, or intent.
Florida. Metallic knuckles fall within the state’s definition of a “concealed weapon,” so carrying them hidden on your body or in a bag without authorization is a first-degree misdemeanor.8The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 790.001 The state’s open-carry ban applies to firearms and electric weapons, not knuckles, so visible carry is not prohibited by that statute.
Georgia. Open carry of metal knuckles is allowed. Concealed carry outside your home or business is a misdemeanor on a first offense and a felony on any subsequent offense, punishable by two to five years in prison.9Justia Law. Georgia Code 16-11-126
North Carolina. Open carry is legal; concealed carry is a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and a $500 fine, plus forfeiture of the weapon.10North Carolina Department of Justice. Weapons – Brass Knucks With Blade
South Carolina. Selling or giving away knuckles of any material is a misdemeanor of up to a $500 fine or 30 days in jail. Concealed carry is a separate misdemeanor with a fine between $200 and $500 or 30 to 90 days in jail, plus forfeiture. Possession on school property is a felony carrying up to five years and a $1,000 fine.11South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Bill 312 (2009-2010)
Tennessee. Possessing, making, or selling knuckles is a Class A misdemeanor. Tennessee provides an unusual defense: if you can show the item was held “solely as a curio, ornament, or keepsake” and was not intended for use as a weapon, the charge can be defeated. You carry the burden of proving that by a preponderance of the evidence.12Justia Law. Tennessee Code 39-17-1302
Ohio. The statute bans making, possessing for sale, selling, or furnishing brass knuckles, but does not criminalize simple personal possession.13Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 2923.20
Virginia. Selling, bartering, or possessing knuckles with intent to sell is prohibited, and having them in your possession creates a legal presumption that you intend to sell, which you would need to rebut in court.14Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 18.2-311
Pennsylvania lists metal knuckles as a prohibited offensive weapon under 18 Pa.C.S. § 908.
States Where Brass Knuckles Are Broadly Legal for Adults
Texas. House Bill 446 legalized brass knuckles in September 2019 by removing them from the state’s prohibited-weapons list. Adults 18 and older can own, carry, and purchase them. Location restrictions still apply in places like government buildings, and threatening someone with knuckles remains a criminal matter.
Arizona. Arizona does not ban adult possession. In 2025 the legislature made it illegal for anyone under 18 to purchase or possess knuckles, a class 3 misdemeanor. The bill defined brass knuckles broadly as any device made of metal, plastic, or other hard material designed to fit over more than two knuckles to enhance the power of a punch.15Arizona Legislature. Arizona SB 1290 – Brass Knuckles Purchase Possession Minors For adults, there is no general prohibition.
What Actually Counts as Brass Knuckles
The name is misleading. Most state statutes reach any hard material: steel, lead, rigid plastic, acrylic, and carbon fiber. Illinois bans knuckle weapons “regardless of composition.” New York names both metal and plastic knuckles.2New York State Senate. New York Penal Law 265-01
What courts look at is structure: finger holes paired with a reinforced striking surface. Items marketed as paperweights or novelty belt buckles fall under these statutes when the shape is designed to fit over the fingers and concentrate force. Some states also sweep in weighted-grip gloves and similar items designed to increase punching power. A 3D-printed pair is treated like any other knuckle weapon under state law; the federal Undetectable Firearms Act covers firearms, not knuckles.
Federal Law, Mail, and Crossing State Lines
There is no federal ban on owning brass knuckles. Federal involvement is limited to two areas. Under 18 U.S.C. § 1716, items that “may kill or injure another” are nonmailable, which lets the Postal Service prohibit shipping knuckle weapons through the mail.16Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 1716 – Injurious Articles as Nonmailable The TSA allows brass knuckles in checked baggage but bans them from carry-on. Even in checked luggage they remain subject to the law at your destination, and if a bag is opened containing an item illegal in that state, TSA will report it to local law enforcement.17Transportation Security Administration. What Can I Bring – Brass Knuckles
The federal “safe passage” provision at 18 U.S.C. § 926A protects people transporting unloaded firearms through restrictive states. It applies only to firearms and says nothing about knuckles or other non-firearm weapons.18Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 926A – Interstate Transportation of Firearms A pair bought legally in Texas can become a felony the moment you cross into Michigan. Ordering online offers no protection: if the item ships to an address in a ban state, the recipient faces the criminal liability.
Self-Defense and Use in a Fight
Even in states where owning knuckles is legal, using them changes the picture. Striking someone with knuckles typically elevates a simple assault to assault with a deadly weapon, a felony in most jurisdictions. Courts treat the decision to put on knuckles before a fight as strong evidence of intent to cause serious bodily harm.
Self-defense law generally distinguishes ordinary force from deadly force. Florida’s statute is a useful example: non-deadly force is justified when you reasonably believe it is necessary to defend against imminent unlawful force, while deadly force is justified only when you reasonably believe it is needed to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm.19The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 776.012 Using a weapon designed to maximize punching damage makes a jury far more likely to categorize your response as deadly force, and if the threat you faced did not rise to that level, the self-defense claim fails. In ban states, a successful self-defense argument on the assault does not erase the separate possession charge for the weapon itself.
What to Check Before You Buy, Carry, or Travel
Three questions cover most situations. Does your state ban possession outright? If not, does it restrict how you carry the item, open versus concealed? Do any location rules apply where you’re going, such as schools, government buildings, or premises that serve alcohol? Nearly every state escalates penalties in those places, and South Carolina, for instance, treats possession on school grounds as a felony even though concealed carry elsewhere is only a misdemeanor.11South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Bill 312 (2009-2010)
State laws in this area change more often than people expect. Texas legalized knuckles in 2019, and Arizona added juvenile restrictions in 2025. A statute that was current last year may not be current today, and the safer assumption when traveling is that the law changes at the state line.