Oregon knife law is broader on ownership than many older summaries suggest, but narrower on concealed carry of certain knife types. As of March 2026, the reviewed statutes do not identify a general statewide ban on owning ordinary knives, switchblades, butterfly knives, or daggers for ordinary adults. The main statewide risk points are concealed carry of listed weapons, public-building and court-facility restrictions, intent-based weapon offenses, and local ordinances. This is general legal information, not legal advice. (Justia Law)
Quick Answer
Oregon law mainly separates knife issues into ownership, concealed carry, restricted places, unlawful use, and a limited set of status-based restrictions.
That matters because older summaries often blur these categories. Oregon appellate decisions have repeatedly treated the right to possess knives more broadly than the right to carry certain knives concealed. Current ORS 166.240 focuses on concealed carry of listed weapons; ORS 166.220 separately punishes carrying or possessing a dangerous or deadly weapon with intent to use it unlawfully against another; and ORS 166.270 separately restricts certain weapons for persons with felony convictions. (Justia Law)
The current statutes reviewed do not indicate a broad statewide ban on ordinary adult ownership of common knife categories in Oregon.
That includes ordinary folding knives, fixed blades, hunting knives, many double-edged knives, and—under the current statutory structure reviewed—automatic or switchblade-style knives. The most important constitutional background is State v. Delgado, where the Oregon Supreme Court held that the older statute criminalizing mere possession and mere carrying of a switchblade violated Article I, section 27 of the Oregon Constitution. Current ORS 166.240 regulates concealed carry of listed weapons; it is not a general statewide ownership ban. People with felony convictions are a different category, because ORS 166.270 separately restricts certain weapons for them. (Justia Law)
For ordinary adults, no general statewide open-carry ban on ordinary knives was identified in the statutes reviewed.
That does not mean open carry is unrestricted everywhere. Oregon’s public-building and court-facility statutes can still apply, and Oregon does not have a firearms-style statewide knife-preemption statute that wipes out local knife rules. In practice, open carry becomes most risky in restricted places such as public buildings, schools, courts, certain airport areas, and in cities that have place-based local rules. Threatening display or unlawful intent can also create criminal exposure even where mere possession is otherwise lawful. (OLIS Oregon Legislature)
Oregon does not ban all concealed knives, but it does ban concealed carry of several specific knife and weapon categories under ORS 166.240(1).
The current statute covers any knife having a blade that projects or swings into position by force of a spring or by centrifugal force, plus any dirk, dagger, ice pick, slungshot, metal knuckles, or similar instrument. Oregon appellate case law is important here. State v. McJunkins states that the statute does not prohibit carrying a concealed knife generally; it prohibits specific knife types. State v. Threlkeld repeats that point and explains that whether a knife is a “dagger” turns heavily on design and stabbing function, not just on the fact that it is sharp. The Oregon annotations also note a vehicle-carry nuance: a knife concealed in a vehicle rather than on the person was held not to be concealed “about his person” for purposes of ORS 166.240 in State v. Crumal. That is not a blanket vehicle safe harbor, but it helps explain why Oregon knife law cannot be reduced to a simple “all concealed knives are illegal” claim. (Oregon Legislature)
For ordinary adults, statewide ownership appears generally lawful, but concealed carry rules are much narrower for some of these knives.
A knife that opens by spring force or swings into position by centrifugal force falls within ORS 166.240(1) when carried concealed, which is why automatic knives and many butterfly or balisong-style knives raise concealed-carry risk. A double-edged knife is not automatically unlawful merely because it has two sharpened edges, but if it qualifies as a dirk or dagger—meaning the design points toward stabbing rather than ordinary utility—concealed carry can be unlawful. Oregon cases focus on the weapon’s design and function, especially whether it is built to stab. (Oregon Legislature)
No general statewide blade-length limit was identified for ordinary adult knife ownership or carry.
Oregon does, however, use blade length in narrower settings. In ORS 166.360, the definition of “weapon” for the public-building and court-facility statutes includes a knife, other than an ordinary pocketknife with a blade less than four inches, the use of which could inflict injury. That is not the same thing as a statewide four-inch carry cap. Local rules can be stricter in specific places; Portland, for example, uses a 3.5-inch threshold in some place-based ordinances. (OregonLaws)
Public buildings, court facilities, and some locally regulated places are the main restricted locations to watch.
ORS 166.370 makes it a felony to intentionally possess a firearm or any other instrument used as a dangerous weapon while in or on a public building. The same statute also authorizes removal or surrender of non-firearm weapons in court facilities, and failure to comply can become a Class C felony. ORS 166.360 defines “public building” broadly enough to include places such as hospitals, the Capitol, public and private schools, colleges and universities, city halls, the residence of statewide elected officials, adjacent grounds, portions of other government-occupied buildings, and certain large commercial airport passenger terminals. Private property rules also matter because a person who remains where they are not allowed can still face trespass consequences. In addition, HB 2024, effective July 1, 2025, allows certain residential treatment facilities and homes to place reasonable limits on residents’ access to and possession of weapons, including knives. (OLIS Oregon Legislature)
No general statewide knife-specific age floor or statewide retail-sale restriction for ordinary knives was identified in the statutes reviewed for this update.
That should not be read too broadly. Minors can still be affected by school rules, public-building restrictions, local ordinances, and general criminal laws involving assault, menacing, unlawful use, or trespass. Where a juvenile, school, or supervised setting is involved, practical restrictions can be tighter than the statewide adult baseline. (OregonLaws)
No broad statewide knife-preemption statute was identified.
