Don't know about other States but Colorado law allows you to carry a loaded handgun in your vehicle for personal defense.

I know if you conceal carry and are pulled over you have to immediately show your permit to the officer along with your DL and insurance.

How would you deal with the situation if you had a loaded handgun but don't conceal carry and where is the gun allowed to be...hidden or in plain sight?

Have watched numerous videos where the officer went batcrazy because the citizen wasn't sure what to do.

Please don't suggest that I have the gun in my hand when the officer approaches my vehicle.

Here in Indiana we do not have to tell the police that we have a firearm on our person or vehicle. It is a class A misdemeanor to be caught with a pistol. There is a $250 Bond and all one has to do is carry a credit card and one can bond out immediately. As long as one doesn't dress like a thug or hang out on street corners at 3 o'clock in the morning there is very little chance of getting caught. Plus it's not a very serious crime to get worked up over should one get nabbed.

Here in Colorado you may carry your firearm loaded in the vehicle, on your person concealed. As soon as you step out of the vehicle it must be partially exposed so that someone can see that it is a firearm or you must have a concealed carry permit. There is no duty to tell an officer that you have a firearm unless asked. i hope this helps.

I've read the statutes on the Colorado state website. I also looked on the CHP website, and I've never seen a requirement to declare possession unless asked. I've decided not to declare when pulled over on two occasions, feeling that might complicate things unnecessarily.
I do find that when I am traveling with a weapon I tend to stay below the speed limit to avoid the complication of a ticket and having that question arise.
There are a number of articles out and here is one source, Concealednation.org:
"Colorado – No Known Duty To Inform

A concealed carry pistol or revolver is not considered concealed while you are inside a vehicle. The Colorado State Patrol outlines a good brief of the various classifications and distinctions here. (Link to webpage)

Colorado has their CHP statutes listed here (link)– all linking to LexisNexis databases of the current law for your purview. We haven’t found anything specifically requiring concealed carriers (CHP, resident & reciprocity) to inform law enforcement or others as long as he or she is not in violation of any codes or statutes."

In Oklahoma, loaded or concealed handgun vehicle carry requires a handgun license, and notification of LEO at first contact is required. All states licenses are good.

Open unloaded transport of any firearm is OK without license.

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Science plus Art

It varies widely state to state.

The obvious answer is to get a concealed carry permit even if all you are going to do is carry it in your car.

Some states require that you tell the police if stopped. Some do not. If you have the permit and are required to announce then have your DL, CWL, Insurance and registration in your hands and both on the steering wheel with the interior light on if at night when the cop approaches. Hand the officer all four when asked and then put your hands back on the wheel. Let the officer direct what he/she wants you to do from there.

If you don't have the CWL/CCL I probably wouldn't carry in my car but that is just me.

There's the answer.

Here in SC, we are required to show our carry permit any time an officer asks for ID, whether we are carrying or not; but, we are allowed to have a handgun in the glove box or a console with a door whether we have a permit or not. If you have a permit, the officer will ask if you are armed and if so where the gun is. If you don't have a permit, the odds are good the subject won't come up, but if it does it will usually be when he asks for registration and insurance info. Many folks carry that paperwork in the glove box along with the gun, and in that case the proper etiquette is to say, "I have those things in the glove box, officer, but I also have a handgun in there." He will then tell you to retrieve the paperwork, but to please leave the gun in place -- and he'll watch you like a hawk as you comply.

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Pisgah

Different from state to state.

In PA it's a no no. You can legally open carry without a permit but once in your car the gun is considered concealed and you better not get caught with it loaded and without a permit

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That is the beauty of the CWL/CCL and reciprocity.

You still have to follow the laws of the state you are traveling through but just having the licence will generally allow you to have a weapon loaded and in your car anywhere you travel assuming you don't go to a state that touches the Pacific Ocean except AK, don't go to a couple or three states in the upper Midwest and avoid the DC to Boston corridor.

Everywhere else is pretty darned good at accepting other states permits.

Exactly. Carrying any loaded handgun in a vehicle, even in plain sight, is "Concealed Carry" in PA and requires a valid License to Carry Firearms. Also, no long gun, BB/Pellet gun or paintball gun may EVER be carried loaded in a vehicle, permit or not.

One good thing about PA, you do not have to inform that you are legally carrying a concealed weapon unless directly asked by law enforcement.

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Virtue,Liberty & Independence

I mostly travel with a loaded revolver in the Western Free gun states.
I do not have a concealed permit.
I carry my handgun in a different location than my car paperwork.
So if I am stopped, as I was a while back, retrieving my insurance card and registration does not involve or expose my handgun.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

Many states no longer require a CCL to carry concealed on one's person and it gets really simple in those states so long as you don't travel outside your knowledge base. When I lived in MS the car was treated as an extension of your home and you could carry concealed or open in the vehicle. (I don't know if that is still the case.) Back in the day before the interwebs those that cared could get the NRA to send you a little brochure on a particular state's gun laws. I used to get one for each state I was going to or might travel through.

I see you have a Weasel patch on your avatar Pilgrem. You a former F-4 guy?

The law varies widely from state to state. Many states which do not require a concealed weapons permit require you to be a resident of that state. The following website is kept up to date, but you are still responsible for knowing and following the law.

Handgunlaw.us

I have friends that recently took a five month cross country vacation. The traveled by RV and kept a loaded 357 in their safe. They reside in Florida and, in the course of their trip, went through most of the NE states including New York where it was probably illegal to do what they did. They also visited California, another problematic state. I questioned whether they should have done this but they were willing to risk it for their safety.

Perfectly legal in Missouri to carry a loaded, concealed handgun in your vehicle without a CCW permit, so long as you are legally able to possess firearms and ammunition. Step out with it under your shirt and you need a CCW permit. It will show up when your driver's license is checked, but you have no duty to notify law enforcement officers that you are carrying.

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

OP would do well to brush up on Colorado law.

Care to cite a relevant statute?

There is no such requirement in the state of Colorado

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Retired Career Security Guard

C.R.S. 18-12-204



COLORADO REVISED STATUTES


* This document reflects changes current through all laws passed at the
Second Regular Session of the Sixty-Ninth General Assembly
of the State of Colorado (2014)
and changes approved by the electorate at the November 2014 election *


TITLE 18. CRIMINAL CODE
ARTICLE 12. OFFENSES RELATING TO FIREARMS AND WEAPONS
PART 2. PERMITS TO CARRY CONCEALED HANDGUNS


C.R.S. 18-12-204 (2014)

18-12-204. Permit contents - validity - carrying requirements



(1) (a) Each permit shall bear a color photograph of the permittee and shall display the signature of the sheriff who issues the permit. In addition, the sheriffs of this state shall ensure that all permits issued pursuant to this part 2 contain the same items of information and are the same size and the same color.

(b) A permit is valid for a period of five years after the date of issuance and may be renewed as provided in section 18-12-211. A permit issued pursuant to this part 2, including a temporary emergency permit issued pursuant to section 18-12-209, is effective in all areas of the state, except as otherwise provided in section 18-12-214.

(2) (a) A permittee, in compliance with the terms of a permit, may carry a concealed handgun as allowed by state law. The permittee shall carry the permit, together with valid photo identification, at all times during which the permittee is in actual possession of a concealed handgun and shall produce both documents upon demand by a law enforcement officer. Failure to produce a permit upon demand by a law enforcement officer raises a rebuttable presumption that the person does not have a permit. Failure to carry and produce a permit and valid photo identification upon demand as required in this subsection (2) is a class 1 petty offense. A charge of failure to carry and produce a permit and valid photo identification upon demand pursuant to this subsection (2) shall be dismissed by the court if, at or before the permittee's scheduled court appearance, the permittee exhibits to the court a valid permit and valid photo identification, both of which were issued to the permittee prior to the date on which the permittee was charged with failure to carry and produce a permit and valid photo identification upon demand.

(b) The provisions of paragraph (a) of this subsection (2) apply to temporary emergency permits issued pursuant to section 18-12-209.

(3) (a) A person who may lawfully possess a handgun may carry a handgun under the following circumstances without obtaining a permit and the handgun shall not be considered concealed:

(I) The handgun is in the possession of a person who is in a private automobile or in some other private means of conveyance and who carries the handgun for a legal use, including self-defense; or

(II) The handgun is in the possession of a person who is legally engaged in hunting activities within the state.

(b) The provisions of this subsection (3) shall not be construed to authorize the carrying of a handgun in violation of the provisions of section 18-12-105 or 18-12-105.5.

HISTORY: Source: L. 2003: Entire part added, p. 639, § 1, effective May 17.

http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/...R.S.+18-12-204

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Retired Career Security Guard

I know this post pertains to Colorado, but I live in Kansas where I can carry open, or concealed without a permit (thank you gov. Brownback). I have no CCW permit yet so once I cross the state line this rule no longer applies. Looking at getting a permit this fall, but until then............

