Kansas Sword Laws

A katana on a wall in Wichita, a longsword in a Topeka study, a fantasy claymore in an Overland Park apartment. Kansas sword laws built one of the cleanest knife frameworks in the country with the 2013 reform, and the framework has stayed clean. There is no blade-length cap. There is no concealed-carry restriction. There is statewide knife preemption blocking local ordinances. For sword collectors, Kansas is about as open as a state gets.

Kansas sword laws live in Chapter 21, Articles 63 and 64 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated. The relevant provisions are K.S.A. 21-6301 (criminal use of weapons), 21-6302 (criminal carrying of a weapon, which does not apply to knives after the 2013 reform), 21-6304 (criminal possession of a firearm or weapon by a convicted felon), and 12-16,134 (statewide knife preemption). House Bill 2033 in 2013 was the watershed reform, and Attorney General Opinion 2014-01 confirmed that "a person may carry a knife, concealed or unconcealed, regardless of the length of the blade." This guide walks through what current Kansas sword laws say.

What do Kansas sword laws actually say?

K.S.A. 21-6301(a)(1) makes it a Class A nonperson misdemeanor to sell, manufacture, purchase, or possess any bludgeon, sand club, metal knuckles, throwing star, or ballistic knife. K.S.A. 21-6301(a)(2) is the intent-based provision, prohibiting possession with intent to use unlawfully against another any dagger, dirk, billy, blackjack, slungshot, dangerous knife, straight-edged razor, throwing star, stiletto, or other dangerous or deadly weapon. The intent element keeps ordinary sword carry outside the (a)(2) framework.

K.S.A. 21-6302, the criminal carrying of a weapon statute, was amended by HB 2033 in 2013 to remove almost all knife-related provisions. The current statute applies primarily to firearms and a narrow set of other items. Knives, including swords, fall outside the carry-offense framework entirely. The result is that Kansas sword laws permit both open and concealed carry of any legal knife, of any blade length, without a permit.

Is it legal to own a sword in Kansas?

Yes. Kansas sword laws do not restrict the ownership of swords. Katanas, longswords, sabers, machetes, rapiers, kukris, claymores, and fantasy replicas can all be purchased and kept in a private residence without a permit, registration, or background check. The state does not maintain a general list of prohibited sword types.

Switchblades, automatic knives, gravity knives, butterfly knives, dirks, daggers, stilettos, bowie knives, and double-edged blades are all legal to own in Kansas after the 2013 reform. Only two categories remain prohibited under K.S.A. 21-6301(a)(1): throwing stars and ballistic knives. The penalty for those items is up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500. There is no collector or hobbyist exception.

How do Kansas sword laws handle open and concealed carry?

Both are unrestricted at the state level for legal knives. The 2013 reform removed the previous 4-inch concealed-carry threshold and the prohibitions on automatic and gravity knives. The current K.S.A. 21-6302 does not apply to knives. Attorney General Opinion 2014-01 confirms that "a person may carry a knife, concealed or unconcealed, regardless of the length of the blade."

For sword collectors, this is the cleanest carry framework in any state. A katana in a sheath on a belt, a longsword in a back-mounted scabbard, a machete on a hip, a wakizashi concealed under a coat, or a broadsword in a duffel bag are all lawful for adult carriers under Kansas sword laws. The only practical limits come from unlawful intent (an (a)(2) offense), restricted locations, and federal law.

Kansas wrote the cleanest blade framework in the country in 2013. Ten years later, it still is.

What does statewide knife preemption do under K.S.A. 12-16,134?

K.S.A. 12-16,134, effective July 1, 2014, provides full statewide knife preemption. The statute prohibits any municipality from enacting or enforcing any ordinance, resolution, regulation, or tax relating to the transportation, possession, carrying, sale, transfer, purchase, gift, devise, licensing, registration, or use of a knife or knife-making components. The preemption is broad and was specifically designed to prevent cities from filling the gap left by the 2013 state reform.

For collectors, this is a meaningful protection. A sword that is lawful to own and carry under Kansas sword laws is lawful in every county and city in Kansas. There is no Wichita-specific blade-length cap, no Kansas City KS switchblade ordinance, and no Topeka-specific carry rule. The state framework is the full picture for blade regulation, with the limited exception of weapon possession on government property under K.S.A. 12-16,134(b), which keeps Kansas sword laws uniform across all 105 counties.

What does K.S.A. 21-6304 do for convicted felons?

K.S.A. 21-6304 prohibits a convicted felon from possessing certain weapons, including specific types of knives. The statute defines "knife" for this purpose as "a dagger, dirk, switchblade, stiletto, straight-edged razor, or any other dangerous or deadly cutting instrument of like character." A felon found in possession of any of these items faces a severity level 8 nonperson felony charge.

The Kansas Supreme Court in State v. Harris (2020) held that the residual clause, "or any other dangerous or deadly cutting instrument of like character," is unconstitutionally vague and unenforceable. The named categories (dagger, dirk, switchblade, stiletto, straight-edged razor) remain enforceable. The case clarified that ordinary pocketknives and other unnamed blades cannot be used to support a felon-in-possession charge under the residual clause, though the named categories still apply. Kansas sword laws otherwise remain permissive for non-felons.

Where can you not carry a sword in Kansas?

Even with the most permissive state framework in the country, Kansas sword laws keep a handful of locations off-limits regardless of state-level rules:

• Public and private K-12 schools and school grounds
• Jails and correctional facilities
• Juvenile correction facilities
• Courthouses and judicial facilities (governed by local court rule and building policy)
• Federal buildings (governed by federal law)
• Secure areas of airports past TSA screening
• Aircraft regardless of carrier
• Government buildings where weapons are prohibited under K.S.A. 12-16,134(b)
• Private property where the owner has banned weapons

K.S.A. 72-6155 separately prohibits weapons on school property. The penalty structure includes both criminal and administrative consequences. Schools, jails, and juvenile correction facilities are the three categories specifically called out by the American Knife and Tool Institute as the standard Kansas no-go zones for blade carry.

How should collectors transport swords across Kansas?

Transport under Kansas sword laws is among the simplest scenarios in the country. A sword in a hard case in the trunk, a katana in original packaging, a sheathed longsword in the back seat, or a blade openly carried on a belt are all lawful for adults at the state level. There is no documentation requirement, no notification requirement, and no inspection regime.

Statewide knife preemption under K.S.A. 12-16,134 means the rules are the same in every Kansas city and county. Collectors moving between Wichita, Topeka, Lawrence, and Kansas City KS face the same legal framework throughout. The only practical adjustments are the restricted locations (schools, jails, courthouses, government buildings) and the prohibition on throwing stars and ballistic knives. Kansas sword laws make sword collecting as straightforward as anywhere in the country.

The bottom line on owning and carrying swords in Kansas

Kansas sword laws sit at the friendly extreme of the national spectrum. The 2013 HB 2033 reform removed nearly every meaningful state restriction on knife and sword carry, and the 2014 preemption statute under K.S.A. 12-16,134 closed the door on local ordinances filling the gap. Adults may own and carry any legal knife or sword, open or concealed, regardless of blade length. The only flat prohibitions are throwing stars and ballistic knives.

For anyone building a sword collection in Kansas, the practical takeaway is short. Buy what you want, carry it however you prefer, and stay out of schools, jails, and courthouses. The state framework treats adult collectors with full trust, and the limits that remain are narrow, predictable, and uniform across the entire state.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources