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OTF Policy

​(updated as of 12/12/2024)

NOTE: All information contained herein is intended as a brief summary of available information and should not be considered as legal advice. We suggest that you consult legal counsel if unsure of your specific situation.

Restrictions with respect to possession, carry, manufacture or sale of OTF knives (aka out-the-front, auto-open, automatic, switchblades, etc.) may apply in your state or locality. You are responsible for knowledge of and compliance with these laws and acknowledge this responsibility and your compliance for any purchases you make on our site.

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Owltown Traders dba Owltown Knives complies with these laws based on our reasonable interpretation of the laws, and reliance on third-party resources that track state and local laws. We rely primarily on the American Knife and Tool Institute (AKTI.org) supplemented by a wikidot site on U.S. switchblade laws.

Based on these laws, we will not ship any purchases of products listed on our site as “OTF” to any states (or localities) that are known to prohibit their use.  We also do not ship outside the United States or to U.S. territories.

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THESE STATES/LOCALITIES PROHIBIT AUTOMATIC KNIVES – WE DO NOT SHIP OTF KNIVES TO:

  • California (but will sell/ship if blade is under 2 inches)

  • Delaware

  • District of Columbia

  • Chicago, Illinois* (but will ship/sell if blade is 2.5 inches or less)

  • Minnesota

  • New Jersey

  • New Mexico

  • New York (there is a hunting/fishing exemption but are illegal for all other purposes)

  • Vermont (but will sell/ship if blade is under 3 inches)

  • Washington

Recent changes:

Effective August 2024, Massachusetts moved to the “not restricted” list based on a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision.

Effective May 2024, Hawaii moved to the “not restricted” list based on new legislation.

Effective January 2023, Pennsylvania moved to the “not restricted” list.

As the buyer and owner, you should be aware of any restrictions that may apply to your ownership or use in any state. 

IMPORTANT!

f you attempt to purchase an OTF Knife but live in the above states/localities, our site will list a $1,000 delivery fee. You should then delete this item from your cart. If you do not do so and follow through with the purchase, we will immediately refund your OTF purchase due to the the restrictions on OTF products in your locality / state.  We are working on identifying a better way to implement this restriction automatically. 

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However, if you wish to purchase an OTF knife from us and believe it is legal to do so in your state/locality, but are being prohibited from such purchase by our website restrictions, please contact us with more information and we will research your specific circumstances.

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