Yes, automatic knives are legal in Texas. You can legally buy, own, carry, and use switchblades, OTF knives, and other automatic-opening knives without needing a permit. Texas repealed its switchblade ban in 2017 (HB 1935), and since then, the opening mechanism has no special legal restrictions.
However, this doesn’t mean “anything goes.” Texas law no longer cares how your knife opens — but it still cares where you carry it and how long the blade is. If an automatic knife has a blade longer than 5.5 inches, it becomes restricted in certain locations. So automatic knives are not illegal, but carrying a large one in the wrong place can still get you charged. To stay legal, you need to understand blade length limits, restricted areas, and rules for minors.
Let’s break down what the law really says.
What Exactly Is an Automatic Knife?
Under Texas Penal Code definitions, an automatic knife is a knife where:
- The blade is released by a switch, button, or mechanical device, and
- It deploys automatically (either upward, sideways, or out-the-front)
This includes: Switchblades, OTF (out-the-front automatics), and Push-button spring-assisted knives.
Texas no longer distinguishes between automatic knives and traditional folders. They’re legally treated the same as any ordinary knife. What matters now is blade length, user age, and location restrictions, not the opening mechanism.
Blade Length Is the Real Limiting Factor
Texas divides knives into two broad categories:
| Category | Blade Length | Legal Status |
| ✔ Knives | 5.5 inches or less | Fully legal to buy, own, and carry anywhere (openly or concealed). |
| ⚠ Location-Restricted Knives | over 5.5 inches | Legal to own, but restricted where you can carry them. |
This Location-Restricted Knives rule applies to all long-bladed knives—including automatic ones, bowie knives, daggers, double-edges, and large hunting knives.
Places Where Knives Over 5.5 Inches Are Illegal to Carry
Carrying a 6-inch automatic knife into certain places is a crime under Texas Penal Code §46.03. These restricted places include:
- Schools and school buses (K-12 and colleges).
- Bars where alcohol sales exceed 51% of total income.
- Government courts and offices.
- Polling places during elections.
- Professional sporting events/Interscholastic events.
- Correctional facilities.
- Hospitals and nursing homes (unless you have permission).
- Amusement parks.
- Churches, synagogues, temples, and places of worship (restricted only if the facility has provided adequate notice, similar to firearm prohibitions).
Important: These restrictions apply even if the person carrying the knife is over 21.
Can You Carry an Automatic Knife in a Car?
Yes. Texas law allows carrying automatic knives of any size in vehicles—no permit required.
The Crucial Correction on Schools:
The Penal Code defines “premises” as a building and explicitly excludes parking lots, driveways, and sidewalks.
- You may legally park on school grounds with a location-restricted knife (over 5.5″) in your locked car.
- The crime occurs when you intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly possess the knife on the premises (inside the building) of the school.
Final Answer
Automatic knives, switchblades, and OTF knives are fully legal to own and carry in Texas in 2025. You can buy, own, and carry them without a license. The only rules that still apply relate to:
- Blade length over 5.5 inches (creating a Location-Restricted Knife).
- Restricted locations (for Location-Restricted Knives).
- Age rules for minors.
- Criminal misuse (e.g., brandishing).
Texas doesn’t care how your knife opens. It only cares where you carry it and how big the blade is.
