PRIA Logo™
119-s-346119th Congress

Knife Owners’ Protection Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Senator Lee, Mike [R-UT]

Introduced

Summary

Protect interstate transport of knives by setting a federal standard that lets people move knives between places where possession is lawful, if they follow specified storage and accessibility rules. The bill would also create legal defenses and remedies for people who comply with those rules.

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to download

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Federal rules for transporting knives

If enacted, you could transport knives between places where possession is lawful, unless federal law bars you. In cars, knives would have to be kept out of direct reach of passengers or kept in a locked container, glove compartment, or locked console when there is no separate compartment. On planes, knives would have to be in a locked container and kept out of the passenger cabin. On other vehicles and boats, knives would have to be in a locked container. A blunt-tipped or guarded emergency-escape knife could be carried in a car passenger area but not in screened airplane cabins. You could keep knives accessible during temporary overnight lodging if you meet the containment rules. The bill would define "State" to include U.S. territories and would treat "transport" to include overnight lodging, carrier delays, stops for food or fuel, emergencies, and medical care. The protection would not apply if you intend to use the knife to commit, or know a knife will be used to commit, a violent felony punishable by more than one year.

New legal defenses for knife carriers

If enacted, you could sue state or local officials who, under color of law, take away rights the bill protects. Courts would award reasonable attorney's fees to the prevailing party, but States and their employees could not collect those fees. If you follow the transport rules in the bill, police could not arrest or detain you under state or local knife laws unless they have probable cause a containment rule was violated. In criminal cases where you claim compliance, the State would have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you were not compliant.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Lee, Mike [R-UT]

UT • R

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA]

    LA • R

    Sponsored 1/30/2025

  • Sen. Lummis, Cynthia M. [R-WY]

    WY • R

    Sponsored 1/30/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
Back to Legislation