← North Carolina knife laws›Local Knife-Law Preemption

North Carolina Local Knife-Law Preemption (2026)

Conditional: North Carolina preempts only firearms regulation (G.S. 14-409.40); knives are not preempted, so cities and counties may regulate knife carry.

ConditionalVerified Jul 7, 2026

Knife laws change at the state line — and in your state.Track them in the free LawLert iPhone app: it alerts you when you cross into a state where they differ, and when they change in your state. No account.Get the app

Official source: ncleg.gov →

General legal information, not legal advice — verify important decisions with a licensed attorney.

Local Knife-Law Preemption in states bordering North Carolina

The same rule in each neighboring state LawLert has verified, from that state’s own official source.

GeorgiaInfo
Georgia law defines "knife" as a blade longer than 12 inches for weapons-carry purposes, so an ordinary pocket knife is not a regulated weapon (O.C.G.A. 16-11-125.1, as revised by SB 319 of 2022). Whether the state's weapons-preemption provisions extend to knives could not be confirmed from an official Georgia source — Georgia does not publish its Code on any state domain. Treat local knife ordinances as possible and check locally.
Verified Jul 30, 2026 · Source: gov.georgia.gov · Full Georgia rule →
South CarolinaConditional
No SC statute preempts local knife ordinances; 23-31-510 preempts only local regulation of firearms and ammunition, not knives.
Verified Jul 7, 2026 · Source: scstatehouse.gov · Full South Carolina rule →
TennesseePermitted
Tennessee preempts local knife regulation: state law occupies the field on the transfer, ownership, possession and transportation of knives, and no city, county or metropolitan government may regulate it (T.C.A. 39-17-1314, added by Public Chapter 418 of 2013, effective July 1, 2013).
Verified Jul 30, 2026 · Source: publications.tnsosfiles.com · Full Tennessee rule →
VirginiaConditional
No knife preemption: Va. Code 15.2-915 bars localities from regulating firearms and ammunition only, so localities may regulate knives.
Verified Jul 7, 2026 · Source: law.lis.virginia.gov · Full Virginia rule →

Don't get caught off guardCross into a state where this law is different and the free iPhone app tells you what changed, even with the app closed. It also alerts you when a law you track changes where you live. No account.Get the free app

Track this law — get alerted when it changes

We watch the official sources behind North Carolina knives rules. If a tracked rule changes, you get one short email — never more than one a week. Free, unsubscribe anytime.