Are Brass Knuckles Legal in Washington, D.C.? (2026 Law)

Brass knuckles are illegal to possess in the District of Columbia. D.C. Code 22-4514(a) says no person shall within the District possess "knuckles," and D.C. Code 22-4501(3) defines knuckles by shape, whether made of metal, wood, plastic or another similarly durable material. A first violation is punishable by up to 1 year in jail, a fine, or both under D.C. Code 22-4515, and carrying knuckles outside your home or business can also be charged under D.C. Code 22-4504(a), which carries up to 5 years. For how other states treat 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 District of Columbia law: the possession ban in D.C. Code 22-4514, the definition of knuckles in 22-4501(3), the penalties in 22-4514(c) and 22-4515, the carrying offense in 22-4504 and its exceptions in 22-4505, the armed-crime enhancement in 22-4502, the seizure rule in 22-4517, the fine schedule in 22-3571.01, and the Capitol Grounds rules in 10-503.16, 10-503.18 and 10-503.26(3). It does not cover federal law, rules for National Park Service land or other federal property in the District, or the law of Maryland, Virginia or any state.

What D.C. law says about brass knuckles

D.C. Code 22-4514(a) lists knuckles among the weapons no one may possess in the District, subject to a proviso for the occupations listed further below:

"(a) No person shall within the District of Columbia possess any item that is, in fact, a machine gun, sawed-off shotgun, bump stock, ghost gun, knuckles, or any instrument or weapon of the kind commonly known as a blackjack, slungshot, sand club, sandbag, switchblade knife, nor any instrument, attachment, or appliance for causing the firing of any firearm to be silent or intended to lessen or muffle the noise of the firing of any firearms; ..." D.C. Code 22-4514(a)

The offense is possession. Subsection (a) does not ask where the knuckles are kept, whether they are concealed or visible, or what the person intended to do with them. Owning a set at home is within the ban, and so is keeping one in a car or carrying one on the street.

That sets knuckles apart from the neighboring offense in subsection (b), which bars possessing a dagger, dirk, razor, stiletto, knife with a blade longer than 3 inches, imitation pistol, or "other dangerous weapon" only "with intent to use unlawfully against another." The knuckles ban in subsection (a) contains no such intent requirement.

Carrying knuckles in public

Carrying knuckles can also be charged under a separate statute. D.C. Code 22-4504(a) bars carrying "any deadly or dangerous weapon" openly or concealed, and the District's armed-crime statute, D.C. Code 22-4502(a), lists "metallic or other false knuckles" among its examples of a dangerous or deadly weapon.

Under 22-4504(a)(1), carrying such a weapon anywhere other than your home, your place of business or other land you possess is punishable by up to 5 years, a fine of up to the amount in 22-3571.01, or both. Under 22-4504(a)(2), the maximum rises to 10 years after a D.C. conviction under 22-4504 or a felony conviction in the District or elsewhere. The exceptions in D.C. Code 22-4505 are written around carrying firearms and do not mention knuckles.

What counts as knuckles: metal, plastic and wood

The District's definition does not depend on material. D.C. Code 22-4501(3) reads:

"(3) "Knuckles" means an object, whether made of metal, wood, plastic, or other similarly durable material that is constructed of one piece, the outside part of which is designed to fit over and cover the fingers on a hand and the inside part of which is designed to be gripped by the fist." D.C. Code 22-4501(3)

So a plastic, polymer or wooden set is covered on the same terms as a brass one, provided it meets the shape test. The Code's notes to 22-4514 record that D.C. Law 17-390, enacted in 2009, replaced the words "metal knuckles" with "knuckles" in the section.

The definition has limits of its own. It describes an object "constructed of one piece" whose outside fits over and covers the fingers and whose inside is gripped by the fist. Whether a multi-piece device, or a knife with a knuckle guard, meets that description is not answered by the definition's text. Switchblade knives are listed separately in 22-4514(a). For the District's knife rules in more detail, see our guide to District of Columbia knife laws.

Who may possess knuckles in D.C.

