Are Brass Knuckles Legal in South Dakota? (2026 Law)

South Dakota has no law that names brass knuckles, and no statute bans an adult from owning, buying, selling or carrying them. They are reached only when they qualify as a "dangerous weapon" under SDCL 22-1-2(10), which makes them a crime to conceal with intent to commit a felony (SDCL 22-14-8) and to possess at public K-12 schools, county courthouses, the state capitol, prisons and jails.

For 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 South Dakota Codified Laws: the definitions in 22-1-2, the weapons chapter 22-14, the school weapons statute 13-32-7 and its discipline rule 13-32-4, the inmate contraband statutes 24-2-14, 24-2-22 and 24-11-47, the penalty classes in 22-6-1 and 22-6-2, and the related sections cited below. It does not cover city or county ordinances, tribal law, South Dakota court decisions, federal law or federal property, building security policies, or the law of other states.

Does South Dakota law mention brass knuckles?

No. The Codified Laws do not use the terms brass knuckles, metal knuckles or knuckles in any weapons provision. The material they are made of (brass, steel, aluminum or plastic) therefore makes no legal difference in South Dakota: every rule that can reach them works through the general definition of a dangerous weapon.

That definition governs Title 22, the criminal code:

"Dangerous weapon" or "deadly weapon," any firearm, stun gun, knife, or device, instrument, material, or substance, whether animate or inanimate, which is calculated or designed to inflict death or serious bodily harm, or by the manner in which it is used is likely to inflict death or serious bodily harm; SDCL 22-1-2(10)

The definition is written by function, not by list. An item counts if it is "calculated or designed" to inflict death or serious bodily harm, or if the way it is used is likely to do so. No South Dakota statute says whether knuckles that are merely carried, and not used, meet the "designed" half of that test, so a person carrying them in a place where dangerous weapons are banned risks having them treated as one.

Is it legal to own, buy or sell brass knuckles in South Dakota?

Nothing in the weapons chapter, SDCL 22-14, prohibits it for adults. The only weapons the chapter bans outright are "controlled weapons," and that term is narrow:

"Controlled weapon" includes a machine gun and short shotgun, but does not include a firearm silencer; SDCL 22-1-2(8)

Knowingly possessing a controlled weapon is a Class 6 felony (SDCL 22-14-6). Knuckles are not a machine gun or a short shotgun, so that ban does not apply to them, and no other section of chapter 22-14 restricts owning, buying, selling or making non-firearm weapons.

Carrying brass knuckles concealed or openly

Chapter 22-14 has no offense for simply carrying knuckles, whether openly or hidden. Its concealment statute requires a criminal purpose:

Any person who conceals on or about his or her person a controlled or dangerous weapon with intent to commit a felony is guilty of a Class 5 felony. SDCL 22-14-8

The offense needs both concealment and intent to commit a felony. A Class 5 felony carries up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 (SDCL 22-6-1). Carrying, open or concealed, still matters in the places listed below, where the bans apply however the weapon is carried.

Brass knuckles in a car

Chapter 22-14 contains no rule about keeping knuckles in a private vehicle, so the intent-based concealment offense in 22-14-8 is the only general carry rule that could apply on the road. The exception is school transport: the school statute covers any "vehicle" that is part of public elementary or secondary school premises or is used or leased for public school functions (SDCL 13-32-7).

Places where brass knuckles are restricted

Four kinds of places ban dangerous weapons in South Dakota. None names knuckles; each reaches them through the 22-1-2(10) definition.

Public K-12 schools. It is a Class 1 misdemeanor to intentionally carry, possess, store, keep, leave or place "any dangerous weapon, firearm, or air gun" on or in "any public elementary or secondary school premises, vehicle, or building, or on or in any premises, vehicle, or building used or leased for public elementary or secondary school functions," "whether or not any person is endangered" (SDCL 13-32-7). The section lists ten exceptions, including law enforcement officers, nonpublic schools, and churches or other houses of worship. A Class 1 misdemeanor carries up to one year in county jail, a $2,000 fine, or both (SDCL 22-6-2).

School boards may also suspend or expel students who break school rules. The mandatory minimum expulsion in SDCL 13-32-4 is limited to firearms: "If a student has intentionally brought a firearm onto school premises, the expulsion may not be for less than twelve months."

County courthouses and the state capitol. Except as provided in 22-14-24, any person who "knowingly possesses or causes to be present any firearm or other dangerous weapon, in any county courthouse or in the state capitol, or attempts to do so, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor" (SDCL 22-14-23). Holding a permit to carry a concealed pistol is not a defense (SDCL 22-14-27).

The exceptions in SDCL 22-14-24 include "the lawful carrying of a firearm or other dangerous weapon in a county courthouse incident to a hunter safety or a gun safety course or for any other lawful purposes." A county commission may also, "by a majority of the members-elect," waive the courthouse rule for its county courthouse (SDCL 22-14-28), so whether the ban applies can differ from county to county. The posted notice at a courthouse entrance is the practical guide.

