Legal Situation of Knife Throwing in Denmark

As of 2014, Knifethrowing is now legalized in Denmark and you can teach anyone down to 12 years of age.

For several years, EuroThrowers member Jean from the ChangHigh Circus in Denmark fought for his right to throw knives, and teach knife throwing in his circus. As a result of his lobbying, under certain conditions, teaching and throwing is now legal.


Required for private throwing

  • A personal weapon permission from your local police department. This permission is a one time permission. Kind of a throwing "driving" license for you only. With this weapon permission you yourself can throw at home.

Required for throwing in public, or teaching

  • A personal weapon permission (see above).
  • A personal booth permission. For this, you will need a logbook, a folder given to you from either the Danish firm "Force Technology" or "Institute of Technology". These 2 companies are given the mandate from the ministry of Justice to legalize your knife and axe booth. This legalization is a security permission describing the size, safety area and everything related to the construction itself of the booth, except the legal right to throw. The logbook, the folder is a legalization of your booth, stall or shop. It contains pages where your customers, market people, schools or anyone who books you can stamp. It also contains a full technical descriptions with drawings of your booth and all related text explaining how the action is handled. This logbook is obligatory! It must be renewed every year and there is an initial cost of about 450 Euros and the renewal cost is about 200 Euros.
  • A police permission within the area where you like to do your teaching or throwing. This one must be obtained every time you want go public and can not be denied unless the security in relation to the set up is not in accordance with the Booth Permission.

You should also get a one time teaching license from the ministry of Justice - a dispensation clarifying all legal matters, related to your work, your company or group of performers and artists, giving you the right to teach throwing to anyone from 12 years upwards. This dispensation is a kind of national security clearance, since now anyone can get permission to teach knife- and axe throwing. You may assume that the government doesn't give dispensation to people who previously in their life have had police or weapon issues.

Now, when you go out in public, like a market, festival, or flea marked, where you are booked to perform or earn money by teaching knife- and axe throwing, you still need to inform the local police in the area of your presence. And in case they show up to check you, you must have your 3 permissions (weapon, booth, police) and if the police finds anything further to say related to the booth or security or the like you must adjust yourself to such commands or they can cancel and close the booth.

To anyone trying to legalise knife throwing in their country, I would recommend:

Fight the tribulation, the trouble, the confusion with Light, Life & Love, using truth, wisdom and reason. Be prepared to be patient, avoid aggressiveness and use your cosmic consciousness with wit and intelligence.

The Jester Chango from ChangHigh Circus, Denmark