The proviso in 22-4514(a) allows knuckles to be possessed by:

• Members of the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marine Corps of the United States, the National Guard, or Organized Reserves, when on duty
• The Post Office Department or its employees, when on duty
• Marshals, sheriffs, prison or jail wardens, or their deputies
• Policemen or other duly appointed law enforcement officers, including any designated civilian employee of the Metropolitan Police Department
• Officers or employees of the United States duly authorized to carry such weapons
• Banking institutions
• Public carriers engaged in the business of transporting mail, money, securities or other valuables
• Wholesale and retail dealers licensed under D.C. Code 22-4510

The list contains no exception for collectors, for antiques, or for possession at home. The separate exceptions section, D.C. Code 22-4513, covers toy and antique pistols only.

Penalties

The penalty depends on the person's record.

D.C. Code 22-4515 supplies the base penalty for any violation of the chapter "for which no penalty is specifically provided": "a fine of not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01 or imprisonment for not more than 1 year, or both." Section 22-4514(c) applies that penalty except in the circumstances it lists; one of them, subsection (c)(3), raises the maximum to 10 years when the violation follows a D.C. conviction under 22-4514 or a felony conviction in the District or elsewhere.

The fine amounts come from the District's fine schedule. D.C. Code 22-3571.01 sets $2,500 for an offense punishable by imprisonment for one year or less but more than 180 days, $12,500 for one punishable by 5 years or less but more than one year, and $25,000 for an offense punishable by imprisonment for 10 years or less but more than 5 years.

Committing a crime of violence or a dangerous crime while armed with or having knuckles readily available adds a separate sentence under D.C. Code 22-4502(a), which names "metallic or other false knuckles." For most offenses that is up to 30 years on a first such conviction, and at least 5 and up to 30 years on a later one, on top of the sentence for the underlying crime.

Under D.C. Code 22-4517, metal knuckles that are unlawfully owned, possessed or carried are a nuisance. An officer who finds them during a lawful arrest or search must take them and surrender them to the Property Clerk of the Metropolitan Police Department.

The U.S. Capitol Grounds

The District's Capitol Grounds provisions define "dangerous weapon" to include "all articles enumerated in § 22-4514(a)" (D.C. Code 10-503.26(3)). Because knuckles are listed in 22-4514(a), they fall within that definition for the Capitol Grounds rules. D.C. Code 10-503.16(a)(1)(A) makes it unlawful, except as Capitol Police Board regulations allow, to carry or have readily accessible a dangerous weapon on the U.S. Capitol Grounds or in the Capitol Buildings, and 10-503.18(a) makes a violation a felony punishable by up to 5 years, a fine of up to $5,000, or both.

Minors

Section 22-4514(a) begins "No person shall" and sets no age threshold, so it applies to minors as well as adults.

Other self-defense tools in D.C.

Readers looking at knuckles for personal protection often compare other tools. The District's rules on sprays and stun devices are covered in our guide to District of Columbia pepper spray and stun gun laws, and the rules on when force may be used at all are in District of Columbia self-defense laws.

Related pages

• Brass knuckles laws by state
• District of Columbia knife laws
• District of Columbia pepper spray and stun gun laws
• District of Columbia self-defense laws

This article provides general legal information about District of Columbia law, not legal advice. Weapons laws change. For advice about a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in the District of Columbia or the Metropolitan Police Department.

Last updated: 2026-10-08.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are brass knuckles legal in Washington, D.C.?

No. D.C. Code 22-4514(a) prohibits any person from possessing knuckles within the District, with exceptions only for listed military, law enforcement, banking, carrier and licensed dealer classes.

Are plastic knuckles legal in D.C.?

No. D.C. Code 22-4501(3) defines knuckles as a one-piece object made of metal, wood, plastic or other similarly durable material that fits over the fingers and is gripped by the fist, so plastic sets meeting that shape are covered.

Can I keep brass knuckles at home in D.C.?

D.C. Code 22-4514(a) bans possession within the District and contains no exception for a home, so keeping knuckles at home falls within the ban.

What is the penalty for brass knuckles in D.C.?

A first violation is punishable by up to 1 year of imprisonment, a fine of up to the amount in D.C. Code 22-3571.01, or both under 22-4515. A person with a prior conviction under 22-4514 or any prior felony faces up to 10 years under 22-4514(c)(3). Carrying knuckles outside your home or business can also be charged under D.C. Code 22-4504(a), with up to 5 years.

Do I have to intend to use the knuckles as a weapon to be charged in D.C.?

No. The knuckles ban in D.C. Code 22-4514(a) has no intent element. The intent-to-use requirement appears only in subsection (b), which covers other weapons such as daggers, razors and knives with blades longer than 3 inches.