Congress·Reported·S. 246

Congress Targets State-by-State Knife Laws by Protecting Locked-Up Knife Transport Across State Lines

Interstate Transport Act of 2025

4 months ago·View on Congress.gov

⏸

Stalled

No legislative action in over 90 days.

Legislative Progress

Senate

House

President

Law

Key Points

Creates a federal rule letting law-abiding people travel across state lines with knives for legal purposes, even if some local laws are stricter.
To be protected, the knife generally must be locked up and not easy to reach: in a car, out of the passenger area or in a locked container (not the glove box or console).
Covers normal travel disruptions like overnight hotel stays, wrong routing by a carrier, or stops for gas, food, repairs, emergencies, or medical care.
Says police generally cannot arrest someone who is following these transport rules, unless there’s probable cause the person is not complying.
If someone wins a court case using these protections, courts must award legal costs and attorney’s fees, and in criminal cases the arrest/charge record must be expunged.

Criminal JusticeConsumer ProtectionTransportation

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

How this policy affects specific groups of people

Positive Impacts(4)

Farmer Rancher

Helps

Gig Worker

Helps

Child Tax Credit

Helps

Criminal Record

Helps

State Impacts

District of ColumbiaDC

Mixed

The bill’s definition of “State” explicitly includes the District of Columbia, so DC’s local knife restrictions could not be used to arrest a compliant traveler who is just transporting a knife through DC with it locked up and not accessible. DC agencies and courts could face added work and possible attorney-fee payouts in cases where travelers win and seek fees/expungement.

Puerto RicoPR

Mixed

Puerto Rico is explicitly included, so the same interstate transport protections would apply when traveling to/from Puerto Rico where the trip involves transport “over land or on or through water” with the knife in a locked container (and not in airplane cabins under TSA rules). Local enforcement could see fewer arrests of compliant travelers and possible attorney-fee/expungement obligations when travelers win in court.

GuamGU

Mixed

Guam is explicitly included. Travelers moving knives between places where possession is legal would get the federal transport protection if the knife is locked up as required (and not carried into airplane cabins under TSA rules). Guam agencies may need to adjust enforcement and could face fee awards/expungement orders when a traveler wins a case.

American SamoaAS

Mixed

American Samoa is explicitly included. The bill would limit local arrests of compliant travelers transporting knives in locked containers during qualifying travel, while keeping TSA airplane-cabin rules unchanged. Local courts could see motions for attorney’s fees and expungement if a traveler wins under the new protections.

Northern Mariana IslandsMP

Mixed

The Northern Mariana Islands are explicitly included. Compliant travelers would gain a federal shield against local knife-transport arrests during qualifying travel, with specific storage rules and an exception for airplane cabins under TSA rules. Local agencies and courts could have added compliance determinations and possible fee/expungement obligations when travelers prevail.

Virgin IslandsVI

Mixed

The U.S. Virgin Islands are explicitly included. Travelers would be protected from local knife-transport arrests if they follow the locked-container rules during qualifying travel (but TSA cabin rules still apply on flights). If a traveler wins in court using the protection, courts must order expungement and award costs and reasonable attorney’s fees.

Milestones

4 milestones5 actions

Nov 18, 2025Senate

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 268.

Nov 18, 2025Senate

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz without amendment. With written report No. 119-96.

Feb 5, 2025Senate

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

Jan 24, 2025Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Jan 24, 2025

Introduced in Senate

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

On the date the law takes effect (the bill text does not list a delayed start)

If Congress passes the bill and it becomes law, the new travel protections apply right away.

People traveling across state lines with a knife could use the locked-container rules immediately, including during stops and overnight lodging, and could raise the law as a defense if stopped or charged.

Within weeks to a few months after the law takes effect

Police departments and prosecutors in stricter-law areas update guidance for stops, searches, and arrests involving travelers with knives.

Fewer arrests for travelers who have knives locked up correctly; more focus on whether the knife was accessible and whether the person was actually traveling between lawful places.

First few months after the law takes effect, as cases are filed and resolved

Courts begin seeing cases where people ask for attorney’s fees and expungement after winning under the new protections.

If you win, you can get reimbursed for reasonable legal costs and have the arrest/case cleared from official records for that charge, which can help with jobs and housing background checks.