Are Brass Knuckles Legal in Texas? (2026 Law After HB 446)

Brass knuckles are no longer a prohibited weapon under Texas state law. House Bill 446, effective September 1, 2019, removed "knuckles" from the prohibited-weapons list in Texas Penal Code 46.05 and repealed the knuckles definition, so owning, buying, selling and carrying them is not an offense under that section. The word "club" still appears in the rules for schools, courts, bars and other restricted places (46.03) and for transfers to children (46.06), and whether a set of knuckles counts as a club there is an open question. 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 Texas state law: Penal Code Chapter 46 (46.01 definitions, 46.02 unlawful carrying, 46.03 places weapons prohibited, 46.04 felon possession, 46.05 prohibited weapons, 46.06 transfers to minors, 46.10 deadly weapon in penal institution, 46.11 school-zone enhancement), House Bill 446 (2019), Penal Code 1.07(a)(17), 1.08 and 38.11, the punishment ranges in 12.21 and 12.34, Education Code 37.006, 37.007 and 37.015, Code of Criminal Procedure articles 18.18 and 18.19, Local Government Code 229.001 and 236.002, and Finance Code 371.179, 371.303 and 371.305. It does not cover city or county ordinances, school district codes of conduct, private property rules, federal law or federal property, or the law of other states.

What changed in 2019: House Bill 446

Until September 1, 2019, Texas listed knuckles among its prohibited weapons. House Bill 446 (Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 216) struck them out. The enrolled bill shows the deletions in brackets:

"SECTION 2. Sections 46.05(a) and (e), Penal Code ... (2) [knuckles; [(3)] armor-piercing ammunition; ... [An offense under Subsection (a)(2) is a Class A misdemeanor.] ... SECTION 4. Sections 46.01(8) and 46.15(c), Penal Code, are repealed. SECTION 5. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. ... SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019." Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 216 (H.B. 446)

Four things follow from the bill:

• Knuckles left the prohibited-weapons list. Before the bill, knuckles were item (2) of 46.05(a), and that offense was a Class A misdemeanor. Both the item and the misdemeanor sentence were deleted.
• The definition is gone. Section 46.01(8), which defined knuckles, was repealed. The current 46.01 prints "(8) Repealed by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 216 (H.B. 446), Sec. 4, eff. September 1, 2019."
• Clubs left the general carrying statute. Section 1 of the bill struck "or club" from 46.02(a)(1). The bill did not remove "club" from 46.03 or 46.06.
• The change is not retroactive. Under Section 5 of the bill, the new law applies only to offenses committed on or after September 1, 2019.

Texas prohibited weapons list today

The current text of Penal Code 46.05 contains no reference to knuckles:

"(a) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally or knowingly possesses, manufactures, transports, repairs, or sells: (1) any of the following items, unless the item is registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record ... (A) an explosive weapon; or (B) a machine gun; (2) armor-piercing ammunition; (3) a chemical dispensing device; (4) a zip gun; (5) a tire deflation device; or (6) an improvised explosive device. ... (e) Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, an offense under this section is a felony of the third degree. An offense under Subsection (a)(5) is a state jail felony." Tex. Penal Code 46.05(a), (e)

The list was amended again in 2025 (Acts 2025, 89th Leg., Ch. 845, S.B. 1596, which removed short-barrel firearms). That bill did not restore knuckles. No section of Penal Code Chapter 46 now names knuckles.

Owning, buying, selling and carrying knuckles

Because 46.05 no longer lists knuckles, possessing, making, transporting, repairing or selling them is not an offense under that section. The unlawful-carrying statute does not reach them either. Penal Code 46.02 now covers handguns and, for people under 18, location-restricted knives:

"(a) A person commits an offense if the person: (1) intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly carries on or about his or her person a handgun; (2) at the time of the offense: (A) is younger than 21 years of age; or (B) has been convicted of an offense under Section 22.01(a)(1), 22.05, 22.07, or 42.01(a)(7) or (8) committed in the five-year period preceding ... (a-4) A person commits an offense if the person: (1) intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly carries on or about his or her person a location-restricted knife; (2) is younger than 18 years of age at the time of the offense ..." Tex. Penal Code 46.02(a), (a-4)

Nothing in 46.02 mentions knuckles or clubs, so carrying knuckles concealed, openly, or in a car is not an offense under 46.02. That is a statement about 46.02 only. The place restrictions in 46.03 still apply, and the deadly weapon definition discussed below can matter in other offenses.

The open question: are knuckles a "club"?

