Title 15Commerce and TradeRelease 119-73

§1243 Manufacture, sale, or possession within specific jurisdictions; penalty

Title 15 › Chapter CHAPTER 29— - MANUFACTURE, TRANSPORTATION, OR DISTRIBUTION OF SWITCHBLADE KNIVES › § 1243

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Making, selling, or having a switchblade in U.S. territories, Indian country, or special maritime/territorial jurisdiction risks up to $2,000 fine, five years' prison, or both.

Full Legal Text

Title 15, §1243

Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Whoever, within any Territory or possession of the United States, within Indian country (as defined in section 1151 of title 18), or within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States (as defined in section 7 of title 18), manufactures, sells, or possesses any switchblade knife, shall be fined not more than $2,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective on the sixtieth day after Aug. 12, 1958, see section 6 of Pub. L. 85–623, set out as a note under section 1241 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

15 U.S.C. § 1243

Title 15Commerce and Trade

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73