Are Brass Knuckles Legal in Maryland? (2026 Law)

Owning brass knuckles is not made a crime by Maryland's dangerous weapons statute, but carrying them is restricted. Maryland Criminal Law § 4-101 lists "metal knuckles" in its definition of "weapon," bars carrying "a dangerous weapon of any kind concealed on or about the person," and bars carrying one openly with intent to injure someone unlawfully; a violation is a misdemeanor with up to 3 years in prison, a $1,000 fine, or both. To compare other states, 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 the Annotated Code of Maryland: the dangerous weapons statute in Criminal Law § 4-101, the public school property statute in § 4-102, the switchblade and shooting knife sales ban in § 4-105, the firearm preemption statute in § 4-209, the firearm consequences of a conviction in Public Safety §§ 5-101, 5-133, 5-134 and 5-205, and the place-of-confinement weapon and contraband offenses in Criminal Law §§ 9-410, 9-412 and 9-414. It does not cover county or municipal codes, courthouse or State building rules, federal law or federal property, or the law of other states.

What Maryland law says about brass knuckles

Maryland's rule sits in Criminal Law § 4-101, its general dangerous weapons statute. Subsection (a) supplies the definition used throughout the section:

"(5)(i) "Weapon" includes a dirk knife, bowie knife, switchblade knife, star knife, sandclub, metal knuckles, razor, and nunchaku. (ii) "Weapon" does not include: 1. a handgun; or 2. a penknife without a switchblade." Md. Code, Crim. Law § 4-101(a)(5)

Subsection (c) then sets the carry rules:

"(c)(1) A person may not wear or carry a dangerous weapon of any kind concealed on or about the person. (2) A person may not wear or carry a dangerous weapon, chemical mace, pepper mace, or a tear gas device openly with the intent or purpose of injuring an individual in an unlawful manner." Md. Code, Crim. Law § 4-101(c)(1)-(2)

The definition uses the word "weapon," while the carry rules in (c) use the phrase "dangerous weapon." The exceptions in subsection (b), discussed below, speak of carrying "a weapon." The statute's text does not separately spell out how the two phrases relate. Maryland's highest court addressed the listed items in MacKall v. State, 283 Md. 100 (1978), construing the predecessor of § 4-101 (Article 27, § 36). The Court of Appeals (now the Supreme Court of Maryland) wrote that "The following articles are dangerous and deadly weapons per se," listing dirk, bowie and switchblade knives, sandclubs, metal knuckles, razors and nunchakus.

Owning, buying and selling knuckles

Section 4-101 is written in terms of wearing and carrying. It does not make owning, buying, selling or manufacturing knuckles an offense.

Maryland does have a sales ban for certain weapons, but it does not list knuckles. Criminal Law § 4-105(a) provides that a person may not "sell, barter, display, or offer to sell or barter" a switchblade knife or switchblade penknife, or "a device that is designed to propel a knife from a metal sheath by means of a high-compression ejector spring, commonly called a shooting knife." The knife rules are covered in our guide to Maryland knife laws.

Concealed carry, open carry and keeping knuckles in a car

Concealed carry is the core restriction. Section 4-101(c)(1) bars wearing or carrying a dangerous weapon of any kind "concealed on or about the person." The statute uses the words "on or about the person"; this article does not draw a conclusion about how they apply to knuckles kept in a vehicle.

Open carry is treated differently. Section 4-101(c)(2) reaches a dangerous weapon carried openly only when it is carried "with the intent or purpose of injuring an individual in an unlawful manner."

