Ammo/Firearm in Vehicle

[DeadWhiteGoose]

I just need to get something cleared up. Im traveling across country in my van but I'm bringing my 686 for protection and recreation. Is it my understanding that my gun and ammunition for it have to be locked up in separate containers? Or does the gun just need to be locked up and ammo separate? I know state laws are different but in general what is accepted? Also, do I need to let an LEO know right away that I have a gun unloaded and locked in a safe? Thanks

 

[williamf57]

Different states different laws, you will really need to sit down and Google every state you plan on traveling through and check their laws on it. You might even want to write the info down and double check as you get close to entering that state. As for informing Leos I would only do it if the law states you have to or if the officer asks if you have a weapon in the vehicle, otherwise there is no need.

 

[oldman45]

Or, if you obey the law, the LEO will not have reason to be meeting with you.

I have driven in 37 states and only been stopped in two, once in Texas and a three times in Louisiana.

My worries about travel with a handgun is more along the lines of how secure it will be in the car while I am eating in a restaurant or such.

Yet, as said before, each state has different laws and different rules. Louisiana allows a person to carry a loaded gun anywhere in their vehicle. California does not allow too much gun carry in a vehicle. Just study the laws for the states you will be in and stay out of NJ.

 

[JJEH]

Also you can sign up for a CCL. Some of them are good in more than only your state. This might help wit "not leaving the gun in he car while eating in a restaurant..."

Otherwise I would study the laws of the states you are traveling through.

 

[Lee in Quartzsite]

You need to brush up on the various State laws and then come to Arizona. No permit required to carry, and it's legal to carry a loaded handgun in your vehicle. No need to inform the Officer unless asked.

Handgunlaw.us

ARIZONA CCW COURSES | Concealed Carry Permit Class

Concealed Carry Permit Reciprocity Maps

Arizona Concealed Carry Permit Information, Concealed Weapon

 

[mkk41]

Carrying gun and ammo in seperate locked containers is always a good idea , and even in states with somewhat confusing laws , you still give an impression that you tried to stay legal. Even in certain states , local ordinances can still get you into trouble. Most LEOs with any common sense will see that you are not a threat. Gotta say that Cali is probably the state ya have to worry about the most. Just stay away from certain NE states like NY , NJ , MD , W-DC , DE , CT , NH.

 

[OKFC05]

In some states, there is no legal way to drive around with a gun in a vehicle, no matter how stored. The Firearms Owner Protection Act (FOPA) only justifies having the gun (unloaded and inaccessible) when on a continuous journey through the state.
For example, you can drive through MD, but cannot just drive around playing tourist in the state with a gun in the vehicle. And don't even consider going into DC with so much as a cartridge in the vehicle.
As shown in the recent NJ case, once you stop your journey, all state laws apply and FOPA is irrelevant.

 

[mkk41]

As shown in the recent NJ case, once you stop your journey, all state laws apply and FOPA is irrelevant.

Amen to Jersey being the worst. I refer to it as NO Jersey. I live in PA , have a LTCF as well as a FFL , but on those rare occasions when I must go to NJ , I go thru my truck and make sure I don't have a single round of ammo in it. The Harley Davidson and NRA decals on the back window , combined with the PA lic.plate raises the chance of being pulled over and searched by the NJ State Gestapo.

 

[mrs_keck10]

Carrying gun and ammo in seperate locked containers is always a good idea , and even in states with somewhat confusing laws , you still give an impression that you tried to stay legal. Even in certain states , local ordinances can still get you into trouble. Most LEOs with any common sense will see that you are not a threat. Gotta say that Cali is probably the state ya have to worry about the most. Just stay away from certain NE states like NY , NJ , MD , W-DC , DE , CT , NH.

Plan to be stopped if in MD and have the gun locked away (slide removed if thats an option) locked in a case in the trunk magazines (again if applicable) in center console and ammo in glove box they tend to ask those with southern tags and well 1 round will give you a not so spotless record I'm not sure if they passed the law that would make it a felony yet so tread lightly as if 1 round in the gun will get you a felony charge that lands about 5 years in jail.

 

[oldman45]

If I may ask though and I am in a bad mood to start the day with due to those I had to deal with overnight.

Just what good does carrying a gun and ammo in different places do the owner? I carry my gun because I might need it.
If it is unloaded or not readily available, then I may as well not had it. If I were going on a trip where my gun was not welcome, then my money would not be welcome there either. I do not visit places that are anti gun and I do not travel through those places. If I were having to go thru places where the laws were strict or confusing, then I would figure another way of getting from point A to point B.

Having out of state plates is an invitation for a traffic stop in some places. If a person is stopped in this little friendly town where I live, they will usually have two cars of officers and will begin by telling the driver they want to search the car. If the car has out of state plates, then count on three cars being there. If there is a gun in the vehicle, while totally legal, prepare to be there for a long time. For the PD, it is called generating revenue. For the visitor, it is called a nuisance.

All that being said, I was once told that as a person passing through, if it was legal in the home state, then it is legal as a passing vehicle. I will say I have never seen that in the law books though.

