Daggers are not illegal in California — you can own one and keep it at home — but carrying one in public is tightly restricted. Under Penal Code 21310, carrying a concealed dirk or dagger is a wobbler that can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony, with felony convictions carrying up to three years in state prison.1California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 21310 Open carry in a sheath worn at the waist is legal under state law, but several locations ban daggers outright and some cities layer on their own rules.
What the Law Counts as a Dagger
Penal Code 16470 defines a “dirk” or “dagger” as any knife or instrument that can be readily used as a stabbing weapon capable of inflicting great bodily injury or death. The blade does not have to be double-edged. The object does not have to be built for combat. A sturdy hunting knife or even a sharpened metal rod can qualify if it is capable of causing serious stab wounds.
California courts read the definition broadly. In People v. Rubalcava (2000), the California Supreme Court held that you do not need to intend to use the blade as a weapon for it to count as a dirk or dagger. Simply carrying an object capable of inflicting a stabbing injury is enough.2Justia Case Law. People v. Rubalcava (2000) – Supreme Court of California Decisions In People v. Plumlee (2008), a Court of Appeal held that even a closed switchblade could qualify if it could be readily used for stabbing.
Folding Knives and Locking Blades
A folding knife with a blade that locks into the open position is treated like a fixed-blade knife when carried concealed. If the blade is deployed and locked in your pocket, that is a concealed dirk or dagger under the statute.
Non-locking folders get different treatment. In People v. Castillolopez, the California Court of Appeal held that a non-locking folding knife whose blade can collapse on impact is not “locked into position” and falls outside the dirk-or-dagger definition. Ordinary pocketknives and slip-joint folders generally sit in this safer category, though other charges can still arise depending on how and where the knife is carried.
Concealed Carry Is the Crime
Penal Code 21310 makes it illegal to carry a concealed dirk or dagger on your person.1California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 21310 “Concealed” means hidden from ordinary observation. A dagger in your waistband, a backpack, or an inside jacket pocket is concealed even if a bit of the handle shows. In People v. Mitchell (2012), a defendant was convicted even though the silver tip of his knife was visible at the bottom of his sweatshirt, because the knife was not visible until he leaned forward on a bench.3FindLaw. People v. Mitchell (2012)
Because 21310 is a wobbler, prosecutors decide whether to file it as a misdemeanor or a felony.4Justia. CALCRIM No. 2501 – Carrying Concealed Dirk or Dagger A misdemeanor conviction carries up to one year in county jail. A felony conviction carries 16 months, two years, or three years in state prison.1California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 21310 Prior convictions, an arrest in a sensitive location, or being armed during another offense push charging toward the felony end.
How to Carry a Dagger Legally
Penal Code 20200 says a knife carried in a sheath worn openly and suspended from the waist is not concealed.5California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 20200 That is the statutory route to lawful carry. The sheath has to be visible to people around you. Under a long shirt, inside a coat, or clipped inside a cargo pocket does not qualify.
Even carried openly, the dagger cannot be waved around. Penal Code 417 makes it a misdemeanor to draw or display any deadly weapon in a rude, angry, or threatening manner, with a minimum 30 days in county jail.6California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 417
Local ordinances can be stricter than state law. Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 55.10 prohibits carrying any knife or dagger with a blade of three inches or more in plain view on public streets or other public places.7LA City Clerk. Ordinance No. 162995 – Adding Section 55.10 to the Los Angeles Municipal Code That creates a real problem. State law says the dagger has to be openly visible to avoid a concealed-carry charge, but the LA ordinance forbids showing it in public. In practice, a dagger with a blade of three inches or longer cannot be legally carried on a public street in Los Angeles. Other cities may have their own rules, so check before you carry.
In a Vehicle
Transporting a dagger in a car is where people get tripped up. Penal Code 20200 only exempts knives worn openly in a waist sheath. A dagger in your glove box, center console, or door pocket is not suspended from your waist, so it does not fit the open-carry exception. Courts have treated daggers hidden in bags and similar containers as concealed on the person, and a backpack on the passenger seat likely presents the same issue.