Exceptions, including handgun permit holders and self-defense

Section 4-101(b) lists who the section does not prohibit from carrying a weapon:

"(b) This section does not prohibit the following individuals from carrying a weapon: (1) an officer of the State, or of any county or municipal corporation of the State, who is entitled or required to carry the weapon as part of the officer's official equipment, ... (2) a special agent of a railroad; (3) a holder of a permit to carry a handgun issued under Title 5, Subtitle 3 of the Public Safety Article; or (4) an individual who carries the weapon as a reasonable precaution against apprehended danger, subject to the right of the court in an action arising under this section to judge the reasonableness of the carrying of the weapon, and the proper occasion for carrying it, under the evidence in the case." Md. Code, Crim. Law § 4-101(b)

Two points follow from the text. First, the (b)(4) exception is not a safe harbor a person can claim in advance: the court judges "the reasonableness of the carrying of the weapon, and the proper occasion for carrying it, under the evidence in the case." Second, the (b)(3) exception is stated in those words only; a reader who holds a handgun permit and wants to rely on it for knuckles should get advice from a Maryland lawyer rather than assume how a court would read it.

Section 4-101(b) contains no exception for collectors, antiques or theatrical use.

Penalty for brass knuckles in Maryland

The penalty is set in § 4-101 itself:

"(d)(1) A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 3 years or a fine not exceeding $1,000 or both. (2) For a person convicted under subsection (c)(1) or (2) of this section, if it appears from the evidence that the weapon was carried, concealed or openly, with the deliberate purpose of injuring or killing another, the court shall impose the highest sentence of imprisonment prescribed." Md. Code, Crim. Law § 4-101(d)

Plastic and other non-metal knuckles

Section 4-101(a)(5) says "metal knuckles" and does not define the term. Its text does not address knuckles made of plastic, polymer or other composite materials.

Minors and the nighttime rule

Section 4-101 has a rule for minors in 12 counties:

"(3)(i) This paragraph applies in Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Caroline County, Cecil County, Harford County, Kent County, Montgomery County, Prince George's County, St. Mary's County, Talbot County, Washington County, and Worcester County. (ii) A minor may not carry a dangerous weapon between 1 hour after sunset and 1 hour before sunrise, whether concealed or not, except while: 1. on a bona fide hunting trip; or 2. engaged in or on the way to or returning from a bona fide trap shoot, sport shooting event, or any organized civic or military activity." Md. Code, Crim. Law § 4-101(c)(3)

In those counties the nighttime rule reaches open carry by a minor as well as concealed carry. Minors everywhere in Maryland are also subject to (c)(1) and (c)(2), which apply to any person. Section 4-101 contains no rule on selling knuckles to minors.

Public schools

Maryland's school weapons statute does not name knuckles. Criminal Law § 4-102 provides:

"(b) A person may not carry or possess a firearm, knife, or deadly weapon of any kind on public school property. (c)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, a person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 3 years or a fine not exceeding $1,000 or both." Md. Code, Crim. Law § 4-102(b)-(c)(1)

The section covers possession as well as carrying, and its words are "public school property." Section 4-102 does not list knuckles by name. MacKall, which construed the general weapons statute rather than § 4-102, called metal knuckles a dangerous and deadly weapon per se, so a person should not assume knuckles fall outside § 4-102.

Section 4-102(a) exempts a law enforcement officer in the regular course of duty; an off-duty or retired law enforcement officer who is a parent, guardian or visitor of a student at the school, if the officer displays a badge or credential, the weapon is concealed and the officer is authorized to carry a concealed handgun in Maryland; a person hired by a county board of education to guard public school property; a person engaged in organized shooting activity for educational purposes; and a person who, with a written invitation from the school principal, displays or engages in a historical demonstration using a weapon or replica for educational purposes.

Prior convictions and firearm rules

A § 4-101 conviction carries a statutory maximum of 3 years, so it is a "disqualifying crime" under Public Safety § 5-101(g)(3), which covers "a violation classified as a misdemeanor in the State that carries a statutory penalty of more than 2 years." A person convicted of a disqualifying crime may not possess a regulated firearm (§ 5-133(b)(1), subject to § 5-133.3) or a rifle or shotgun (§ 5-205(b)(1)). A dealer or other person also "may not sell, rent, loan, or transfer a regulated firearm" to a person the dealer knows or has reasonable cause to believe has been convicted of a disqualifying crime (§ 5-134(b)(2)).

