Is It Legal to Carry a Pocketknife in the Post Office?

My Postmaster said he didn't believe me when I told him I didn't bring a gun into the post office. I am not sure what he would say if I told him I didn't have my knife

Ahh.. You can't have a weapon in the Post Office. Now I know why postal workers act like they have no brains, they had to leave them at home before going into work.

As said before, it's a matter of common sense. I work security on a Federal contract and go, in uniform and armed, into several local post offices, usually greeting the post master by name.

Of course, I live in the rural South. Location counts for a LOT.

I've been carrying a pocket knife since the 3rd grade. Carried it at School, into Banks, Post Offices, Police Stations, and Court Buildings. In nearly 50 years nobody has ever asked me about my pocket knife, even when I've had to tray it at metal detectors. At most, I've been told that they'll hold it for me and I can pick it up when I leave. Frankly, I don't think you have anything to worry about as long as it's a small one.

BTW, my current pocket knife has a blade length of 1.7 inches. Not very imposing, however I do keep it sharp enough to shave with. So, in a crunch it could serve pretty well as a weapon.

My pocket knife is a tool. If I'm forced to use it as a weapon, I'm in big trouble.

Just after 9/11, I went onto Tinker AFB to pick up a load. Security was high, as you might guess. When asked about "weapons", I told the MP that I had a hunting knife in my tool box. He said he wasn't asking about tools, so that was good enough for me.

The post office sign says guns are banned except for "official use". As far as I am concerned, licensed CCW is "Official use".

No, I will not be a test case, but if I am on your jury, you won't be convicted if all you were doing was carrying in a PO with a CCW license.

As far as a pocket knife, if I have my pants on, I have my knife with me.

Who's gonna protect me from some postal employee "Going Postal"

DG

GatorFarmer said:

The section of 18 USC quoted at the post office on the signs refers mainly to carry of a weapon with unlawful intent. It's unclear if it would even apply to a permit holder carrying a pistol, let alone a pocket knife.

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Didn't they write a new law within the last year or so making it clearly illegal to carry in the PO, doing away with the whole "unlawful intent" gray area?

I was a contractor to the USPS and I carried my Gerber Multitool and my Gerber LST everwhere I went. I used one or another of them almost every day and worked with ET10s, maintenance supervisors and managers. No one ever said anything to me at all. Of course, most of them have some sense. I've caught a few sleepers. One looked like he was going to give me some attitude but I threatened him with the OIG and he took right off.

Russ

Since 1967 I've carried a Swiss Army knife while in the Army, in CONUS and RVN, and while in the civil service for 20 years on Fort Bliss. Had to use it occasionally for this and that; never had any trouble. The only time I've had to turn it over was going into the County Court House downtown; I had to give it up.

I don't carry a gun into the PO. I think the law is fairly clear on it, at least to me. But in Arizona, a knife is not a weapon until you use it as a weapon (thats where the unlawful intent would come in). I am never without at least a stockman, except on a plane or in a courthouse.

RufusG said:

Didn't they write a new law within the last year or so making it clearly illegal to carry in the PO, doing away with the whole "unlawful intent" gray area?

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Possible. But was it a change to the USC or to the CFR?

See, CFRs aren't exactly laws, not when they conflict with an actual law...

South Carolina's LE Division - the people that issue permits, last I checked, said you were fine so long as you didn't go behind the counter.

Shrug.

Under Federal Law anything over 2.5" is verboten as a deadly weapon, though of course pre 9/11 you could fly with a great many common knives on your person since the palm test was the usual one with pre Federalized airport security.

Violation of the CFR, unless the penalties have changed, is a 50 dollar fine and possibly 30 days in prison. Violation of the USC ... eh, it's a year max. You'll theoretically do more time downloading movies or recording an NFL game without the express written consent of the NFL.

Various lawyers opine differently, as do various post masters. Try not to shoot anyone while you're actually at the post office. If you have to, well then you had to, and worrying about the US Attorney for your area being underworked enough to prosecute is the least of concerns.

Seperating the postal facilities from other Federal facilities is that one doesn't give a theoretical consent to a search while on the premises.

It also falls under the "not an enforcement priority" schtick currently, unless someone is making themselves a problem.

So in summary - if someone really doesn't like taking chances or is just plain too pretty for prison, then don't carry anything vaguely pointy sharp or menacing into the post office, let alone a gun. For everyone else, they can run their own cost benefit analysis and decide what they want to do.

If you're caught, try either bolting out the door or else crying a lot and pretending to be really stupid. Judges get annoyed by people that they think ought have known better, but tend to just take things as "well of course he did, he's apparently an idiot, oh well..." Like most things, fleeing the scene helps since if you're not caught red handed on postal property with what is a gun, it is whoever's word against yours as to how you had your favorite airsoft pistol with you in order to mail it to grandma and someone saw it and paniced. Your lawyer can help explain why you got scared and ran and why you later had a real firearm.

AZretired said:

I don't carry a gun into the PO. I think the law is fairly clear on it, at least to me. But in Arizona, a knife is not a weapon until you use it as a weapon (thats where the unlawful intent would come in). I am never without at least a stockman, except on a plane or in a courthouse.

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But do you carry TO the post office? Having a gun in your car while on postal property carries the same penalty.