The cleanest option is to wear the dagger in an open belt sheath while driving. If that is not workable, keeping it sheathed and stored in a locked container in the trunk, out of immediate reach, reduces exposure — although the statute does not explicitly address trunk storage for knives the way it does for firearms.
Places Where Daggers Are Banned Outright
Some locations prohibit daggers regardless of how you carry them. Getting caught in one of these places usually stacks charges on top of any concealed-carry violation.
Schools
Penal Code 626.10 prohibits bringing a dirk, dagger, or any knife with a blade longer than two and a half inches onto the grounds of any public or private K-12 school. Folding knives with locking blades are covered too. Violations are punishable by up to one year in county jail or a term in state prison.8California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 626.10 Peace officers, active-duty military on official duties, and people assisting officers in making arrests are exempt.
Government Buildings
Penal Code 171b prohibits bringing deadly weapons into state or local public buildings and public meetings. The statute cross-references categories of prohibited weapons in other code sections, and a dagger that qualifies as a deadly weapon falls within the ban. A violation can be filed as a misdemeanor carrying up to one year in county jail or as a felony carrying state prison time.9California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 171b
Airports
Penal Code 171.5 prohibits bringing weapons, including knives, into sterile areas of California airports, and violations are charged as misdemeanors.10California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 171.5 Federal TSA rules apply on top of that: all knives are banned from carry-on luggage. A dagger can go in checked baggage if it is sheathed or securely wrapped to protect baggage handlers.11Transportation Security Administration. Complete List (Alphabetical)
Federal Property
On federal property, 18 U.S.C. § 930 makes it a crime to possess a dangerous weapon inside a federal facility. The statute defines “dangerous weapon” broadly, with one narrow exception for pocket knives with blades under two and a half inches.12Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 930 – Possession of Firearms and Dangerous Weapons in Federal Facilities A dagger does not fit that exception. Federal courthouses, post offices, VA hospitals, and national park buildings are all covered.
Switchblades Are a Separate Rule
Dagger law and switchblade law are often confused, but they are different offenses. Penal Code 21510 makes it a misdemeanor to carry a switchblade with a blade of two inches or longer on your person or in a vehicle’s passenger or driver area, or to sell or give one away.13California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 21510 A dagger can be worn openly in a belt sheath; a switchblade above the two-inch threshold cannot be carried in public at all. You can keep a switchblade at home, but taking it outside your residence is its own crime.
Who Is Exempt
Penal Code 21310 exempts peace officers and related personnel under Chapter 1 of Division 2 of Title 2.1California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 21310 Active peace officers — sheriffs, police officers, federal agents on duty in California — and active-duty military performing official duties can carry concealed. The school-grounds statute contains its own version of that exemption.8California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 626.10 These exemptions do not cover off-duty personal use.
Actors using daggers as props in film, stage, or television, along with historical reenactors and martial artists using them for demonstrations or training, may use daggers during those activities. The exemption applies to the activity itself; carrying a prop dagger to and from a rehearsal in a concealed manner can still trigger charges if the blade meets the statutory definition.
The Sikh kirpan, a ceremonial dagger, has been the subject of ongoing legal debate. No blanket statutory exemption exists for religious daggers, but courts have recognized that carrying a kirpan for genuine religious observance may be protected under the First Amendment and California’s religious freedom protections. Outcomes turn on the specific circumstances, including blade size and location, and schools and courthouses have been particular flashpoints.
The Bottom Line for Staying Legal
Keep the dagger at home and you have no problem. If you carry in public, wear it in a sheath openly suspended from your waist. Do not tuck it into a pocket, bag, or waistband — that turns lawful possession into a potential felony. Check local ordinances first, because cities like Los Angeles ban visible knives with blades of three inches or longer on public streets, which can leave no legal way to carry a larger dagger there. Stay off school grounds, out of government buildings, and away from airport terminals entirely. If you fly, pack the dagger sheathed in checked luggage.