Arms / A4
Pepper spray or pocket knife
The person wants to carry pepper spray, or a folding knife with a 9 cm locking blade, in public for self-defence.
What we score
Is carrying either for self-defence lawful? Score the more permissive of the two.
Default assumptions: Unless a vignette says otherwise, the person is a 30-year-old citizen of sound mind with no criminal record, acting alone, on their own behalf and not for profit, in an ordinary residential area. Where subnational units (states, provinces, cantons, Länder) make their own law, each unit is scored and the result is weighted by population. 'The state' includes police, prosecutors, courts, regulators, tax authorities and anyone acting on their orders, including platforms obeying takedown orders.
Score anchors
Both the law score and the practice score use these anchors. Half points are used when a country sits between two of them.
| Score | What it means for this vignette |
|---|---|
| 10 | Both lawful with no conditions. |
| 8 | Lawful with minor limits (size, places). |
| 6 | Lawful only with a permit or for a stated non-defence reason. |
| 3 | Prohibited; administrative fine. |
| 2 | Prohibited; crime, under 1 year. |
| 1 | Prohibited; 1 to 5 years. |
| 0 | Prohibited; over 5 years. |
Evidence used: Weapons act provisions on irritant sprays and knives; 'good reason' requirements; enforcement data on knife and spray carry.
How each country scores
| Country | Law | Practice | Process | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | 9 | 9 | 0 | 9.0 | Pepper (OC) spray is not a weapon: the Weapons Ordinance treats only sprays with CA, CS, CN or CR as weapons (Art. 1, Annex 2). A locking folding knife without a one-hand spring or automatic mechanism is not a weapon either (WaffV Art. 7). Both may be carried freely, subject only to the ban on carrying dangerous objects where use is not plausibly justified and misuse seems likely (Weapons Act Art. 28a). |
| United States | 8 | 8 | 0 | 8.0 | Pepper spray is legal for adults to carry in all 50 states, with size or seller limits in some: NY limits it to 0.75 oz sold only by gun dealers or pharmacists, and MA sales go only through licensed dealers. A 9 cm folding knife is lawful under most state laws, though some cities set blade limits (Chicago 2.5 in). Carrying either is lawful with minor limits. |
| Czechia | 8 | 8 | 0 | 8.0 | Knives other than firearms are not regulated by Czech weapons law, and pepper spray is legal for adults without a permit. Restrictions apply at assemblies (Act 84/1990 § 7(3) bars items that can injure), courts, airports and some events. The Interior Ministry has recommended sprays for self-defence. |
| Germany | 7 | 8 | 0 | 7.6 | Pepper spray labelled for animal defence is not a 'weapon' under the WaffG and can be bought and carried by adults. Lower Saxony's guidance says it is allowed even on public transport under the 2024 knife and weapon ban. Sprays marketed for use against people are weapons. A 9 cm one-hand-opening locking knife may not be carried without a 'legitimate interest' (§ 42a WaffG), and self-defence does not count, so the knife option is worse: an administrative fine of up to €10,000. |
| Mexico | 6 | 7 | −0.5 | 6.1 | Pepper spray is not banned by federal statute and is openly sold (Amazon, Mercado Libre, shops). SEDENA, however, takes the position that civilian carry is not permitted, and state rules vary. A knife is riskier: Federal Penal Code art. 160 and state equivalents punish carrying instruments usable for attack 'sin un fin lícito' with 1-6 years, and police use 'portación de arma prohibida' at stops. Score is for spray, the more permissive option. |
| Netherlands | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2.0 | Pepper spray is a category II weapon (art. 2 Wwm, cat. II 6°), and possessing one is a crime carrying up to 9 months or more. A single-edged 9 cm lock knife is not category I, but carried for self-defence it becomes a category IV weapon (items intended to injure people, cat. IV 7°). Carrying it is banned by art. 27 and punishable under art. 54 by a third-category fine, the more lenient regime. Police typically settle such cases with an OM penalty order (strafbeschikking) fine. |
| Denmark | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2.0 | Pepper spray needs a police permit, which is given only to people with a particular, documented need for protection (e.g. stalking victims) (BEK 2531/2021 § 18 a). Without one, the penalty under våbenloven § 10 is a fine or up to 4 months (2 years if aggravated). A 9 cm locking knife may not be carried in public unless for work, hunting, fishing, sport or a similar recognised purpose, and self-defence does not count (knivloven § 1). Breach is a fine or up to 4 months, aggravated up to 2 years (§ 7). First offences normally end in a criminal fine. |
| Singapore | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1.6 | Pepper spray is a 'noxious substance' under GEWCA. Possessing it without a licence is punished under s34 with up to 24 months plus a fine of up to S$20,000, and licences go only to entities with operational needs. A knife carried in public for self-defence falls under CESOWA s6, which carries up to 3 years plus caning, because self-defence is not a listed 'lawful purpose' and the carrier must prove a lawful purpose. Knife carriers are routinely charged, and reported sentences run to months of jail. |
| United Kingdom | 1 | 2 | −0.5 | 1.1 | Pepper spray is a prohibited weapon (Firearms Act 1968 s5(1)(b); NI Art 45), with possession punishable by up to 10 years. A 9 cm locking folding knife is not a 'folding pocketknife' and is a bladed article under Criminal Justice Act 1988 s139, with a 4-year maximum; self-defence is not a 'good reason'. Scotland's 1995 Act s49 is equivalent. In 2025, 31% of knife and offensive-weapon disposals in E&W were immediate custody (average 8 months), and the rest were mostly community orders, suspended sentences or cautions. Stop-and-search adds process cost. |
| New Zealand | 1 | 2 | −0.5 | 1.1 | Pepper (OC) spray is a restricted weapon under the Arms Act, which Police say cannot be possessed; unauthorised possession of a restricted weapon carries up to 7 years (Arms Act 2026 s21(6)). A knife in a public place without reasonable excuse carries up to 3 months or a $2,000 fine (Summary Offences Act s13A), or up to 3 years under Crimes Act s202A(4)(a). Police may search on reasonable grounds to suspect a weapon offence, and knives are seized even when only a warning is given. |
| Ireland | 1 | 2 | −0.5 | 1.1 | Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990 s9(1) makes it an offence to have any knife or bladed article in a public place, with no folding-pocketknife exemption; the defences are 'good reason', work or recreation, and self-defence is not a good reason. The maximum is 5 years on indictment (12 months summarily). Pepper spray is a 'prohibited weapon' and therefore a 'firearm' under Firearms Act 1925 s1, so carrying it without a certificate is an s2 offence (up to 5-7 years). Gardaí routinely search for and charge knife possession; typical District Court outcomes are fines, probation or short sentences. No national outcome data were found. |