Are Brass Knuckles Legal in South Carolina? 2024 Law and Penalties

Brass knuckles are legal to own in South Carolina in the sense that no state statute bans them by name, and since a March 2024 repeal there is no specific criminal charge for simply carrying them in public. They still qualify as a “weapon” under the state’s catch-all statutory definition, though, which means carrying them on school grounds, bringing them into a federal building, or using them in a fight can all trigger serious penalties.

What the 2024 Law Change Did

Before March 2024, prosecutors used Section 16-23-460, the concealed-weapon statute covering items “usually used for the infliction of personal injury,” to charge people caught with brass knuckles. The South Carolina Constitutional Carry Act of 2024 (Act No. 111) repealed that statute effective March 7, 2024, and nothing replaced it for non-firearm weapons.1South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 16-23-460 – Repealed

The new law was written around firearms. It established permitless handgun carry and rewrote the location restrictions in Section 16-23-20, but those restrictions apply to handguns, not to brass knuckles or other non-firearm weapons.2South Carolina Legislature. 2023-2024 Bill 3594 – Constitutional Carry The concealed weapons permit system also does not apply, because “concealable weapon” under Section 23-31-210 means a firearm less than twelve inches long.3South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code of Laws – Title 23, Chapter 31 – Section 23-31-210

The practical result is a gap. No current South Carolina statute specifically criminalizes possessing or carrying brass knuckles in public, provided you are not on restricted property and are not using them to commit a crime.

They Still Count as a “Weapon”

Section 16-23-405 defines “weapon” to include firearms, blackjacks, metal pipes or poles, “or any other type of device, or object which may be used to inflict bodily injury or death.”4South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 16-23-405 – Definition of Weapon; Confiscation and Disposition of Weapons Used in Commission or in Furtherance of Crime Brass knuckles are not named, but a device built to concentrate the force of a punch into a small metal surface fits comfortably inside that catch-all. That matters because several other statutes attach penalties to any “weapon” under this definition, and any weapon used in a crime is subject to confiscation under Section 16-23-405(B).

A 2009 bill (S. 312) would have added “plastic, metal, or brass knuckles” to the definition and banned their sale. It never became law.5South Carolina Legislature. 2009-2010 Bill 312 – Brass Knuckles

School Grounds: A Felony

The clearest location-based restriction is school property. Section 16-23-430 makes it a felony to carry on your person, while on any elementary or secondary school property, a knife with a blade over two inches, a blackjack, a metal pipe or pole, firearms, “or any other type of weapon, device, or object which may be used to inflict bodily injury or death.”6South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code of Laws – Title 16, Chapter 23 – Section 16-23-430 That language covers brass knuckles. A conviction carries a fine of up to $1,000, up to five years in prison, or both, and the weapon is subject to confiscation.

There is one narrow exception: the weapon can stay inside a locked vehicle in a closed glove compartment, console, trunk, or locked container. Carrying brass knuckles on your person anywhere on K-12 school property has no such wiggle room.

Federal Buildings

State law is not the only law that applies. Under 18 U.S.C. § 930, possessing a dangerous weapon in a federal facility is a federal crime. The statute defines “dangerous weapon” as any device “used for, or is readily capable of, causing death or serious bodily injury,” excluding only pocket knives with blades under two and a half inches.7GovInfo. 18 USC 930 – Possession of Firearms and Dangerous Weapons in Federal Facilities Brass knuckles fall within that definition. Bringing them into a federal courthouse, post office, Social Security office, or similar building is a federal offense regardless of what South Carolina allows.

Using Brass Knuckles in a Fight

This is where the biggest exposure lies. Section 16-3-600 grades assault and battery by severity, and using a weapon pushes the charge up.8South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 16-3-600 – Assault and Battery; Definitions; Degrees of Offenses

Assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature applies when someone causes great bodily injury or uses means “likely to produce death or great bodily injury.” A conviction is a felony carrying up to twenty years in prison. Assault and battery in the first degree applies when a person injures or attempts to injure someone by means likely to produce death or great bodily injury during a robbery, burglary, kidnapping, or theft, and carries up to ten years.

Brass knuckles concentrate force in a way that can fracture bones and cause permanent disfigurement. Prosecutors regularly argue that striking someone while wearing them is a means “likely to produce great bodily injury,” which turns what might otherwise be a simple assault into a felony carrying two decades. That is the practical risk of carrying them, even when carrying itself is not charged.

Buying and Selling

No current South Carolina statute prohibits selling brass knuckles. Existing weapon-sale restrictions in Chapter 23 of Title 16 focus on handguns, including prohibitions on selling handguns to anyone under eighteen or to people convicted of violent crimes, and those provisions do not extend to brass knuckles.9South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code of Laws – Title 16, Chapter 23 – Section 16-23-30

Retailers face no specific state licensing requirement or background-check obligation for these items, and online sales into the state are not restricted by state law. Other states have outright bans, though, so shipping across state lines can create problems at the destination.

The Bottom Line on Penalties

The absence of a specific possession ban does not mean brass knuckles are risk-free. Officers who encounter them during an unrelated stop will treat them as weapons, and their presence can influence how prosecutors charge whatever else is going on.