Can I carry an Auto Knife in WA?

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sirtirithon
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Can I carry an Auto Knife in WA?

Post by sirtirithon » Sat Oct 29, 2016 7:09 pm

So long story short I have always wanted a Benchmade Auto knife, but obviously could not own one because of our ridiculous WA state laws.

Well, back in August I joined Spokane County Fire District 3 as a Firefighter/EMR first responder. It occurred to me recently that there is an exemption in the RCW for Firefighters, LEO's, and Military. I have a Firefighter ID card in my wallet that proves this.

Here is where I think I'm good to go owning an automatic knife....


9.41 RCW
20 to read as follows:
21 (1) RCW 9.41.250 does not apply to:
22 (a) The possession or use of a spring blade knife by a general
23 authority law enforcement officer, firefighter or rescue member,
24 Washington state patrol officer, or military member, while the officer
25 or member:
26 (i) Is on official duty; or
27 (ii) Is transporting a spring blade knife to or from the place
28 where the knife is stored when the officer or member is not on official
29 duty; or
30 (iii) Is storing a spring blade knife;
31 (b) The manufacture, sale, transportation, transfer, distribution,
32 or possession of spring blade knives pursuant to contract with a
33 general authority law enforcement agency, fire or rescue agency,
34 Washington state patrol, or military service....

And then this section that makes me question if Id get in trouble is this:

(e) "Firefighter or rescue member" means any person who is serving
31 on a full-time, fully compensated basis as a member of a fire or rescue
32 agency to prevent, control, or extinguish fire or provide emergency
33 medical services or rescue actions for persons. No person who is
34 serving in a position that is basically clerical or secretarial in
35 nature shall be considered a firefighter or rescue member.
36 (f) "Military service" means the active, reserve, or national guard

I am a "Volunteer" Firefighter for District 3...but technically I am on duty 24/7 with my pager. Also, I am compensated financially for my time and training.

What do you guys think?
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Re: Can I carry an Auto Knife in WA?

Post by bladebum » Sat Oct 29, 2016 8:00 pm

(e) "Firefighter or rescue member" means any person who is serving on a full-time, fully compensated basis as a member of a fire or rescue agency to prevent, control, or extinguish fire or provide emergency medical services or rescue actions for persons. No person who is serving in a position that is basically clerical or secretarial in nature shall be considered a firefighter or rescue member.
Although I think that this WA law is total B S, I think you'll have a problem with the underlined part. Now, if you were in Idaho... different story. :)

Even if you did qualify, there is still major restrictions:
(i) Is on official duty; or
(ii) Is transporting a spring blade knife to or from the place where the knife is stored when the officer or member is not on official duty; or
(iii) Is storing a spring blade knife;
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Re: Can I carry an Auto Knife in WA?

Post by Coug91 » Sat Oct 29, 2016 8:58 pm

Go with an assisted opening knife. You'll be less likely to get hassled. I was in the public safety building to renew my CPL a couple years ago, kid at the eray conveyer spotted my Benchmade AO and turned it in to the deputy thinking it was an auto. Mil ID stopped deputy from citing me for the knife but he was going to confiscate it. LOng story short, I got my knife back a few days later and my incident was the reason the state law was changed. That knife has been with Dick Cheney on 9/11 ... in a secure, undisclosed location. :D :D :D
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Re: Can I carry an Auto Knife in WA?

Post by bladebum » Sat Oct 29, 2016 9:16 pm

Coug91 » Sat Oct 29, 2016 9:58 pm

Go with an assisted opening knife
Agree... A good spring assisted knife (very fast and WA State legal) kinda makes an auto knife a moot point in today's world. :)
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Re: Can I carry an Auto Knife in WA?

Post by sirtirithon » Sat Oct 29, 2016 9:21 pm

I own plenty of spring assist knives that work great. What a ridiculous exemption to write into the RCW and then essentially eliminate a MAJORITY of first responders. Us on call firefighters respond to the EXACT same emergencies as full time firefighters and could benefit from an auto knife in a only one hand free time sensitive situation, which is why I am assuming they wrote the law that way giving LEO/Firefighters a pass. I will probably just forget about it.
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Re: Can I carry an Auto Knife in WA?

Post by Roland the Headless » Sat Oct 29, 2016 9:22 pm

bladebum wrote:
Coug91 » Sat Oct 29, 2016 9:58 pm

Go with an assisted opening knife
Agree... A good spring assisted knife (very fast and WA State legal) kinda makes an auto knife a moot point in today's world. :)
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Re: Can I carry an Auto Knife in WA?

Post by Coug91 » Sun Oct 30, 2016 7:38 am

sirtirithon wrote:I own plenty of spring assist knives that work great. What a ridiculous exemption to write into the RCW and then essentially eliminate a MAJORITY of first responders. Us on call firefighters respond to the EXACT same emergencies as full time firefighters and could benefit from an auto knife in a only one hand free time sensitive situation, which is why I am assuming they wrote the law that way giving LEO/Firefighters a pass. I will probably just forget about it.
Absolutely agree the laws is "dumber than a box of rocks", but it is what it is. Rumor mill has it that an FBI agent was using an auto opener (Benchmade AFO, IIRC) to slice an apple at an "event" with a WSP trooper. The trooper confiscated the knife. So goes the story I was told. There very well may be more to that story, such as the agent was being a dick and the trooper decided to use his discretionary powers to enforce a stupid law. At that time the only exemption was for mil.
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Re: Can I carry an Auto Knife in WA?

Post by Torakan » Mon Oct 31, 2016 1:36 pm

It's always been my experience that common sense usually keeps you out of trouble. When I was active duty I carried a couple different autos, some issued, some not. But I carried those only in uniform. When I was off duty the auto went in the drawer and I carried one of my Spyderco or Buck folders. If you carried that BM auto when you were actually on a call out in your gear, I don't think any LEO would hassle you. But cruising the mall in your street clothes all bets are off. I knew a Major who got balled up by the Tacoma PD for carrying his issued BM AFO at the Tacoma Mall. He was playing with it while his wife was in JC Penny's.
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Re: Can I carry an Auto Knife in WA?

Post by Nathan1984 » Thu Dec 01, 2016 6:45 pm

Truth be told. It's a hassle for very little benefit. You have to get a letter from your agency to buy the damn thing, which takes a month of sundays. Then you can only carry it on duty. Most knife shops won't touch the thing, so hope you're up on doing your own sharpening. Speaking of knife shops not touching the things, finding a place to order it and convincing them they weren't gonna get arrested was quite a joy as well. Assisted opening knives work the same or better for one handed opening, with zero bureaucratic bull to wade through.

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Re: Can I carry an Auto Knife in WA?

Post by JasonH » Thu Dec 01, 2016 7:30 pm

bladebum wrote:
Coug91 » Sat Oct 29, 2016 9:58 pm

Go with an assisted opening knife
Agree... A good spring assisted knife (very fast and WA State legal) kinda makes an auto knife a moot point in today's world. :)


Both these gentlemen are giving good advice..

If it's sold at a commercial retailer here in Wa, its generally considered legal.
Although if you were the type to skirt the ragged edge of the law, I seriously doubt anyone would question you or your knife
There are many auto knives that are sold as assisted open, of you want to follow the letter of the law
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Re: Can I carry an Auto Knife in WA?

Post by Torakan » Fri Dec 02, 2016 8:46 am

As far as purchasing automatic knives, Blade HQ sells a large selection of quality name brand auto and I've never had a problem ordering and having them ship to WA state.
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