TOTALNUNCHAKU.COM Nunchaku Laws







This page is dedicated to the education of the Nunchaku-Stylist on the different laws regarding the Use and Possesion of the Nunchaku.
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We would perfer documented facts as opposed to "I hear that..." information, so if possible include links and references to your e-mail.
We will post all information as soon as it becomes avaialble.
None of the information pertains to FOAM NUNCHAKU which are univerally considered a toy
Also, carrying NUNCHAKU on your person in public, having NUNCHAKU in your car, or concealed in any manner is almost univerally considered ILLEGAL
The Following discussion is about those States and Countries where the simple POSSESSION of NUNCHAKU - EVEN IN YOUR HOME - is ILLEGAL

The following is the text of the CA Penal Code law covering Nunchaku.

CALIFORNIA CODES
PENAL CODE
SECTION 12020-12040

12020. (a) Any person in this state who does any of the following is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year or in the state prison:
(1) Manufactures or causes to be manufactured, imports into the state, keeps for sale, or offers or exposes for sale, or who gives, lends, or possesses any cane gun or wallet gun, any undetectable firearm, any firearm which is not immediately recognizable as a firearm, any camouflaging firearm container, any ammunition which contains or consists of any flechette dart, any bullet containing or carrying an explosive agent, any ballistic knife, any multiburst trigger activator, any nunchaku, any short-barreled shotgun, any short-barreled rifle, any metal knuckles, any belt buckle knife, any leaded cane, any zip gun, any shuriken, any unconventional pistol, any lipstick case knife, any cane sword, any shobi-zue, any air gauge knife, any writing pen knife, any metal military practice handgrenade or metal replica handgrenade, or any instrument or weapon of the kind commonly known as a blackjack, slungshot, billy, sandclub, sap, or sandbag.

(b) Subdivision (a) does not apply to any of the following:
(3) The possession of a nunchaku on the premises of a school which holds a regulatory or business license and teaches the arts of self-defense.
(4) The manufacture of a nunchaku for sale to, or the sale of a nunchaku to, a school which holds a regulatory or business license and teaches the arts of self-defense.

ARIZONA

Reversed their nunchaku laws in May of 2019 making nunchaku possesion legal.

 



NEW YORK

Reversed their NUNCHAKU LAWS in 2019 thanks to the efforts of Jim Maloney.  Sensei Chris Pellitteri testified as an expert witness in the nunchaku in this case.



Massachussetts

Nunchaku are illegal in the state of Massachussetts with similar laws as those to California



CANADA

Nunchaku are illegal in CANADA
Prohibited weapons are defined in Section 84(1).
(b) nunchaku or similar objects made up of hard, non-flexible sticks linked by a flexible length of chain. This includes objects where the sticks are replaced by, for example, pipes or other rigid pieces, and where the chain is replaced by rope, wire or other flexible material;



UNITED KINGDOM

Possesion of Nunchaku are legal but limited in the UNITED KINGDOM
Until 2000, BRUCE LEE movies had the NUNCHAKU scenes deleted or the action blurred.
With the lifting of this ban, nunchaku laws have become more lax



FRANCE

Possesion of Nunchaku are legal but limited in FRANCE




AUSTRALIA

Here are the Australian laws concerning the Nunchaku

Prohibited Weapons Regulations 1997 No 12
made under the Prohibited Weapons Act 1996
11 Possession and use of nunchaku, nunchaku baton or similar article
(1) The registrar shall not issue a permit to possess a nunchaku to a martial arts club except in the circumstances specified in subregulation (3).
(2) A person is authorised to possess and use a nunchaku in the circumstances specified in subregulation (4).
(3) For subregulation (1), the circumstances are-
(a) the club is an approved martial arts club; and
(b) the club employs a full-time or part-time qualified instructor.
(4) For subregulation (2), the circumstances are that the person-
(a) is a member of a relevant approved martial arts club who has possession of the nunchaku-
(i) to take part in instruction by, or instruction supervised by, a qualified instructor in the use of a nunchaku or in a competition or demonstration in the use of a nunchaku; or
(ii) to transport the nunchaku to or from such a competition or demonstration; or
(b) is a qualified instructor who has a nunchaku in his or her possession for the purposes of-
(i) providing instruction in its use to, or supervising the instruction in its use of, members of the relevant approved martial arts club; or
(ii) taking part in a competition or demonstration in the use of a nunchaku; or
(iii) transporting the nunchaku to or from a competition or demonstration in the use of a nunchaku.
(5) A permit authorising the possession of a nunchaku by an approved martial arts club is subject to the following conditions:
(a) the club shall not possess more nunchakus than the number specified for that purpose in the permit;
(b) the nunchaku shall not be removed from the club premises except to be transported to and from a competition or demonstration in the use of nunchakus.
(6) In this regulation:
approved martial arts club means a martial arts club approved by the registrar.
nunchaku includes a nunchaku baton or similar article.
qualified instructor means a person who holds a black belt or equivalent in a martial art where the qualification is-
(a) accredited by the Australian Coaching Council (a program of the Australian Sports Commission) through the National Coaching Accreditation Scheme; and
(b) evidenced in writing issued by the council.
relevant approved martial arts club, in relation to a nunchaku, means an approved martial arts club that-
(a) has a permit to possess the nunchaku; and
(b) owns or leases the nunchaku.



GERMANY

Possesion of Nunchaku is illegal in Germany and has been since 1971



BELGUM and NETHERLANDS

Possesion of Nunchaku is illegal BEGLUM and the NETHERLANDS



LINKS
New York Nunchaku
Article on Arizona Law

The NUNCHAKU CASE
The Legality of Nunchaku in Canada
Prohibited Weapons Act of 1997 - Australia
Juggling with a Twist Nunchaku Law Page
Bruce Lee Review Censorship Page
Pro-Nunchaku (in German)