In Wyoming, you can carry any firearm you want, loaded or unloaded, handgun or long arm, concealed or unconcealed, in your vehicle any time you want to. You do not have to have a carry permit to do any of this. You are not required to disclose the gun's presence to a police officer if stopped. We find life is just a lot simpler that way.

Louisiana considers your vehicle an extension of your home. Your gun is as legal in your glovebox as it is in your night stand. I love Louisiana. Well I wish it would quit raining, but I love Louisiana .

Copied for the Virginia State Police website:

"Any person who may lawfully possess a firearm and is carrying a handgun while in a personal, private motor vehicle or vessel and such handgun is secured in a container or compartment in the vehicle or vessel."

This was the Attorney Generals written opinion and is not code of Virginia. Your best bet is to keep it unloaded and/or locked, but that is not required. vsp.state.va.us

In Montana your car is an extension of your home and ho permit is needed and no requirement to notify. But, here you only need a permit if you carry concealed UPON YOUR PERSON, in a city, town or village. Otherwise no permit needed.

Amen to that brother

I'm confused by your thread because in your comment you say you do have a permit to carry but your title suggest you don't. Am I missing something here ?

My State went permit-less last year but now we must inform the officer unless we have a prior permit, of which I did and still do. Of course I no longer drive full time. (or even own a vehicle for that matter)

My train of thought is what they don't know ain't gonna hurt anyone. I don't volunteer nothing either.
A good many cops out there don't care for citizens being armed and some can get real arrogant about it all.

Now if they made me get out of the vehicle or asked me if they needed to know to anything I might say something. Generally hand the insurance car with licence and permit tucked underneath that.

Don't freak them out cause a good many are running on pure paranoid out here now.
Keep your hands on the steering wheel until they get up to your window. The rules have changed out here, when I was growing up you even got out of your vehicle first and went and sat in the back of theirs.

And this was in Chicago believe it or not.
(thankfully I got out a long time ago)

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Mulebuk Sam and the Governor

It varies a lot by jurisdiction.

SD had a similarly narrow interpretation of open carry. If a handgun was carried loaded and inside a vehicle at all it was considered to be concealed, even if you had it on the dash.

Open carry was also very narrowly defined as if any portion of the handgun was concealed it was considered to be totally concealed.

Now...interpretations like that can also change depending on the whims of the attorney general, so it can change over time.

Part of the logic in SD is that concealed carry permits are inexpensive ($10) and only take a few days to obtain in most counties, so there isn't much of an excuse for not having one if you want to carry a loaded handgun in your vehicle. Apply for one on Monday morning and you'll probably be able to pick it up on Wednesday, or in a slower county by Friday afternoon.

---

Here in NC it's much more liberally interpreted and you can have a loaded handgun on the seat or somewhere else in plain sight and it is still considered open carry. Similarly, if your jacket covered part of you handgun but it was still obviously a handgun in a holster it's still open carry.

I know this.

Didn't live in an intelligent state like Montana and was picked up for having a concealed weapon that was obviously in plain sight and the officer cited me for having a concealed weapon without a permit, I would be meeting a jury. I find itt hard to believe that out of 12 people one of theem wouldn't have a serious problem with something in plain sight being called concealed.

The people in states with run away prosecution for things like this are to blame for not challenging laws that are obviously garbage. Man, its your car. Heck sleep in a few times and call it a domicile.

Nobody wants the hassle and most of thosee here are smart enough tto get a permit. But, the fact that most of the people just bend over for ignorant laws is really depressing. It will just keep getting worse untill THE PEOPLE say ENOUGH.

Montana has a citizens initive program. We use it and it works. It is also fairly easy to get heard by the state supreme court. Lot of our laws have got the heave ho because people here say bull pucky.

Example: Toe young guys are making a nature call along the highway. HP sees them and gives them a ticket for indecent exposure. They didn't just lay down and pay the fine, went through the court system. Supreme court tossed it and had humor in the opinion because when you got to go you got to go. Need to go in Montana go ahead. Its not unnatural or indecent to go to relieve yourself. Everyone does.

By all means, I invite you to step up and make yourself a test case for the law.

Until then, I'll carry in accordance with it. Such a hassle to keep my 1911 from bouncin' off my dashboard, anyway. Gotta be careful, that thing goes off for like, no reason.

..."(I) The handgun is in the possession of a person who is in a private automobile or in some other private means of conveyance and who carries the handgun for a legal use, including self-defense"...

