Yes, brass knuckles are illegal in Arkansas. State law calls them “metal knuckles” and treats simple possession as a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500. The ban reaches beyond possession to making, repairing, selling, or otherwise dealing in the item, and the only meaningful exceptions cover law enforcement and a few similar roles.1Justia. Arkansas Code 5-73-104 – Criminal Use of Prohibited Weapons
What the Ban Covers
Arkansas Code ยง 5-73-104 makes it a crime to knowingly use, possess, make, repair, sell, or otherwise deal in metal knuckles. The statute says “metal knuckles” rather than “brass,” so the specific metal doesn’t matter. Brass, iron, steel, or any device designed to fit over the fingers and harden a punch falls inside the prohibition.1Justia. Arkansas Code 5-73-104 – Criminal Use of Prohibited Weapons
Non-metal versions aren’t a workaround. The same section includes a catch-all covering any “other implement for the infliction of serious physical injury or death that serves no lawful purpose,” which is broad enough to sweep in plastic, carbon fiber, or polymer knuckle weapons.1Justia. Arkansas Code 5-73-104 – Criminal Use of Prohibited Weapons
The novelty label doesn’t help either. Belt buckles, paperweights, and bottle openers shaped like brass knuckles are still knuckle weapons if they function as one. The statute looks at the object, not the packaging.
“Knowingly” is doing the work in this statute, and it’s a low bar. You don’t need to intend harm. You just need to know the item is yours. Keeping a pair in the glove box, a drawer, or a display case all count.
The Narrow Defenses
Two defenses appear in the statute. The first covers law enforcement officers, prosecuting attorneys, prison guards, and members of the U.S. Armed Forces acting within their official duties. The second applies when the circumstances “negate any likelihood” the item could be used as a weapon.1Justia. Arkansas Code 5-73-104 – Criminal Use of Prohibited Weapons
The second defense is narrower than it sounds. A functional pair of knuckles can be slipped onto a hand at any time, so arguing there was no likelihood of weapon use is a hard sell. The defense is more plausible for something welded permanently into a sculpture than for a pair kept intact “as a collectible.”
Penalties for a Conviction
A Class A misdemeanor is the most serious misdemeanor grade in Arkansas. The statutory ceiling is one year in county jail and a fine of up to $2,500.2Justia. Arkansas Code 5-4-401 – Sentence3Justia. Arkansas Code 5-4-201 – Fines – Limitations on Amount
The jail time and fine are only part of the cost. A conviction creates a permanent criminal record that surfaces on employment, housing, and professional licensing background checks. Even a sentence with no jail time leaves that record behind.
Selling, Making, or Shipping Them
The statute reaches suppliers, not just users. Manufacturing, repairing, selling, or “otherwise dealing in” metal knuckles is prohibited under the same section. A retailer who stocks them, a maker who produces them, or an out-of-state seller who ships a pair to an Arkansas buyer is inside the same statute as the person who owns the finished item.1Justia. Arkansas Code 5-73-104 – Criminal Use of Prohibited Weapons
The Class A misdemeanor grading is written specifically around possession. For other conduct involving the same item, the statute’s penalty structure is less clean, and felony exposure is possible depending on how the charge is framed.
If Knuckles Are Used in a Fight
Actually striking someone with metal knuckles is a separate problem. Arkansas has its own assault statutes, and using a weapon capable of causing serious physical injury pushes the conduct toward aggravated assault, a Class D felony.4Justia. Arkansas Code 5-13-204 – Aggravated Assault
The two charges are independent. One punishes having the weapon; the other punishes what was done with it. A Class D felony carries up to six years in prison on its own, before any stacking with the weapons count.
If You Already Own a Pair
People pick up brass knuckles as souvenirs, inherit them, or buy them on a trip without realizing Arkansas bans them. Not knowing the law is not a defense. The moment you knowingly possess them here, the offense is complete.
The cleanest way out is to contact your local police department about surrendering the item. Selling them or handing them off inside Arkansas just moves the criminal exposure to someone else, and shipping them across state lines can raise separate questions under the destination state’s law and federal shipping rules. Removing the item through law enforcement channels avoids all of that.