Two Texas statutes that still matter for knuckles use the word "club": 46.03 (places weapons prohibited) and 46.06(a)(2) (transfers to children). Chapter 46 defines a club this way:

"(1) "Club" means an instrument that is specially designed, made, or adapted for the purpose of inflicting serious bodily injury or death by striking a person with the instrument, and includes but is not limited to the following: (A) blackjack; (B) nightstick; (C) mace; (D) tomahawk." Tex. Penal Code 46.01(1)

Knuckles are not on that list, and the list "includes but is not limited to" the items it names. A set of knuckles is used to strike, so the words of the definition could be read to reach it. House Bill 446 removed clubs from the general carrying offense in 46.02 but left the word "club" in 46.03 and 46.06. The statute text does not settle it, and no Texas court decision or attorney general opinion on the point is discussed here. Until a court decides it, the question remains open for the places and transactions that 46.03 and 46.06 cover.

Places where weapons are prohibited (46.03)

Section 46.03 makes it an offense to bring a club, among other weapons, into a long list of places:

"(a) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly possesses or goes with a firearm, location-restricted knife, club, or prohibited weapon listed in Section 46.05(a): (1) on the premises of a school or postsecondary educational institution ... unless: (A) pursuant to written regulations or written authorization of the school or institution ..." Tex. Penal Code 46.03(a)

The places listed in 46.03(a) include:

• the premises of a public or private school or postsecondary educational institution (a college or university), any grounds or building the school or institution owns and controls where an activity it sponsors is being conducted, and its passenger transportation vehicles, unless the school or institution authorizes the weapon in writing
• polling places
• courts
• racetracks
• secured areas of airports
• within 1,000 feet of a place of execution designated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, on a day a death sentence is set to be imposed there, if the person received the notice the statute requires
• bars and other businesses covered by the 51 percent alcohol-sales rule
• sporting events
• correctional and civil commitment facilities
• hospitals and nursing facilities, and mental hospitals
• amusement parks
• open meetings of governmental entities

In 46.03, "premises" means a building or a portion of a building. It does not include a public or private driveway, street, sidewalk or walkway, parking lot, parking garage, or other parking area (46.03(c)(4)).

Knuckles are not named in 46.03. If a court treated a particular set as a club, carrying it into one of these places would fall under the statute. The penalty is set by 46.03(g) through (g-2):

"(g) Except as provided by Subsections (g-1) and (g-2), an offense under this section is a felony of the third degree. ... (g-2) An offense committed under Subsection (a)(8), (a)(10), (a)(11), (a)(13), (a-2), (a-3), or (a-4) is a Class A misdemeanor." Tex. Penal Code 46.03(g), (g-2)

The school-zone enhancement (46.11)

Penal Code 46.11 raises the punishment for a Chapter 46 offense by one category when it is committed in a place the actor knew was within 300 feet of a school, or where an official school function or a University Interscholastic League event is taking place. Section 46.11(b) says it "does not apply to an offense under Section 46.03(a)(1)," the school-premises offense. Because no Chapter 46 offense names knuckles, the enhancement would matter for knuckles only if they were treated as a club under another part of 46.03 or under 46.06.

Selling or giving knuckles to minors (46.06)

Section 46.06(a)(2) covers transfers to children:

"(a) A person commits an offense if the person: ... (2) intentionally or knowingly sells, rents, leases, or gives or offers to sell, rent, lease, or give to any child younger than 18 years of age any firearm, club, or location-restricted knife; ... (c) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under Subsection (a)(2) that the transfer was to a minor whose parent or the person having legal custody of the minor had given written permission for the sale or, if the transfer was other than a sale, the parent or person having legal custody had given effective consent. (d) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor, except that: (1) an offense under Subsection (a)(2) is a state jail felony if the weapon that is the subject of the offense is a handgun" Tex. Penal Code 46.06(a)(2), (c), (d)

Knuckles are not named, so the same club question applies. No Texas statute in Chapter 46 sets a minimum age for owning knuckles, and 46.02's under-18 rule covers location-restricted knives, not knuckles.

Knuckle knives

A knuckle-guard knife is treated as a knife. Chapter 46 defines the terms this way:

"(6) "Location-restricted knife" means a knife with a blade over five and one-half inches. (7) "Knife" means any bladed hand instrument that is capable of inflicting serious bodily injury or death by cutting or stabbing a person with the instrument." Tex. Penal Code 46.01(6), (7)

A knuckle knife with a blade over five and one-half inches is a location-restricted knife. That matters three ways: 46.02(a-4) bars people under 18 from carrying one, 46.03 bars it from the places listed above, and 46.06(a)(2) bars selling or giving one to a child under 18. Taking a location-restricted knife into a 46.03 place is a Class C misdemeanor, except under 46.03(a)(1) (schools and postsecondary institutions), where it is a third-degree felony (46.03(g-1)). The under-18 carrying offense in 46.02(a-4) is a Class C misdemeanor (46.02(d)) and does not apply on the minor's own premises or premises under the minor's control, inside or directly en route to a motor vehicle or watercraft the minor owns or controls, or under the direct supervision of a parent or legal guardian. Knives are also covered by the local preemption statutes discussed below. For the full knife rules, see our guide to Texas knife laws.

