Are Brass Knuckles Legal in Connecticut? (2026 Felony Rules)

Carrying brass knuckles in Connecticut is a felony. Conn. Gen. Stat. 53-206 makes it a class E felony to carry "metal or brass knuckles" on your person, concealed or not, and Conn. Gen. Stat. 29-38 makes it a class D felony to knowingly have them in a vehicle you own, operate or occupy. For how other states handle the same item, see our guide to brass knuckles laws by state.

Information last verified on 2026-10-08. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Connecticut state law: the carrying offense in Conn. Gen. Stat. 53-206, the vehicle offense in 29-38, the penal-code deadly-weapon definition in 53a-3(6), the school-grounds offense in 53a-217b, the legislative-building rule in 2-1e(c), and the felony sentencing ranges in 53a-35a and 53a-41. It does not cover municipal ordinances, federal property, or the law of other states.

Carrying brass knuckles on your person

Connecticut's general dangerous-weapons statute names knuckles by their common name. Section 53-206(a) opens with a list of items and closes with the penalty:

"Any person who carries upon his or her person any BB. gun, blackjack, metal or brass knuckles, or any dirk knife, or any switch knife, ... or any other dangerous or deadly weapon or instrument, shall be guilty of a class E felony." Conn. Gen. Stat. 53-206(a)

The offense is carrying "upon his or her person." The statute does not mention concealment, so open carry and concealed carry are treated the same. It also contains no exception for carrying on your own land or in your own business.

When a person is convicted, the same subsection requires forfeiture: any weapon within the section "found upon the body of such person, shall be forfeited to the municipality wherein such person was apprehended, notwithstanding any failure of the judgment of conviction to expressly impose such forfeiture."

Exceptions to 53-206

Section 53-206(b) lists who the carrying ban does not apply to. The first exception covers "any officer charged with the preservation of the public peace while engaged in the pursuit of such officer's official duties." The other exceptions cover a licensed security officer carrying a less lethal weapon (a baton or pepper spray, as defined in 29-161q) on duty, people carrying certain knives, martial arts students and instructors with martial arts weapons at a class or authorized event, BB guns and electronic defense weapons.

None of those other exceptions mentions knuckles. Section 53-206 also has no permit or license route for them: a civilian carrying knuckles is not covered by any exception in subsection (b).

Brass knuckles in a car

The vehicle statute carries the heavier penalty. Section 29-38(a) reads:

"Any person who knowingly has, in any vehicle owned, operated or occupied by such person, any weapon, ... shall be guilty of a class D felony, and the presence of any such weapon, pistol or revolver, or machine gun in any vehicle shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of this section by the owner, operator and each occupant thereof. The word 'weapon', as used in this section, means any BB. gun, any blackjack, any metal or brass knuckles, ..." Conn. Gen. Stat. 29-38(a)

Two parts of that language matter for anyone riding in a car where knuckles turn up.

• Knowledge. The offense requires that the person "knowingly has" the weapon in the vehicle.
• Prima facie evidence. The presence of the knuckles in the vehicle is prima facie evidence of a violation by the owner, the operator and each occupant, so the statute's evidence rule reaches passengers as well as the driver and the owner.

The permit language in 29-38(a) refers to pistols and revolvers "for which a proper permit has not been issued as provided in section 29-28." That permit has nothing to do with knuckles. The exceptions in 29-38(b) begin with officers charged with the preservation of the public peace while engaged in their official duties.

Penalties

Sections 53-206 and 29-38 state only the felony class. The sentence comes from Connecticut's general felony ranges:

These are maximums set by 53a-35a(8)-(9) and 53a-41(4)-(5). Forfeiture of the knuckles under 53-206(a) applies on top of any sentence for a carrying conviction.

Owning, buying and selling knuckles

Connecticut's knuckles offenses are written around where the knuckles are, not around ownership. The chapters that hold Connecticut's weapons crimes (chapter 943, offenses against public peace and safety; chapter 529, which contains 29-38; and penal-code chapters 950 and 952) mention knuckles in three sections: 53-206, 29-38 and the definition in 53a-3(6). The legislative-building rule in 2-1e(c) also lists them. None of those sections makes keeping knuckles at home, or buying or selling them, a separate offense.

That does not make handling them risk-free. A buyer who carries a new set home in a pocket is carrying it on the person under 53-206, and a seller driving inventory to a customer has it in a vehicle under 29-38.

