Louisiana CCW legislation in effect

[hso]

I'm approaching this from two directions.

1) It is good that LA has improved their CCW.

2) It is unfortunate that they weren't as giving for knives and people shouldn't confuse having an LA CCW with being able to carry any knife they like in LA.

Here's the knife information from Knife Rights providing some detail.

Louisiana CCW Bill Including Most Knives in Effect

Louisiana HB 124, providing for the carry of any "instrumentality customarily used or intended for use as a dangerous weapon" as long as the carrier has a concealed handgun permit, took effect yesterday, August 1st. This includes knives, except, unfortunately, switchblades.

In 2018 Knife Rights was able repeal Louisiana’s complete ban on switchblades, but in order to get it passed we had to compromise by including the restriction that the knife not be “intentionally concealed on one’s person.” Unfortunately, HB 124 does NOT remove that specific restriction. Intentional concealed carry of a switchblade (automatic knife) remains illegal in Louisiana, even for concealed handgun permitees.

While requiring a CCW to carry a knife concealed is not optimal, we supported this effort as an incremental improvement in Louisiana law. Our ultimate commonsense goal is always to remove any restrictions to carry of any knife by law-abiding persons, period.

 

[upptick]

Isn't the modern spring-assisted knife -- which requires a tiny flick from one's finger -- functionally indistinguishable from a true switch blade? And since the spring-assist is a distinction without a difference, and since the new law doesn't outlaw spring assisted knives, what's the big deal?

 

[hso]

Isn't the modern spring-assisted knife -- which requires a tiny flick from one's finger -- functionally indistinguishable from a true switch blade?

That's a common misconception. Switchblades, and typically the laws around them, have a button or mechanism on the handle that when the user applies pressure a spring drives the blade to the open/locked position. AOs don't have such a button and the blade is "push started" some percent for a spring to engage and drive the blade to an locked open position. The distinction is very different, handle mechanism vs. no handle mechanism & drives from locked closed to open vs. pushed some distance under the laws. There are some states that have made their rules vague enough, they don't talk about a mechanism in the handle, to make carrying an AO questionable.

BUT the real news here is that the LA CCW law doesn't allow for switchblades to be carried.

 

[MedWheeler]

Florida distinguishes switchblades and AO-knives by the fact that an AO-knife has its opening started by using the blade, or a part of the blade (the tang, or similar feature.) A switchblade's opening actuation button is not part of the blade. Just an example of one view of the difference between the two types of tools.

It's unfortunate that Louisianians are more-restricted in what they can carry concealed. Here, our license is actually called a Concealed Weapon or Firearm License (CWFL.)