Quote:
Originally Posted by epd925
I am a Leo in GA. GA law had changed over the years. At one time that would have been a no go. Now the state looks at your vehicle as an extension of your home. You can have a firearm anywhere in the vehicle concealed or even on yourself.
If you do have it on your person just make sure you don't get out somewhere and forget to take it off because then you would be in violation unless you have a ccw.
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Weapons Carry: You are not allowed to carry a weapon (as defined at the top of this page) without having a weapons carry license unless you fit one of the exceptions below (this is in general, there are some places off-limits to carry even with a Weapons Carry License):
If you are not prohibited by law from possessing (see the definition under the "Possession" section at the top of this page) a firearm you may carry a weapon on your own property and in your own home, motor vehicle and place of business without needing a valid weapons carry license. (including the property that the business is located on IF the property is owned by the business owner). You do not have to have permission from the business owner in order to be exempt from carrying a concealed weapon without a license at your place of business (however that does NOT mean you cannot be fired for carrying without permission. If you cross any property in transit between your property, car or office then you would be in violation of the law.
If you are not prohibited by law from possessing a firearm you may carry a long gun without needing a valid weapons carry license. However if it is loaded, you must carry the long gun in an open and fully exposed manner (this exemption is odd, a long gun is not defined as a weapon so I am not sure what law you would be breaking if you did carry a loaded long gun concealed).
If you are not prohibited by law from possessing a firearm you may carry a handgun provided it is unloaded and enclosed inside a case (There is nothing that defines exactly what unloaded means, to be on the safe side you should assume it means no loaded magazine inserted into the gun).
If you are not ineligible for a license to carry, you can carry in any private passenger motorized vehicle, provided that the owner (or other legal representative of the property) has not forbid posession of weapons or long guns on the property (the difference between this and the first one is that you can carry in someone elses car provided you could get a GWL and they do not forbid you posessing it in their car).
If you have a valid hunting or fishing license or do not legally have to have one, you can carry a handgun or long gun while you are actively engaged in hunting, fishing or sport shooting with permission from the owner of the land you are on.
If you have a license to carry from a state that honors the Georgia Weapons Carry License, as long as you are not a resident of Georgia and you follow Georgia laws while you are here (a map of states that honor the Georgia license is here).
Violation of this code section is a misdemeanor for the first offense and a felony if a second offense is committed within 5 years of the first. (16-11-125.1, 16-11-126 )
Note that a long gun is NOT defined as a "weapon" and that not all firearms are covered as a weapon or a long gun (a firearm with a barrel over 12 inches but under 18 inches is not a "long gun" or a "weapon" as it is defined in 16-11-125.1).
Employment exception: Persons employed in certain jobs (whether at work or off-duty) are exempt from the law above. Jobs such as peace officer, Wardens, superintendents, and keepers of correctional institutions, jails, or other institutions for the detention of persons accused or convicted of an offense, persons in the military service of the state or of the United States, and others. Please see 16-11-130 for the full list