Knives
S.C. Code 16-23-430 — a blade over two inches on school property
School property. It is unlawful for anyone other than law enforcement officers or personnel authorized by school officials to carry on elementary or secondary school property a knife with a blade over two inches long, a blackjack, a metal pipe or pole, a firearm, or any other weapon, device or object that may be used to inflict bodily injury or death.
The section does not apply when the weapon remains inside an attended or locked motor vehicle, secured in a closed glove compartment, closed console, closed trunk, or a closed container with an integral fastener carried in the luggage compartment. A violation is a felony carrying a fine of up to $1,000 or up to five years, or both, and the weapon may be confiscated.
Displaying a knife during a violent crime. A person who visibly displays a knife, or possesses a firearm, during a violent crime and is convicted of committing or attempting it must be imprisoned five years in addition to the punishment for the crime itself. The section defines a knife as an instrument or tool with a sharp cutting blade, fastened to a handle or not, capable of being used to inflict a cut, slash or wound.
Outside school property and the violent crime enhancement, the sections on this page set no general blade length. Local ordinances and the rules of particular buildings are not on it. Whether a particular knife or place is covered is a question for a licensed South Carolina attorney.
Sources for this section (2)
- S.C. Code 16-23-430 — Carrying weapon on school property
- S.C. Code 16-23-490 — Additional punishment for possession of firearm or knife during commission of violent crime
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed South Carolina attorney.