Yes, you can mail a knife in the U.S. through USPS. Kitchen knives, folding pocket knives, hunting knives and multi-tools are all mailable when they are packed so the blade cannot cut through the box. The exception is switchblades and other automatic knives: under federal law (18 U.S.C. 1716(g)) USPS carries them only to government and military procurement officers and to dealers filling their orders.
The rules come from USPS Publication 52, Section 44, which covers knives and sharp instruments. It has three parts that matter to most people: what counts as a switchblade, who may receive one, and how every sharp item must be packed. Private carriers such as UPS follow their own terms of service, and state and local knife laws apply on top of both.
Can You Mail a Knife Through USPS?
You can mail a knife through USPS as long as it is not a switchblade and it is packed to Publication 52 standards. USPS defines sharp instruments as “sharp-pointed or sharp-edged implements, such as knives, tools, ice picks, razor blades,” and treats them as mailable when properly packaged. Ordinary knives need no special form, permit or label.
Knives that are mailable through USPS include:
- Chef’s, paring, bread, carving and other kitchen knives
- Manual folding pocket knives and lockback knives
- Fixed-blade hunting, fishing and outdoor knives in a sheath
- Utility knives, box cutters, razor blades and multi-tools
- Collectible and display knives, including swords and daggers that are not automatic
Publication 52 does not set a blade-length limit for ordinary knives. Blade-length rules you may have seen (“under 4 inches”) come from state or city carry laws, not from USPS mailing rules. When you are unsure whether a specific knife is mailable, Publication 52 lets you ask your local postmaster for a ruling.
Which Knives Can’t You Mail?
Switchblade knives are the main type you can’t mail. Publication 52 Section 441.2 defines a switchblade as a knife whose blade “opens automatically by hand pressure applied to a button or other device on the handle,” or by inertia, gravity or both. That covers automatic (OTF and side-opening) knives, gravity knives and other knives that open without manual force on the blade.
Under 18 U.S.C. 1716(g) and Publication 52 Section 442, a switchblade may be mailed only to:
- Civilian or Armed Forces supply or procurement officers and employees of the federal government buying for the government
- Supply or procurement officers of the National Guard, Air National Guard or a state militia
- Supply or procurement officers or employees of a state or local government buying for that government
- Manufacturers and bona fide dealers shipping to fill an order from one of the groups above
USPS may require the mailer to show that the recipient belongs to one of these groups, and a mailpiece containing a switchblade may carry no outside marking that reveals its contents. Unlike the Federal Switchblade Act, the postal statute has no exception for individuals, such as the one-armed-person exception older guides mention, so a private buyer cannot receive an automatic knife by mail.
Spring-assisted knives are treated differently. The Federal Switchblade Act (15 U.S.C. 1244) excludes knives with a spring or detent that biases the blade toward closing and that you open by pushing on the blade. Because you open them by hand rather than with a button, they generally fall outside the USPS switchblade definition. If the mechanism is ambiguous, ask your postmaster before you ship.
How Should You Package a Knife for Mailing?
Publication 52 Section 443 requires that knives and other sharp instruments be “securely packaged in a strong container,” with enough cushioning that points and edges cannot cut through the outer packaging. USPS recommends an inner and an outer container. A knife that slices through a box can injure a postal worker and turn the package into a nonmailable item.
- Cover the edge. Put the knife in its sheath, or fold a piece of cardboard over the blade and tape it closed. Close and lock folding knives.
- Wrap the whole knife. Wrap it in two layers of bubble wrap or foam so the handle and blade can’t shift inside the sheath.
- Use an inner box. Place the wrapped knife in a small rigid box or knife case and fill the empty space.
- Use a corrugated outer box. Center the inner box in a sturdy outer box with cushioning on all sides. Padded envelopes are a poor choice for knives because a point can work through them.
- Keep the outside plain. Don’t write “knife” or a brand name on the box. For switchblades sent to authorized recipients, outside marking is prohibited.
The rest of the process is the same as any other parcel: weigh the box, measure it and buy a label, as explained in our step-by-step guide to shipping a package at the best rates.
Can You Ship a Knife With UPS?
UPS is a private carrier, so the federal mail statute on switchblades does not govern it. The Federal Switchblade Act also exempts common and contract carriers that move knives in the ordinary course of business. UPS still applies its own terms of service, which exclude items that are illegal to ship or receive, and the shipper remains responsible for state and local law at both ends.
For ordinary kitchen, pocket and hunting knives, use the same packing method as for USPS: sheath, wrap, inner box, outer box. For automatic knives, check with UPS and confirm the destination’s law before you ship, because several states and cities restrict who may own or receive them.
If you’re shipping knives regularly, for example as a maker or reseller, ParcelPath gives up to 89% off USPS and up to 85% off UPS labels, with no subscription, no per-label fee and free USPS pickups. You can compare both carriers for your box in the ParcelPath rate calculator.
Can You Mail a Knife Internationally?
Sometimes. The USPS International Mail Manual (Section 137) says some knives and sharp instruments may be mailed to certain countries, under the conditions in each country’s Individual Country Listing. Many countries prohibit specific blade types, such as automatic, gravity, butterfly or concealed knives, or require import permits.
Check the destination’s country listing before you ship, and describe the knife accurately on the customs form. Undeclared or misdescribed knives are a common reason parcels are seized at the border. Our guide to shipping internationally explains customs forms and service choices.
Knives are one of many items people are surprised to learn they can mail. Another is produce: yes, you can mail a potato with the postage stuck right on it, no box needed. Knives, however, always need a box.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you mail a knife through the Post Office?
Yes. You can mail a knife through the Post Office if it is not a switchblade or other automatic knife. Kitchen, pocket, hunting and utility knives are mailable when the edge is sheathed or covered and the knife is packed in a strong box with enough cushioning that it can’t cut through, as USPS Publication 52 Section 443 requires.
Can you mail a switchblade knife?
Only to a narrow group of recipients. Under 18 U.S.C. 1716(g), USPS carries switchblades and other automatic knives only to federal, military, National Guard and state or local government procurement officers, and to manufacturers or dealers filling their orders. A private individual can’t receive an automatic knife through the mail.
Can you mail a pocket knife in an envelope?
It’s not a good idea. USPS requires that sharp items be packed so their points and edges can’t cut through the packaging during handling, and a padded envelope rarely meets that standard. Close and lock the pocket knife, wrap it, and ship it in a small rigid box instead.
Do you have to tell USPS you are mailing a knife?
No. For ordinary mailable knives there is no declaration, label or form for domestic mail. You also shouldn’t mark the box with its contents. For switchblades, USPS may ask you to show the recipient is an authorized procurement officer or dealer, and the outside of the package may not show what’s inside.
Sources
- USPS Publication 52, Section 441: Knives and sharp instruments, definitions
- USPS Publication 52, Section 442: Mailability of switchblade knives
- USPS Publication 52, Section 443: Packaging and marking
- USPS International Mail Manual, Section 137: Firearms, knives and sharp instruments
- 18 U.S.C. 1716(g), Injurious articles as nonmailable (switchblade knives)
- 15 U.S.C. 1241–1245, Federal Switchblade Act (exceptions in 1244)
Part of our How to Ship Firearms guide. Related: How to Ship a Gun Safe, How to Ship to an FFL, How to Ship an Airsoft Gun.
