Nebraska Sword Laws

A katana on a wall in Omaha, a longsword in a Lincoln study, a fantasy claymore in a Grand Island apartment. Nebraska sword laws changed substantially in 2023 with the passage of LB77, which created constitutional carry for adults. Before LB77, any concealed weapon, including knives with blades over 3.5 inches, required either a permit or an affirmative defense. After LB77, adults may carry concealed without a permit. The reform moved Nebraska sword laws firmly into the permissive tier for sword collectors.

Nebraska sword laws live in Chapter 28 of the Nebraska Revised Statutes. The central provisions are Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-109 (general definitions, deadly weapon), § 28-1201 (terms defined including "knife"), § 28-1202 (carrying concealed weapon, substantially amended by 2023 LB77), § 28-1204.04 (unlawful possession of weapon at school), and § 28-1206 (possession of deadly weapon by prohibited person). Key case law includes State v. Nguyen, 293 Neb. 493 (2016), State v. Lowman, 308 Neb. 482 (2021), State v. Warlick, 308 Neb. 656 (2021), and State v. Williams, 218 Neb. 57 (1984). This guide walks through what current Nebraska sword laws say.

What do Nebraska sword laws actually say?

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-1201(5) defines "knife" in two parts: (a) any dagger, dirk, knife, or stiletto with a blade over three and one-half inches in length and which is capable of producing death or serious bodily injury in the manner used or intended to be used; or (b) any other dangerous instrument which is capable of inflicting cutting, stabbing, or tearing wounds and is capable of producing death or serious bodily injury. The 3.5-inch threshold is objective and applies to any of the four named knife categories.

State v. Nguyen, 293 Neb. 493 (2016) confirmed that any knife with a blade over 3.5 inches in length is a "deadly weapon per se" under § 28-1202; the manner or intended use is not an element of the offense. State v. Lowman, 308 Neb. 482 (2021) upheld a conviction where a machete was tucked next to a vehicle center console and an officer did not see it when looking into the vehicle. State v. Warlick, 308 Neb. 656 (2021) clarified that a weapon is concealed on or about the person if it is within "convenient access and immediate physical reach." These cases define the practical contours of Nebraska sword laws.

Is it legal to own a sword in Nebraska?

Yes. Nebraska sword laws do not restrict the ownership of any knife or sword. 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 for ownership, no inventory limit, and no list of generally prohibited sword types at the state level.

Switchblades, automatic knives, butterfly knives, gravity knives, dirks, daggers, stilettos, bowie knives, ballistic knives, throwing stars, and double-edged blades are all legal to own in Nebraska. The state has no categorical knife ban for adult possession. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-1206 separately prohibits convicted felons and other prohibited persons from possessing deadly weapons, including swords. For non-prohibited adults, Nebraska sword laws place ordinary sword ownership in the permissive tier.

Does § 28-1202 apply to traditional swords?

A traditional sword qualifies as a "knife" under § 28-1201(5)(a) because the blade exceeds 3.5 inches and the weapon is capable of producing death or serious bodily injury. A katana, longsword, claymore, or saber falls squarely within the statutory definition. State v. Nguyen (2016) made the categorical determination clear: any blade over 3.5 inches is a deadly weapon per se under Nebraska sword laws.

Before 2024, concealed sword carry by anyone (with limited exceptions for handgun permit holders) was a Class I misdemeanor under § 28-1202. After 2024, the 2023 LB77 reform rewrote § 28-1202 to apply only to minors and prohibited persons. The text of the post-2024 statute provides that "a minor or a prohibited person shall not carry a weapon or weapons concealed on or about his or her person, such as a handgun, a knife, brass or iron knuckles, or any other deadly weapon." Adults who are not prohibited persons may now carry concealed swords without a permit. Open carry remains fully legal as it was before the reform, and Nebraska sword laws now treat adult concealed carry as essentially unrestricted.

Nebraska's 2023 reform did not legalize new categories. It restructured who the law applies to. Adults walked out of the framework entirely.

What about the vehicle and "convenient access" rule?

State v. Warlick, 308 Neb. 656 (2021) held that "a weapon is concealed on or about the person if it is concealed in such proximity to the passenger of a motor vehicle as to be convenient of access and within immediate physical reach." The decision applied the on-or-about-person standard to vehicle occupants. State v. Lowman, 308 Neb. 482 (2021) applied the same standard to convict a defendant for a machete tucked next to the center console.

After the 2023 LB77 reform, the convenient-access standard still applies to minors and prohibited persons, but adults are no longer captured by the statute. For non-prohibited adult sword collectors, the Lowman and Warlick cases describe a framework that has effectively been suspended for the carrier's age group. Minor collectors and adults with prior felony convictions remain subject to the older rules. The practical effect of Nebraska sword laws after 2024 is to give adult collectors substantially more flexibility while keeping limits on younger or prohibited carriers, and Nebraska sword laws now operate on a fundamentally different default than they did pre-LB77.

What about schools and other restricted locations?

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-1204.04 makes unlawful possession of a weapon at a school a Class IV felony (or Class IIIA felony in some circumstances). The statute applies to public and private elementary, secondary, vocational, and postsecondary institutions. "School" is defined in § 28-1201(14) and covers a broad range of educational institutions including community colleges, colleges, junior colleges, and universities.

Other restricted locations include:

• Schools and school property (§ 28-1204.04, Class IV felony)
• Courthouses and courtrooms (typical local rules)
• Detention facilities and jails
• Federal buildings (governed by federal law)
• Secure areas of airports past TSA screening
• Aircraft regardless of carrier
• State Capitol and other posted government buildings
• Private property where the owner has banned weapons

How should collectors transport swords across Nebraska?

Transport in Nebraska after the 2023 LB77 reform is straightforward for adult collectors. A sword in a hard case in the trunk, a katana in original packaging, a sheathed longsword in the back seat, a blade openly carried on a belt, or a concealed sword inside a coat are all lawful for adults at the state level. Constitutional carry under LB77 eliminated the central concealed-carry offense for adult collectors.

The two practical adjustments for collectors are the school property rule under § 28-1204.04 and the patchwork of municipal ordinances in Omaha, Lincoln, and other cities. LB77 added firearm preemption but did not explicitly add knife preemption, so local knife ordinances may remain enforceable. Verify Omaha and Lincoln municipal code before in-city transport. For collectors heading to knife shows, dojos, conventions, or hunting trips outside restricted areas, Nebraska sword laws give substantial latitude after the 2023 reform, and Nebraska sword laws now place ordinary adult carry in the friendly tier nationally.

The bottom line on owning and carrying swords in Nebraska

Nebraska sword laws sit in the permissive tier of the national spectrum after the 2023 LB77 reform. Ownership is unrestricted. Open carry is unrestricted. Concealed carry is unrestricted for adults who are not prohibited persons under the post-LB77 framework. School property remains a Class IV felony under § 28-1204.04. Minors and prohibited persons remain subject to the concealed-carry rule in § 28-1202(2).

For anyone building a sword collection in Nebraska, the practical takeaway is to display at home, transport openly or concealed as preferred (if you are an adult), stay clear of school property entirely, verify local ordinances in Omaha and Lincoln before in-city transport, and remember that minors and prohibited persons still face the concealed-carry framework that adults walked out of in 2024. The state framework treats adult collectors with substantial trust after the reform.

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