Knives
18 Pa.C.S. 907 — a weapon concealed with intent, and any knife on school grounds
In Pennsylvania, three sections of the crimes code bear on carrying a knife: possessing a weapon with intent to use it criminally, the list of prohibited offensive weapons, and weapons on school property.
Intent is the line. A person commits a misdemeanor of the first degree by possessing a firearm or other weapon concealed on the person with intent to employ it criminally, or any instrument of crime with that intent. A weapon is anything readily capable of lethal use and possessed under circumstances not manifestly appropriate for its lawful uses.
The offensive weapons list. Making, repairing, selling, dealing in, using or possessing an offensive weapon is a misdemeanor of the first degree. The list names bombs, grenades, machine guns, sawed-off shotguns, guns made for concealment or silent discharge, blackjacks, sandbags, metal knuckles, stun guns, tasers and other implements for inflicting serious bodily injury that serve no common lawful purpose. It names no knife.
Defenses to the offensive weapons charge. Possession solely as a curio or in a dramatic performance, or briefly after finding it or taking it from an aggressor, or in other circumstances negating any likelihood of unlawful use, is a defense the defendant proves by a preponderance of evidence.
Any knife at a school. On the grounds or in the buildings of a public, licensed private or parochial elementary or secondary school, or on a school bus, possessing a weapon is a misdemeanor of the first degree, and for this section a weapon includes any knife, cutting instrument or cutting tool. It is a defense that it was possessed for a lawful supervised school activity or another lawful purpose.
| The assumption | What the law actually does |
|---|---|
| The assumptionCarrying a folding knife is a crime by itself | What the law actually doesThe crime is concealment with intent to employ it criminally, or a knife on school property |
| The assumptionA pocketknife at a school is only a rule violation | What the law actually doesAny knife on school grounds or a school bus is a misdemeanor of the first degree, unless possessed for a lawful purpose |
Local ordinances, courthouses and other secured buildings, and knives carried with other offenses are not all on this page. What a particular situation carries is a question for a licensed Pennsylvania attorney.
Sources for this section (3)
- 18 Pa.C.S. 907 — Possessing instruments of crime
- 18 Pa.C.S. 908 — Prohibited offensive weapons
- 18 Pa.C.S. 912 — Possession of weapon on school property
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Pennsylvania attorney.