Oregon’s explicit preemption statute, ORS 166.170, is about firearms and related components, not knives. That is a major difference from states that expressly preempt local knife rules. Oregon case law still limits local governments when a local criminal knife rule conflicts with a state criminal statute, but that is conflict preemption, not a broad statewide knife-preemption shield. (Oregon Legislature)
Yes, local ordinances can matter in Oregon, especially because there is no broad statewide knife preemption.
Portland is the clearest example. Portland parks currently prohibit, among other things, spring- or centrifugal-force knives, knives with blades longer than 3.5 inches, dirks, daggers, and several other weapons in parks. Portland Streetcar rules prohibit knives aboard vehicles or at stations except folding knives with blades under 3.5 inches. Portland’s rules for city property also prohibit several listed weapons, including spring- or centrifugal-force knives and knives longer than 3.5 inches, on city property. At the same time, local laws cannot simply contradict state criminal statutes; City of Portland v. Lodi is a reminder that an overbroad local concealed-knife rule can be preempted if state law permits what the city tries to ban. (Portland.gov)
Federal law is separate from Oregon law and still matters in a few knife-specific situations.
The Federal Switchblade Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1241–1245, regulates switchblade knives in interstate commerce and certain federal jurisdictions, and it separately addresses ballistic knives. Mailing rules also matter: 18 U.S.C. § 1716 treats certain knives as nonmailable except in specified circumstances. So even when Oregon state law is relatively permissive on ownership, federal transportation, import, mailing, and interstate-commerce rules can still create separate restrictions.
In practical terms, Oregon is not a state with a broad adult ownership ban on common knives, but it is also not a state where every carry method is treated the same. The safer way to read Oregon law is: ownership is broad, concealed carry is narrower for listed knives, public buildings and courts are serious risk areas, and local place-based ordinances can still matter.
| Issue | Oregon law |
|---|---|
| Knife ownership | Generally lawful for ordinary adults; no broad statewide ownership ban on common knife types was identified in the reviewed statutes. |
| Open carry | Generally lawful under state law, but public buildings, court facilities, local rules, and threatening or unlawful use can change the result. |
| Concealed carry | ORS 166.240(1) prohibits concealed carry of knives that open by spring or centrifugal force, plus dirks, daggers, ice picks, slungshots, metal knuckles, and similar instruments. It does not ban every concealed knife. |
| Automatic / butterfly knives | Statewide ownership appears generally lawful for ordinary adults, but concealed carry is risky because ORS 166.240(1) reaches knives that project or swing into position by spring or centrifugal force. |
| Blade length | No general statewide carry-length cap was identified. Important narrower thresholds include the under-4-inch ordinary pocketknife language in ORS 166.360 and Portland’s 3.5-inch place-based local rules. |
| Restricted places | Public buildings and court facilities are the main statewide restricted places; schools, colleges, hospitals, government buildings, and certain airport terminals can fall inside those rules. |
| Preemption | No broad statewide knife preemption was identified. Oregon’s express preemption statute is firearms-specific. |
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The most relevant recent Oregon changes reviewed were not broad statewide knife-liberalization or knife-ban bills.
First, SB 243 (2025), Chapter 594, took effect on the 91st day after the 2025 regular session adjourned sine die, which was September 26, 2025. It amended Oregon’s public-building and court-facility rules, but its changes were firearm-focused, especially concealed-handgun-license defenses and firearm restrictions in specified places. It did not create a new general statewide knife ban. Second, HB 2024 (2025), Chapter 561, took effect July 1, 2025 and allows certain residential treatment facilities and homes to place reasonable limits on residents’ possession of weapons, including knives. For the 2026 regular session, the legislature adjourned sine die on March 6, 2026, and no enacted 2026 statewide knife-law overhaul was identified in the reviewed materials. HB 4096 appeared only as introduced in the current-session listing reviewed, not as an enrolled measure. (OLIS Oregon Legislature)
Are switchblades legal in Oregon?
For ordinary adults, statewide ownership appears generally lawful, but concealed carry of a knife that projects or swings into position by spring or centrifugal force is prohibited by ORS 166.240(1). (Oregon Legislature)
Can an ordinary folding knife be carried concealed in Oregon?
Sometimes yes. Oregon case law makes clear that ORS 166.240 does not ban every concealed knife; it targets specific knife categories and similar instruments. (Justia Law)
Are butterfly knives legal in Oregon?
Statewide ownership does not appear broadly banned for ordinary adults, but concealed carry is risky because many butterfly knives swing open by centrifugal force, which tracks the wording of ORS 166.240(1). (Oregon Legislature)
Can a knife be kept in a vehicle in Oregon?
The reviewed statutes do not identify a general statewide knife-in-vehicle ban for ordinary adults, and Oregon annotations note a case holding that a knife concealed in a vehicle rather than on the person was not concealed “about his person” under ORS 166.240. Restricted-place rules can still override that in particular settings. (Oregon Legislature)
Are knives allowed in Oregon schools or courthouses?
Assumptions are risky there. Oregon’s public-building and court-facility laws are strict, and schools are included in the public-building definition reviewed. In a court facility, a non-firearm weapon may have to be surrendered or removed immediately. (OLIS Oregon Legislature)
Does Oregon have statewide knife preemption?
No broad statewide knife-preemption statute was identified. Oregon’s express preemption statute is directed at firearms and related components, not knives. (Oregon Legislature)
Laws can change, local rules may still apply, and legality can turn on location, intent, age, criminal status, and how the knife is carried.
Oregon state sources
Official local sources
Federal sources