State prisons. An inmate of a state correctional facility who possesses "a dangerous weapon as defined by 22-1-2," unless directly issued by the Department of Corrections, commits a Class 2 felony (SDCL 24-2-14(4)). Delivering a dangerous weapon to a state inmate, possessing one with intent to deliver it, or leaving or hiding one in or around a facility used to house inmates (or in a vehicle entering its grounds) so that an inmate will get it is also a Class 2 felony (SDCL 24-2-22(4)). A Class 2 felony carries up to 25 years in prison, and a fine of up to $50,000 may be added (SDCL 22-6-1).

County and city jails. No "weapons as defined in subdivision 22-1-2(10)" may be possessed by any inmate of a jail, and possession is a Class 2 felony (SDCL 24-11-47(3)).

Brass knuckles and minors

Chapter 22-14 contains no age-based rule that bars selling knuckles or other non-firearm weapons to minors or bars minors from having them. The school statute applies to everyone, students included, so a young person who brings knuckles onto public school property can face the Class 1 misdemeanor in 13-32-7 as well as school discipline under 13-32-4.

Felons and prohibited persons

South Dakota's prohibited-person statutes are about firearms. A person convicted of a crime of violence or certain drug felonies "may not possess or have control of a firearm," a Class 6 felony (SDCL 22-14-15; see also 22-14-15.1). They do not bar possession of knuckles or other weapons.

In a domestic abuse case, though, a court "may require the defendant to surrender any dangerous weapon or any concealed pistol permit issued under 23-7 in the defendant's possession to local law enforcement" (SDCL 25-10-24). That order can reach knuckles if the court treats them as a dangerous weapon.

Using brass knuckles in a crime

Using knuckles to hurt someone can turn an assault into a felony. Aggravated assault includes an attempt to cause, or knowingly causing, "bodily injury to another with a dangerous weapon," and an attempt "by physical menace with a deadly weapon or a physical object realistically simulating a deadly weapon to put another in fear of imminent serious bodily harm" (SDCL 22-18-1.1(2), (4)). Aggravated assault is a Class 3 felony. Here the "manner in which it is used" half of the 22-1-2(10) definition is the relevant one.

When the use of force is lawful at all is a separate question, covered in our guide to South Dakota self-defense laws.

Can South Dakota cities ban brass knuckles?

South Dakota's municipal preemption statute is limited to firearms. It provides that "No municipality may pass an ordinance that restricts or prohibits, or imposes any licensure requirement or licensure fee on the possession, storage, transportation, purchase, sale, transfer, ownership, manufacture, or repair of firearms or ammunition or their components" (SDCL 9-19-20; a parallel rule for counties is in 7-18A-36). Knuckles are not firearms, so that statute does not stop a city from regulating them. State law also expressly lets a city prohibit carrying any dangerous weapon, as defined in 22-1-2, inside a building or facility where an event is occurring, if metal detectors screen for weapons and armed security is posted at each public entrance (SDCL 9-14-45). Check your city or county code, or call your local police department's non-emergency line, before carrying knuckles in a new place.

Many of the same dangerous-weapon rules apply to blades; see our guide to South Dakota knife laws.

South Dakota penalties at a glance

Related pages

• Brass knuckles laws by state
• South Dakota knife laws
• South Dakota self-defense laws
• South Dakota pepper spray and stun gun laws
• North Dakota brass knuckles laws
• Nebraska brass knuckles laws

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

Last updated: 2026-10-08.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are brass knuckles legal in South Dakota?

No South Dakota statute names brass knuckles or bans adults from owning, selling or carrying them. They can still be treated as a "dangerous weapon" under SDCL 22-1-2(10), which is restricted at public K-12 schools, county courthouses, the state capitol, prisons and jails.

Can you carry brass knuckles concealed in South Dakota?

The only concealment offense in South Dakota's weapons chapter that can reach knuckles is intent-based: concealing a controlled or dangerous weapon on or about the person with intent to commit a felony is a Class 5 felony (SDCL 22-14-8). Place bans at schools, courthouses, the capitol, prisons and jails apply whether the knuckles are hidden or not.

Can I keep brass knuckles in my car in South Dakota?

The weapons chapter, SDCL 22-14, contains no rule on keeping knuckles in a private vehicle. A vehicle that is part of public school premises or used for public elementary or secondary school functions is covered by the school rule in SDCL 13-32-7, a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Can a minor buy or carry brass knuckles in South Dakota?

Chapter 22-14 contains no age-based rule on selling knuckles to minors or minors possessing them. Students and adults alike are covered by the school-premises ban on dangerous weapons in SDCL 13-32-7.

Can a felon own brass knuckles in South Dakota?

South Dakota's felon-in-possession statutes, SDCL 22-14-15 and 22-14-15.1, bar possession of firearms, not other weapons. Using knuckles to injure someone can still support aggravated assault, a Class 3 felony under SDCL 22-18-1.1.

What is the penalty for brass knuckles at a South Dakota school?

Intentionally possessing a dangerous weapon on public elementary or secondary school premises is a Class 1 misdemeanor under SDCL 13-32-7, punishable by up to one year in county jail, a $2,000 fine, or both (SDCL 22-6-2).