...I've carried a handgun concealed in all my vehicles in Colorado following the above section of the statute for 30+ years...I don't get stopped much because I try to stay within the motor vehicle statutes also...but when I have it's been "don't ask...don't tell"...

...of course if you turn green and soil yourself...they're probably gonna try to figure out why...the key in any state is not to get stopped in the first place...don't speed...signal lane changes...make sure all your lights work and your plates are clean and visible...

...I've traveled in thirty five states over the last thirty years and never been stopped in another state...of course with Colorado plates...that's not a sure thing anymore...

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A Country Boy Can Survive

"(8) A loaded or unloaded firearm or other deadly weapon shall not be deemed concealed on or about the person if it is located in any enclosed container, compartment, or storage space installed as original equipment in a motor vehicle by its manufacturer, including but not limited to a glove compartment, center console, or seat pocket, regardless of whether said enclosed container, storage space, or compartment is locked, unlocked, or does not have a locking mechanism. No person or organization, public or private, shall prohibit a person from keeping a loaded or unloaded firearm or ammunition, or both, or other deadly weapon in a vehicle in accordance with the provisions of this subsection. Any attempt by a person or organization, public or private, to violate the provisions of this subsection may be the subject of an action for appropriate relief or for damages in a Circuit Court or District Court of competent jurisdiction. This subsection shall not apply to any person prohibited from possessing a firearm pursuant to KRS 527.040."

I wonder if I could find a job in MT.....

Just a little over two years ago Tennessee changed the law to allow loaded guns in vehicles absent a handgun carry permit. There was the typical handwringing and predictions of doom by the usual suspects, including some law enforcement chiefs. Two years later... yawn. Turns out that law abiding folks generally do just fine with their freedoms, including Tennesseans. Who woulda thunk, right?

There is no duty to inform regardless if you have a handgun carry permit or not. That has't been an issue either.

Oh yeah, I hear that. They tried to pull the same thing in my State with the fear mongering last year when we went permit-less. Even had the police chief from our largest city lying through his teeth until we call him on it in the local paper.

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Mulebuk Sam and the Governor

Don't have to step up. I live where reason still rules the day. Plus read what I wrote carefully. No where did I say to break any law. But, people who are busted for idiot laws should make them work for it in front of a jury.

Dudley, you probably could find a cop or sheriff position........till you froze out some winter. LOL

I like both of those statements.

Texas now allows (it's been a few years now) concealed carry (concealed is REQUIRED) in motor vehicles without an LTC (CHL is now LTC due to open carry law) but I think if you're going to do it regularly you ought to get the LTC and save yourself any issues plus you can then do it in dozens of other states so it's worth it if your drive-travel.

That said, if you opt to carry a handgun in your vehicle without an LTC the least you can do is not announce it if you get pulled over. The "I have a concealed handgun" type statement is ever so dumb. If the officer asks then you can say yes but they'll rarely ask. If they cannot see it and you're not belligerent it's a no-brainer - leave it that way!

OTOH, if you do have an LTC then by all means produce it if you get pulled over but, again, NO "I have a gun" announcement is necessary. If the LEO wants to know, or wants to see it, s/he will ask. If you're not asked then JUST SHUT UP ABOUT IT. The police don't care nearly as much as you might think and if they don't have to deal with your gun they're happy to ignore it.

I have plenty of experience in this respect because I drive too fast so please don't make an argument out of it, I know what I'm talking about. Besides, I'm an LTC instructor; it's my business to know these things.

If your state requires an "I have a gun" blurt out then, by all means, blurt it out. I doubt that that requirement exists anywhere but someone might surprise me.

Also, if you're in Texas with a Texas LTC, and you are stopped by a police officer, and you are not packing a handgun, don't be a smart-aleck and not show your LTC because you heard it's not required if you don't have a gun. That is also ever so dumb. If the police run your driver's license the LTC will come up with it (they're connected; that TDL number is on the LTC in case you didn't notice) and now you have an irked LEO to contend with because you didn't produce the card. Don't irk the constabulary - they have enough to contend with without you being a jerk. That works in every jurisdiction, too!

As an LTC holder in Texas, every time I have been pulled over I have announced that I am a permit holder, but have never been asked to produce the permit. The officer has asked if I am carrying, I answer in the affirmative, and that's the end of it. They go back to their vehicle, write up their report and send me on my way.

A resource:
Can I Carry a Gun in My Car? | Criminal Law

If it's a law, it's the law. We don't just get to follow the ones we agree with. That's what makes us law-abiding citizens. If you know what the law requires of you, then do it. If you fail to, I've really no sympathy. I'll reserve that for the millions of people denied their constitutional rights without a jury.