The deadly-weapon definition and why it does not control the carry ban

Connecticut's penal code defines "deadly weapon" in 53a-3(6), and metal knuckles are on that list. The same subdivision then excludes the two carrying statutes:

"'Deadly weapon' means any weapon, whether loaded or unloaded, from which a shot may be discharged, or a switchblade knife, gravity knife, billy, blackjack, bludgeon, or metal knuckles. The definition of 'deadly weapon' in this subdivision shall be deemed not to apply to section 29-38 or 53-206 and does not include an electronic defense weapon when used by a peace officer;" Conn. Gen. Stat. 53a-3(6)

So 53-206 and 29-38 work from their own lists, which name "metal or brass knuckles" directly. The 53a-3(6) definition matters for other penal-code offenses that use the term "deadly weapon," including the school-grounds offense below.

Plastic knuckles and other variants

Connecticut's statutes say "metal or brass knuckles" and do not define the phrase. Both 53-206 and 29-38, however, end their lists with "any other dangerous or deadly weapon or instrument." A non-metal set could still be charged under that catch-all, but the statutes do not settle it, and courts have sometimes refused to stretch the catch-all to items that resemble a listed weapon without meeting its description.

Knuckle knives combine two listed categories. Section 53-206 separately lists dirk knives, switch knives, stilettos and knives with an edged blade of four inches or more, so the blade can bring an item within the section on its own. For the knife rules in more detail, see our guide to Connecticut knife laws.

Schools and the State Capitol

Two place-based rules add to the general carrying ban.

Schools. Section 53a-217b(a) makes it a crime for a person, "knowing that such person is not licensed or privileged to do so," to possess a firearm or "deadly weapon, as defined in section 53a-3," in or on the real property of a public or private elementary or secondary school, or at a school-sponsored activity. Because 53a-3(6) lists metal knuckles, they fall within this offense. Subsection (c) makes it a class D felony.

Legislative buildings. Section 2-1e(c)(2) applies "notwithstanding the provisions of sections 29-35 and 53-206" and makes any person guilty of interfering with the legislative process who brings into, or possesses within, a building that houses either chamber of the General Assembly, the office of a legislator, legislative officer, employee or committee, or a committee's public hearing, a "switchblade, gravity knife, blackjack, bludgeon, metal knuckles or any other dangerous or deadly weapon or instrument." The officer exception in 2-1e(c)(1) covers guns and billies, not this subdivision. A violation is a class D felony under 2-1e(d).

Minors

Section 53-206 applies to "any person" who carries knuckles on the person, with no age threshold in its text, and the school-grounds offense in 53a-217b reaches any person on school property or at a school-sponsored activity.

Self-defense alternatives under Connecticut law

People who look at knuckles for personal protection often weigh other tools. Connecticut's rules for sprays and electronic defense weapons are in our guide to Connecticut pepper spray and stun gun laws, and when force may lawfully be used is covered in Connecticut self-defense laws.

Related pages

• Brass knuckles laws by state
• Connecticut knife laws
• Connecticut pepper spray and stun gun laws
• Connecticut self-defense laws

This article provides general legal information about Connecticut state law, not legal advice. Weapons laws change and local rules vary. For advice about a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in Connecticut or your local police department.

Last updated: 2026-10-08.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are brass knuckles legal in Connecticut?

Carrying them is not. Conn. Gen. Stat. 53-206 makes carrying metal or brass knuckles on your person a class E felony, and 29-38 makes knowingly having them in a vehicle a class D felony.

Can I own brass knuckles at home in Connecticut?

The Connecticut offenses that name knuckles cover carrying them on your person (53-206), having them in a vehicle (29-38), school grounds (53a-217b) and legislative buildings (2-1e). None of those sections makes keeping knuckles at home a separate crime, but 53-206 contains no exception for carrying them on your own property.

Is it legal to carry brass knuckles openly in Connecticut?

No. Section 53-206(a) applies to any person who carries knuckles upon his or her person and does not require that they be concealed, so open carry is a class E felony too.

What happens if police find brass knuckles in my car in Connecticut?

Under Conn. Gen. Stat. 29-38(a), knowingly having metal or brass knuckles in a vehicle you own, operate or occupy is a class D felony, punishable by up to 5 years and up to $5,000. Their presence in the vehicle is prima facie evidence of a violation by the owner, the operator and each occupant.

Does a Connecticut pistol permit cover brass knuckles?

No. The permit language in 29-38 refers to pistols and revolvers, and 53-206 has no permit exception for knuckles.

Are plastic knuckles legal in Connecticut?

Sections 53-206 and 29-38 name metal or brass knuckles and do not define them. Both sections also reach any other dangerous or deadly weapon or instrument, so a non-metal set may still be charged; the statutes do not settle the question.

Can I sell brass knuckles in Connecticut?

The chapters that contain Connecticut's knuckles offenses do not make selling them a separate crime. Carrying them on the person or having them in a vehicle, including while transporting them for a sale, falls under 53-206 and 29-38.