Well, depending on where you live, right? In Canada, there's no law against carrying a weapon as long as it is:

a) not on the list of controlled, restricted or prohibited weapons;

b) not concealled, and

c) not being carried in an intimidating manner.

Being a student of western martial arts, I also own a number of perfectly functional swords and other such weapons, including a poll-ax, and have sauntered past the police with them strapped to my hip, and engendred nothing more than a cheery wave on more than one occasion. Oftentimes they'll stop to ask questions, but that's because swords are cool, not because I'm doing anything wrong with it.

For yet another example, Australia is reacting to a sharp upswing in assualts using swords and knives by talking about a ban on edged weapons; this has of course produced an outcry from legitimate users, and so they're considering a licensing program for hunters, martial artists, and the like. I very much doubt that will happen - I figure they'll end up with either a blanket ban or none at all - but it's been suggested.

But mostly, I'd've thunk that in the $$ driven world of Shadowrun, anything that the gov't could slap a lisence (and user fee) onto, they would.