Felons and brass knuckles

Texas's felon-in-possession statute is limited to firearms:

"(a) A person who has been convicted of a felony commits an offense if he possesses a firearm: (1) after conviction and before the fifth anniversary of the person's release from confinement following conviction of the felony or the person's release from supervision under community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision, whichever date is later; or (2) after the period described by Subdivision (1), at any location other than the premises at which the person lives." Tex. Penal Code 46.04(a)

Section 46.04 does not reach knuckles.

Jails, prisons and the deadly weapon definition

Correctional facilities are covered two ways. Section 46.03 lists correctional and civil commitment facilities among the places a club may not be taken. Separately, Penal Code 38.11(d)(2) makes it an offense if a person "possesses a deadly weapon while in a correctional facility or civil commitment facility." That offense is a third-degree felony under 38.11(g), and 38.11(e) gives an affirmative defense to a peace officer, or to a facility officer or employee authorized to possess the weapon while on duty or traveling to or from the place of assignment. A person who, while confined in a penal institution, carries or possesses a deadly weapon there commits a separate third-degree felony under Penal Code 46.10. Both offenses use the general definition of deadly weapon rather than a list:

"(17) "Deadly weapon" means: (A) a firearm or anything manifestly designed, made, or adapted for the purpose of inflicting death or serious bodily injury; or (B) anything that in the manner of its use or intended use is capable of causing death or serious bodily injury." Tex. Penal Code 1.07(a)(17)

The definition does not name knuckles. Whether a particular set is a deadly weapon depends on the facts, including how it was designed and how it was used or meant to be used. The same definition matters in any other offense that turns on use or exhibition of a deadly weapon.

Schools: discipline and reporting

Texas's mandatory-expulsion rule in Education Code 37.007(a)(1) is tied to specific Penal Code offenses:

"(a) Except as provided by Subsection (k) and subject to the requirements of Section 37.009(a), a student shall be expelled from a school if the student, on or off of school property: (1) engages in conduct that contains the elements of the offense of unlawfully carrying weapons under Section 46.02, Penal Code, or elements of an offense relating to prohibited weapons under Section 46.05, Penal Code;" Tex. Educ. Code 37.007(a)(1)

Since 2019, neither 46.02 nor 46.05 covers knuckles, so that clause does not make knuckles a mandatory-expulsion trigger. Section 46.03 is not listed in 37.007(a), so the school-premises club offense is not a mandatory-expulsion trigger under that clause either.

Placement in a disciplinary alternative education program is a separate rule. Education Code 37.006(a)(2)(A) requires it, except as 37.007(a) provides, when a student engages in conduct punishable as a felony on or within 300 feet of school property or while attending a school-sponsored or school-related activity. If knuckles were treated as a club, a 46.03(a)(1) school offense, a third-degree felony, would be conduct of that kind. School district codes of conduct are outside this page.

The Education Code's reporting provision, 37.015(a)(5), still refers to "the possession of any of the weapons or devices listed under Sections 46.01(1)-(14) or Section 46.01(16), Penal Code." That range includes the club definition in 46.01(1) and the now-repealed knuckles subdivision (8).

Seized knuckles

Texas Code of Criminal Procedure article 18.19(a) governs weapons seized in connection with an offense involving the use of a weapon or a Chapter 46 offense:

"(a) Weapons seized in connection with an offense involving the use of a weapon or an offense under Penal Code Chapter 46 shall be held by the law enforcement agency making the seizure, subject to the following provisions, unless: (1) the weapon is a prohibited weapon identified in Penal Code Chapter 46, in which event Article 18.18 of this code applies" Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 18.19(a)

Article 18.18, which provides for destruction or forfeiture, applies to a "prohibited weapon" as the Penal Code defines it. Since 2019 that category no longer includes knuckles, so knuckles seized in connection with such an offense fall under the general rules of article 18.19 rather than the prohibited-weapon procedure.

City and county rules

Texas limits how far cities and counties can regulate weapons, but the limit is written item by item. Local Government Code 229.001(a) provides that a municipality may not adopt or enforce regulations that:

"(1) relate to: (A) the transfer, possession, wearing, carrying, ownership, storage, transportation, licensing, or registration of firearms, air guns, archery equipment, knives, ammunition, or firearm or air gun supplies or accessories; (B) commerce in firearms, air guns, archery equipment, knives, ammunition, or firearm or air gun supplies or accessories ..." Tex. Loc. Gov't Code 229.001(a)(1)

Counties are subject to the same list in Local Government Code 236.002(a). Neither section names knuckles or clubs, so neither expressly bars a city or county from regulating knuckles.

