Minnesota Sword Laws

A katana on a wall in Minneapolis, a longsword in a Saint Paul study, a fantasy claymore in a Duluth apartment. Minnesota sword laws are unusual: the state has only one categorical knife ban (switchblades), no concealed-carry restriction at the state level, and no blade-length cap, but Minneapolis and other cities have layered on their own ordinances that fill the gap. For sword collectors, Minnesota sword laws are workable at the state level but get complicated quickly in Twin Cities transport.

Minnesota sword laws live in Chapter 609 of the Minnesota Statutes. The central provisions are Minn. Stat. § 609.66 (dangerous weapons, including the switchblade ban, school-property restrictions, and courthouse felony), § 609.02, subd. 6 (definition of dangerous weapon), and § 625.16 (peace bond for going armed with offensive weapons including swords). Knife Rights filed a federal lawsuit in September 2024 (Case No. 0:24-cv-03749) challenging the switchblade ban as unconstitutional under Bruen, with the case still pending as of early 2026. This guide walks through what current Minnesota sword laws say.

What do Minnesota sword laws actually say?

Minn. Stat. § 609.66, subd. 1(a)(4) prohibits manufacturing, transferring, or possessing "metal knuckles or a switch blade knife opening automatically." This is the single categorical knife ban in the state. Subdivision 1(a)(5) separately criminalizes possessing "any other dangerous article or substance for the purpose of being used unlawfully as a weapon against another," which is the intent-based provision. Subdivision 1(a)(1) covers reckless handling. Penalties under subdivision 1 are misdemeanors (up to 90 days, $1,000 fine) escalating to gross misdemeanors in public housing zones, park zones, or school zones (up to one year, $3,000 fine).

Subdivision 1d makes possession of a "dangerous weapon" on school property a felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. Subdivision 1g imposes the same felony grade for possession of a dangerous weapon in any courthouse complex or in any state building within the Capitol Area. § 609.02, subd. 6 defines "dangerous weapon" broadly to include any device designed as a weapon capable of producing death or great bodily harm. Minnesota sword laws treat the school and courthouse provisions as the most serious enforcement points, and Minnesota sword laws reserve felony grades exclusively for these location-specific offenses.

Is it legal to own a sword in Minnesota?

Yes. Minnesota 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. There is no blade-length cap, no inventory limit, and no statewide list of generally prohibited sword types.

Most knife categories are also fully legal to own in Minnesota. Butterfly knives (balisongs), gravity knives, dirks, daggers, stilettos, bowie knives, throwing stars, double-edged blades, and disguised knives are all legal. The only categorical ownership ban is on switchblades under § 609.66, subd. 1(a)(4). The Minnesota Court of Appeals in the unpublished State v. Quimby (2008) suggested switchblades are "spring-powered knives that open when a button is pressed," but the case is not binding precedent. Spring-assisted knives that require manual pressure to initiate deployment generally fall outside the switchblade definition. Under current Minnesota sword laws, ordinary sword ownership is unrestricted, and Minnesota sword laws do not subject swords to a special ownership category.

How do Minnesota sword laws handle open and concealed carry?

There is no statewide concealed-carry restriction on knives or swords in Minnesota. The general carry framework in § 609.66 applies to switchblades (banned entirely), dangerous weapons used with unlawful intent (§ 609.66, subd. 1(a)(5)), and reckless handling (§ 609.66, subd. 1(a)(1)). None of these provisions impose a categorical concealed-carry rule on ordinary knives or swords. Knife Informer summarizes the state-level position as "concealed carry is not an issue."

For sword collectors, this means open carry of a sword on a back-mounted scabbard, a sheathed katana on a belt, or a concealed blade under a coat are all generally lawful at the state level under Minnesota sword laws, provided there is no unlawful intent and the carrier is not in a restricted location. The complication is local ordinances. Minneapolis restricts concealed carry of knives with blades over 4 inches under city code. Woodbury imposes a 3-inch limit. Rochester restricts blade lengths. Minnesota's lack of statewide knife preemption means these local ordinances apply on top of state law.

In Minnesota, the state stays quiet on carry. The cities fill the gap, and the Twin Cities fill it hardest.

What does the § 625.16 peace bond statute do?

Minn. Stat. § 625.16 is an older peace bond provision that explicitly names swords. The statute applies when someone "goes armed with a dirk, dagger, sword, pistol, or other offensive and dangerous weapon" without reasonable cause to fear an assault. A court may require the armed person to post a surety bond to keep the peace. The provision does not create a separate criminal offense, but it provides a civil mechanism for addressing perceived threats from armed carriers.

For sword collectors, § 625.16 is rarely invoked but worth understanding. The statute's explicit mention of "sword" is unusual in modern American codes and reflects Minnesota's older statutory heritage. The practical takeaway is that ostentatious or provocative open sword carry can attract a peace-bond petition even when no concealed-carry or location offense applies. Minnesota sword laws operate alongside this peace-bond mechanism rather than replacing it, and the older provisions in Minnesota sword laws survive in parallel to the modern § 609.66 framework.

Schools, courthouses, and other restricted locations

Subdivision 1d makes possession of a dangerous weapon on school property a felony under Minnesota sword laws. The penalty is up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. The restriction applies to public and private K-12 schools and to all property within school zones (defined as 300 feet or one city block, whichever is greater, beyond school boundaries). Penalties for switchblade possession in school zones, park zones, or public housing zones are upgraded to gross misdemeanors under subdivision 1.

Subdivision 1g imposes the same felony grade for dangerous weapon possession in:

• Any courthouse complex
• Any state building within the Capitol Area described in chapter 15B
• (Excluding the National Guard Armory)

Other restricted locations include correctional facilities, federal buildings (governed by federal law), secure areas of airports past TSA screening, aircraft, and private property where the owner has banned weapons. Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) is governed by federal aviation rules in addition to state airport law.

How should collectors transport swords across Minnesota?

Transport at the state level is straightforward under Minnesota sword laws. 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 at the state level. There is no documentation requirement, no notification requirement, and no inspection regime. The complications start at the city limits.

For collectors moving through Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Woodbury, or Rochester, verify the local blade-length ordinance and pack accordingly. The Minneapolis 4-inch concealed-carry limit and the Woodbury 3-inch limit are the two most cited examples. The cleanest transport approach is to keep blades in a hard case in the trunk during in-city transport, drive directly to private destinations, and avoid school zones and the Capitol Area courthouse complex. Minnesota sword laws give substantial state-level flexibility while requiring local code awareness in the Twin Cities corridor.

The bottom line on owning and carrying swords in Minnesota

Minnesota sword laws sit in the moderately permissive tier at the state level, with one categorical ban (switchblades) and two felony-grade location restrictions (schools and courthouses). Ownership of ordinary swords is unrestricted. Open and concealed carry are unrestricted at the state level. The complications come from the absence of statewide preemption, which gives Minneapolis, Woodbury, Rochester, and other cities room to impose their own blade-length caps.

For anyone building a sword collection in Minnesota, the practical takeaway is to display at home, transport in a hard case in the trunk through cities with known ordinances, avoid school zones and courthouse complexes entirely, never possess a switchblade, and remember that the § 625.16 peace bond statute remains available for civil intervention. The state framework is workable for ordinary collectors and rewards local code awareness in the Twin Cities corridor.

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