Texas Knife Quiz Explanation

1. All five knives are legal in Austin because all five knives are legal under state law, and Austin has no municipal ordinances further regulating knives.
2. Knives A and E are legal in San Antonio because neither has a locking mechanism to secure the blade in place when it is open. A San Antonio municipal ordinance prohibits
the carrying of any knife with a locking blade. As any Boy Scout will tell you, the locking mechanism is there so that the blade doesn't fold closed on your finger during use.
3. Knives C, D, and E are all legal in Corpus Christi because all three have blades shorter than three inches. A Corpus Christi municipal code limits blade length to "less than three
inches."
4. Knife B is legal in Austin because it complies with all state laws (it is less than 5 1/2" long and is not a throwing knife, dagger, bowie knife, sword, or spear); however, because
it has a locking mechanism, it is not legal in San Antonio, and because the blade is not less than three inches in length, it is not legal in Corpus Christi.
5. Of the five standard pocketknives shown, only knife E both lacks a locking mechanism and has a blade shorter than three inches; therefore, only knife E is legal in both San
Antonio and Corpus Christi. Obviously, it also complies with all state laws, so it is also legal in Austin.

Texas Municipal Ordinances Regulating Knives

Corpus Christi Illegal to possess a switchblade knife, a fixed-blade knife, or a knife with a blade 3 or longer.
Dallas County Illegal, on county-owned property, to possess a switchblade or a knife with a blade longer than 4.
Houston Illegal for a city employee, while working, to possess a switchblade knife or a knife longer than 3.
Magnolia Illegal to possess a knife in a city park.
Melissa Illegal to possess a knife while peddling, soliciting, or distributing handbills (e.g., illegal for a Boy Scout to carry a pocketknife while selling tickets to his troops annual
pancake breakfast).
Odessa Illegal to possess a knife in a city park.
Richland Hills Illegal to possess a knife in a city park or city recreation facility.
San Antonio Illegal to possess a knife with a locking blade (this outlaws most pocketknives); illegal to possess any knife on city-owned property (including parking lots and
parking garages).
Shenandoah Illegal to possess a knife in a city park.
Texarkana Illegal to possess a knife on public transportation.
In every one of these cases, a person can be arrested, prosecuted, and convicted for carrying a knife that is legal to carry under the Texas penal code and legal to
carry throughout most Texas cities (including Austin). In every one of these cases, a CHL holder can be arrested, prosecuted, and convicted for carrying a knife at a time and
place at which he or she can lawfully carry a handgun. In many of these cases, a person can be arrested, prosecuted, and convicted for carrying a knife at a time and place at
which any non-felon over the age of eighteen can lawfully carry a rifle or shotgun.