Separately, Penal Code 1.08 provides that no governmental subdivision or agency "may enact or enforce a law that makes any conduct covered by this code an offense subject to a criminal penalty." The section does not say whether conduct the Penal Code no longer prohibits, such as possessing knuckles, is still "covered by this code." Check your city or county code before carrying knuckles in public, and call your local police department's non-emergency line if a rule is unclear.

Pawn shops

At least one Texas statute outside the Penal Code still names knuckles. Finance Code 371.179 restricts what a pawnbroker may display where it can be seen from the street:

"A pawnbroker may not display for sale in a storefront window or sidewalk display case or depict on a sign or advertisement in such a way that the item, sign, or advertisement may be viewed from a street: (1) a pistol; (2) a dirk; (3) a dagger; (4) a blackjack; (5) a hand chain; (6) a sword cane; (7) knuckles made of metal or any other hard substance; or (8) a switchblade, springblade, or throwblade knife" Tex. Fin. Code 371.179

The section restricts street-visible display and advertising by pawnbrokers. It does not bar a pawnshop from selling knuckles, and HB 446 did not change it. A violation of the chapter can bring an administrative penalty of up to $1,000 (Finance Code 371.303), and a licensed pawnbroker who wilfully violates the chapter commits a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 (371.305).

Penalties

Under Penal Code 12.21, a Class A misdemeanor is punishable by "a fine not to exceed $4,000," "confinement in jail for a term not to exceed one year," or both. Under 12.34, a third-degree felony carries imprisonment of "not more than 10 years or less than 2 years" and may also carry "a fine not to exceed $10,000."

Self-defense and other options in Texas

Readers comparing knuckles with other self-defense tools can find the rules for sprays and stun devices in our guide to Texas pepper spray and stun gun laws. When the law allows force at all is covered in Texas self-defense laws.

Related pages

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

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

Last updated: 2026-10-08.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are brass knuckles legal in Texas?

Possessing, buying, selling and carrying knuckles is no longer an offense under Penal Code 46.05, because House Bill 446 removed knuckles from that list effective September 1, 2019. The club language in 46.03 (restricted places) and 46.06(a)(2) (transfers to children under 18) remains, and whether knuckles count as a club there is unresolved.

When did Texas legalize brass knuckles?

House Bill 446 (Acts 2019, 86th Leg., Ch. 216) took effect September 1, 2019. It removed knuckles from 46.05, repealed the knuckles definition in 46.01(8), and applies only to offenses committed on or after that date.

Can I carry brass knuckles in my pocket or car in Texas?

The unlawful-carrying statute, 46.02, covers handguns and, for people under 18, location-restricted knives, so it does not reach knuckles carried concealed, openly or in a vehicle. Carrying them into a place listed in 46.03 raises the open club question.

Can I bring brass knuckles to a school or college in Texas?

Section 46.03(a)(1) makes it an offense to possess or go with a club on the premises of a school or postsecondary educational institution, on school-owned grounds or buildings where a school-sponsored activity is being conducted, or in a school passenger transportation vehicle, unless the school authorizes it in writing; a 46.03 offense is a third-degree felony except as 46.03(g-1) and (g-2) provide. Whether knuckles are a club under 46.01(1) is unresolved.

Can a minor buy brass knuckles in Texas?

Section 46.06(a)(2) bars selling or giving a firearm, club or location-restricted knife to a child under 18, a Class A misdemeanor, with an affirmative defense for written parental permission (or effective consent for a non-sale transfer). Knuckles are not named, and whether they are a club is unresolved.

Can a felon own brass knuckles in Texas?

The Texas felon-in-possession statute, Penal Code 46.04, applies to firearms only, so it does not reach knuckles. The place restrictions in 46.03 apply to everyone.

Are knuckle knives legal in Texas?

A knuckle knife is a knife under 46.01(7). If its blade is over five and one-half inches, it is a location-restricted knife under 46.01(6), which 46.02(a-4) bars people under 18 from carrying and 46.03 bars from listed places. The 46.03 offense for such a knife is a Class C misdemeanor, except at a school or postsecondary institution under 46.03(a)(1), where it is a third-degree felony.

Can my city ban brass knuckles in Texas?

Local Government Code 229.001 (cities) and 236.002 (counties) bar local rules on firearms, air guns, archery equipment, knives and ammunition, but they do not name knuckles or clubs. Penal Code 1.08 separately bars local criminal penalties for conduct covered by the Penal Code. Check your city or county code for any local rule.