California legal term
switchblade knife in California Criminal Law
Current through 2026 California legislative session
In California criminal law, “switchblade knife” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the California criminal code.
What does “switchblade knife” mean in California criminal law?
“switchblade knife” means a knife having the appearance of a pocketknife and includes a spring-blade knife, snap-blade knife, gravity knife, or any other similar type knife, the blade or blades of which are two or more inches in length and which can be released automatically by a flick of a button, pressure on the handle, flip of the wrist or other mechanical device, or is released by the weight of the blade or by any type of mechanism whatsoever. “Switchblade knife” does not include a knife that opens with one hand utilizing thumb pressure applied solely to the blade of the knife or a thumb s (Cal. Penal Code § 17235)
Statutes defining or using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.