As was said by another: If you get a CCW, you may be good in about 38 states which should cover you in most places.

 

[mrs_keck10]

MD does not honor out of state permits from ANYONE I was warned by a guy I went to high school with that it is best to keep the pieces needed to fire separate and then ammo away from the pieces. MD has a 7 day wait period for residents to even get approval to pick up their gun and no 2 guns in a 31 day period unless one is considered antique (before 1898). By the way the guy from high school is a state trooper and he told me when I was asking about how to store mine when I am traveling into the state to visit family. He said every removable piece should be stored separate because if I were to be stopped and they ask then there is no legal way for them to charge me with any of the ridiculous laws because quite a few of the younger police have to prove a point and want to make a name for themselves even if it is detrimental to someone who was within the law barely because the mentality that is ingrained there is well it's not my problem you aren't a human law book and didn't remember every fine detail of every law of every state.

 

[gboling]

The California Rifle and Pistol Association publishes a "Summary Of California Gun Laws And Basic Safety Rules." California Rifle and Pistol Association If you are not a member go stand in the corner and slap yourself three times.

"Traveler's Guide to the Firearms Laws of the Fifty States" can be found at Gunlaws for the 50 States

Handgunlaw.us Is another good source of info.

 

[OKFC05]

All that being said, I was once told that as a person passing through, if it was legal in the home state, then it is legal as a passing vehicle. I will say I have never seen that in the law books though.

And you won't see it in any lawbook, because it is absolutely NOT true!
For some reason, people from TX and LA seem to show up in OK with that attitude and can wind up in trouble because of it.

The truth is, nobody cares how you do it back home when you go into another state.

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

Carrying gun and ammo in seperate locked containers is always a good idea , and even in states with somewhat confusing laws , you still give an impression that you tried to stay legal. Even in certain states , local ordinances can still get you into trouble. Most LEOs with any common sense will see that you are not a threat. Gotta say that Cali is probably the state ya have to worry about the most. Just stay away from certain NE states like NY , NJ , MD , W-DC , DE , CT , NH.

How, pray tell, did NH get onto that list? And how did MA get off?

 

[Chuck1217]

Wondering that myself oldman. +If that's the law, then ok, I'll do it. But I would know the law, and if need be I'd stop at every state line and do whatever- and whenever possible I'd load up. You never know when a tire will blow etc, and who knows who will stop to 'help' you? If I had to lock my ammo in one box and a gun in another, I may just stay at the speed limit and hope there's not a wreck.

 

[Bratastic007]

How about this? Have your pistol loaded and reasonably accessible, but not on your person. Maybe keep it in a locked glovebox. If you need it (like, say, for changing a blown tire), you can take it out and arm yourself while you do the job.

Otherwise, it's secure in the locked glovebox. Then, don't give an officer any cause to pull you over, which isn't that tough.

If you do get pulled over, cooperate with the officer's orders, but DO NOT CONSENT to any search of your vehicle. The pistol is not on you, so you do not have to disclose it even if you are asked to step out of the car.

You have the Constitutional Right under the 5th Amendment against self-incrimination, meaning you do not have to tell the officer what you have in the glovebox. If the officer wants to know, and you do not consent, he has to get a warrant. To get a warrant, he needs probable cause. If you're cooperating with him, and not on drugs or alcohol, I don't know what that PC would be.

Keep your nose clean and your speed reasonable and you won't have any issue. If you choose to obey a nonsense law requiring you to disarm yourself, you do so at your own peril.

The U.S. Constitution is still the Supreme Law of the Land.

 

[chief38]

Yes, every State has its own laws! Check them before carrying. Where I live it is ILLEGAL to leave an unattended firearm in a car, and is grounds for immediate CCW Permit confiscation and cancellation.

The 686 is a fine weapon, just really not well suited for a CCW Cross Country trip IMHO; just too big & heavy. I suppose if that is all you have you can make it work, but it would be a lot easier with a M36, M60, etc.

Chief38

 

[mrs_keck10]

Bratastic no all they need is reasonable suspicion when traveling on state or federal roads so no you may not lock it in a glovebox loaded in a state that prohibits it.

 

[Bratastic007]

Bratastic no all they need is reasonable suspicion when traveling on state or federal roads so no you may not lock it in a glovebox loaded in a state that prohibits it.

Is there a different standard for state or federal roads? My understanding had been that reasonable suspicion was needed to search the driver's person as well as any areas of the vehicle immediate accessible to the driver or passengers, but that a locked compartment (glovebox, trunk, suitcase, etc.) which was not readily accessible required probable cause unless some other exception to the warrant requirement applied.

I'll admit I'm rusty in this area of the law, so I won't take it personal by any means if I'm due for a correction.

 

[Springfeildkid585]

Or, if you obey the law, the LEO will not have reason to be meeting with you

Doesn't mean they won't be. There was a wonderful time period in which St. Luis PD decided that it was okay to pull over anyone with out of state plates and request to search their car. Illegal? Incredibly, but they did it anyway.