Carrying an auto knife in Alabama

[popeyespappy]

From what I can tell carrying an automatic opening knife in Alabama is legal as long as it is not concealed and meets some other general knife criteria such as length restrictions. Do we have any Alabama LEO that would care to comment on what they consider concealed and what is not for a knife? For instance is clipped to a front pants pocket concealed as long as it is not covered by a shirt?

Thanks

 

[hso]

No one can answer that for you, not even an LEO.
You'd have to look at the case law for AL and make an interpretation and hope the LEOs wherever you happened to be were up on that interpretation of concealed vs not.

Smart money says use a belt sheath or don't carry an auto.

 

[Feanaro]

Many people in Alabama are under the assumption that there is some kind of length restriction for knives. I've looked at the criminal code and I can't find anything of the sort. The most obvious restriction is against concealing a "bowie knife" or a "knife or instrument of like description."

According to Smelley v. State, (472 So. 2d 715), a lock back knife would not fall under said law. I don't know what that means for automatics. I'd contact the AG or an Alabama attorney who is an expert on these matters. The police don't always know the finer points of the law.