Besides--fighting a conviction on the grounds that the law is bad can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and many, many hours in court. Being a test case isn't fun, and fails more often than not.

I am not trying to start an argument here but I was told in CWP class two years ago that unless you are carrying pursuant to the permit, you need not show the permit. For instance, if you have a concealable weapon (handgun) in a locking compartment, i.e. one with a latch, in your automobile, you are not carrying under the permit, since that is legal anyway, and need not show the permit. However, in a vehicle, if the gun is under the seat, on the person, in a bag, or in an open storage compartment, you must produce the permit. Naturally, before reaching into any compartment where a gun is stored, it is a really good idea to produce the permit, disclose the gun location, and ask what the cop wants you to do, just to avoid getting shot for no reason.

As I said, I mean no disrespect here, but would like to know which course of action is correct. I do disagree that if there is no gun anywhere you have to tell a cop you are CWP.


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Always the right advice.

That said, the change in Tennessee law was more about legislators following the people. There were so many folks with loaded guns in their vehicles that it made sense to change the law to reflect reality. Kinda like having a law on the books forbidding the drinking of soda or coffee while driving.

I do the same thing. I have done so for a long time in my work related travels around NM, CO, UT, and AZ.
C. Scott

Minnesota likes confusion. We have shall issue permits. You can carry open or concealed. If you are required to carry at work, you can carry in the car to work without the permit. If you are going to the range or hunting, you can carry in the car without a permit. You can carry concealed or open on private property without a permit but with owners permission.

Agreed, although most all who try rarely get the opportunity to spend all that money. They just get dog stomped quickly . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

That don't sound like confusion to me and I must say I'm shocked because of your States political background although I suspect like my State it's mainly nestled in one particular area.

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Mulebuk Sam and the Governor

Although I do agree that it is easier and usually smarter to go along with the program, that is the reason so many such laws are passedand stay on the books.
Black people all went to the back of the bus, until a tired woman named Rosa Parks said "NO"
Everyone bowed to the king for a long time too.

Not saying I want to be a hero, but, you do get what you're willing to put up with.

Part of the reason I live where I do. Lots of people here do stand up and guess what? Not many silly laws and the ones that are around get ignored.

Most people in our little town don't wear seat belts in town, light, polite, traffic. Nobody gets a ticket for it. If we did the mayor and th Justice of the Peace know we were going to be making some changes. It's your town, our county, our state. NOT THEIRS .

Echoing what others from Texas have said, thanks to the Texas Motorist Protection Act, you are not required to have a permit to carry a firearm in your vehicle, loaded or otherwise. However, if you do so sans permit, the firearm must be concealed. That can be as simple as throwing a jacket over it in the seat. If you don't have a permit (known as LTC in Texas), then obviously nothing is going to come up when they run your DL so the officer probably won't even ask. Personally, I would inform them that I was carrying, just so they'd have all the facts and proceed with the traffic stop accordingly. You don't have to just blurt out something like "I have a gun", but rather something like "Officer, I would like to inform you that I am carrying a firearm in my vehicle". Then he would probably ask where it is and just tell you to leave it there, then proceed with the traffic stop.

That is correct. Out of courtesy I would give the officer my CWP and inform him that I'm unarmed at this time. It is tied to your drivers license and he/she would be in formed you have a CWP for a traffic stop.
Be careful carrying in the car. A loaded handgun is legal in a latched compartment without a CWP. Your CWP covers on your person or in a bag you intend to exit the vehicle and carry such as a lady's purse. A loaded handgun under a car seat is illegal with or without a CWP.

I think they changed that a year or two ago. The statute now reads:

(Exceptions where allowed)


(9) a person in a vehicle if the handgun is:

(a) secured in a closed glove compartment, closed console, closed trunk, or in a closed container secured by an integral fastener and transported in the luggage compartment of the vehicle; however, this item is not violated if the glove compartment, console, or trunk is opened in the presence of a law enforcement officer for the sole purpose of retrieving a driver's license, registration, or proof of insurance. If the person has been issued a concealed weapon permit pursuant to Article 4, Chapter 31, Title 23, then the person also may secure his weapon under a seat in a vehicle, or in any open or closed storage compartment within the vehicle's passenger compartment; or

(b) concealed on or about his person, and he has a valid concealed weapons permit pursuant to the provisions of Article 4, Chapter 31, Title 23;

See SC CODE 16-23-20


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