Jails, prisons and other places of confinement

Criminal Law § 9-414 makes it a felony, punishable by up to 10 years, a $5,000 fine, or both, to deliver a weapon to a person detained or confined in a place of confinement, to possess a weapon intending to deliver it to such a person, or to deposit or conceal a weapon in or about a place of confinement to effect an escape; it also bars a confined person from knowingly possessing or receiving a weapon. For these sections, "Weapon" means "a gun, knife, club, explosive, or other article that can be used to kill or inflict bodily injury" (§ 9-410(h)).

Separately, § 9-412 makes it a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 3 years, a $1,000 fine, or both, to deliver contraband to a confined person, to possess contraband intending to deliver it, or to knowingly possess contraband in a place of confinement. Contraband is any item not authorized by the managing official or brought into the correctional facility in a prohibited manner (§ 9-410).

Local rules

Maryland's preemption statute is limited to firearms. Criminal Law § 4-209(a) preempts the right of a county, municipal corporation or special taxing district to regulate "the purchase, sale, taxation, transfer, manufacture, repair, ownership, possession, and transportation of: (1) a handgun, rifle, or shotgun; and (2) ammunition for and components of a handgun, rifle, or shotgun." It does not name knuckles or other weapons. Check your county or city code, or call your local police department's non-emergency line, about any local rule.

Self-defense under Maryland law

Readers weighing knuckles often compare other options. The rules for sprays and stun devices are in our guide to Maryland pepper spray and stun gun laws, and the rules on when force may be used at all are in Maryland self-defense laws.

Related pages

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

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

Last updated: 2026-10-08.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are brass knuckles legal in Maryland?

Maryland Criminal Law § 4-101 lists metal knuckles as a "weapon" and makes it a misdemeanor to carry a dangerous weapon concealed, or openly with intent to injure someone unlawfully, punishable by up to 3 years, a $1,000 fine, or both. Section 4-101 does not make owning or buying knuckles an offense.

Can I carry brass knuckles concealed in Maryland?

Section 4-101(c)(1) provides that a person "may not wear or carry a dangerous weapon of any kind concealed on or about the person," subject to the exceptions in § 4-101(b). A violation carries up to 3 years, a $1,000 fine, or both.

Can I carry brass knuckles openly in Maryland?

Section 4-101(c)(2) bars carrying a dangerous weapon openly "with the intent or purpose of injuring an individual in an unlawful manner." Its text reaches open carry only when that intent is present.

Can I buy or sell brass knuckles in Maryland?

Section 4-101 does not make buying or selling knuckles an offense; it regulates wearing and carrying. Maryland's sales ban in Criminal Law § 4-105 covers switchblade and shooting knives and does not list knuckles.

Does a Maryland carry permit cover brass knuckles?

Section 4-101(b)(3) provides that the section does not prohibit "a holder of a permit to carry a handgun issued under Title 5, Subtitle 3 of the Public Safety Article" from carrying a weapon. A reader relying on that exception for knuckles should get advice from a Maryland lawyer.

Can I carry brass knuckles for self-defense in Maryland?

Section 4-101(b)(4) excepts a person who carries a weapon "as a reasonable precaution against apprehended danger," but the court decides whether the carrying was reasonable and the occasion proper on the evidence in the case. It is not an automatic defense.

Are plastic brass knuckles legal in Maryland?

Section 4-101(a)(5) names "metal knuckles" and does not define the term, so its text does not address plastic or composite knuckles.

What happens if you bring brass knuckles to school in Maryland?

Criminal Law § 4-102 bars carrying or possessing "a firearm, knife, or deadly weapon of any kind on public school property," a misdemeanor with up to 3 years, a $1,000 fine, or both. The section does not list knuckles by name, but Maryland's highest court has called metal knuckles a dangerous and deadly weapon per se (MacKall v. State, 283 Md. 100 (1978)).