I wasnt aware that open carry was allowed in as many as 45 States

[blackhorse2010]

A follow-up question regarding open carry. Are individual municipalities permitted to ban open carry while its state government permits it? I ask because [I think I just discovered that Montana permits open carry] Missoula, for example, is a heavily progressive municipality that invariably votes for Democratic Party candidates while the remainder of Missoula County does not. In the real world municipalities that are politically similar to Missoula are likely to restrict or ban open carry - or any carry.

It depends on the State. For example, Nevada allowed cities to impart their own gun laws until the Governor signed a bill this year which took the power away from the cities to have their own gun laws override the states laws.

 

[ladder13]

Rusty..... snubbyfan......fire up the popcorn machines.

 

[Gamecock]

North Carolina is an Open Carry state with no permit required. There are some restrictions so it is best to check before carrying. It is not very popular at all. I can remember seeing only two people carrying open.

Yeah, it creates a strange action. You may legally carry a gun in your console in South Carolina, without a permit. If you have no permit, when you get to the North Carolina border, you must take it out of the console and place it on a seat, or anywhere else where it is openly visible. And vice versa. Put it back in the console or glove box when you re-enter SC.

I have a permit, so I don't bother. But it sure is strange. Reminds me of the mess with state alcoholic beverage laws when I traveled 40 years ago. Every state was different; few state laws made any sense at all.

 

[PirateJim]

The FL OC legislation is intended to protect CCW holders from over zealous LE and District/City Prosecutors who have harassed legally licensed carriers inadvertently exposing their weapon with no malicious intent.

The CCW will be a requirement to OC.

This is certainly why I'm strongly in favor of the OC passing here. If it does, I'll certainly not be shopping for a "barbeque gun" and rig, but it would be nice if I didn't have to worry about a gust of wind catching my jacket while the wrong person is looking.

 

[Watchdog]

I used to live in the Lowcountry. I had always thought the shotgun in the back window remained legal there. It certainly was not unknown in rural areas surrounding Beaufort where folks were a bit....rustic.

Aw now, those folks down there aren't rustic. They're just...well, I dunno...they're just...different.

I fit right in when I visit.

 

[Jaysq]

Yeah, it creates a strange action. You may legally carry a gun in your console in South Carolina, without a permit. If you have no permit, when you get to the North Carolina border, you must take it out of the console and place it on a seat, or anywhere else where it is openly visible. And vice versa. Put it back in the console or glove box when you re-enter SC.

I have a permit, so I don't bother. But it sure is strange. Reminds me of the mess with state alcoholic beverage laws when I traveled 40 years ago. Every state was different; few state laws made any sense at all.

You are right! I had a friend that was going from NC to SC and ending up in jail because of it.

 

[DD357]

I'm pretty sure that IN is an open carry state but I'm not sure if it
requires a CC permit or not. I've never been interested in OCing in
public so I've never bothered to look up the rules. I have never seen
anyone in public doing the things that cause so much controversy in
other states, like grocery shopping with an AR slung over your back.
I've seen a few people OCing handguns in places where they might
have cash on them, like public auctions. No one pays any attention
to them.

Yep, you do have to have a LTCH; there is no concealment requirement. I see it every now and then; most don't even seem to notice it. I always look just because I'm always interested in seeing what others carry.

 

[gunfighter48]

Open carry is permitted in Washington State by our State Constitution. No permit needed to carry openly. Our state is a shall issue state for concealed carry and a permit is needed.

 

[Mainsail]

Open carry is permitted in Washington State by our State Constitution. No permit needed to carry openly. Our state is a shall issue state for concealed carry and a permit is needed.

Our state constitution does not permit open carry, it recognizes it as a right. OC is lawful because there are no laws prohibiting it.

You are right that we are shall issue, but you are issued a license for concealed carry not a permit. Also, you may carry concealed without a concealed pistol license if going to, engaged in, or returning from an outdoor activity like fishing or hiking.

 

[bagga]

OC is lawful in wisconsin because there is no law against it as well.

 

[DWalt]

That makes perfect sense to me. The only other places that will not allow guns, are any establishment who's sales of alcohol exceed 51%. The only area business that's already said they aren't allowing of, is the H.E.B. grocery store chain. So far, nobody else locally, has come out banning of in their establishments.

Didn't Whataburger say some time ago that they wouldn't allow OC?

 

[oldylocks]

Even though it is legal to open carry in the state of Oregon, it is against the law in Portland, Oregon.

I remember years ago, prior to this ban, placing my firearm on the dash of my car, so that it would not break the concealed firearm laws in place at that time. I pulled up to a stop light and in the lane next to me was a motorcycle cop who looked at my fire arm and then at me. All he did was nod his approval. Nowadays, I'd probably end up with a citation.

Now I conceal.

 

[Nemo288]

OC is lawful in wisconsin because there is no law against it as well.

Good luck trying to pull that off in downtown Madison.
Seems public opinion is more than half the law around here.
That actually may not be as bad a thing as it seems on the surface.
It can work the other way too when folks don't like a particular law en masse.

 

[johngalt]

OC is lawful in wisconsin because there is no law against it as well.

Good luck trying to pull that off in downtown Madison.
Seems public opinion is more than half the law around here.
That actually may not be as bad a thing as it seems on the surface.
It can work the other way too when folks don't like a particular law en masse.

Over on opencarry.org, there are people who claim to have OCed in downtown Madison with no issues.

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

Technically legal for a CCL holder to open carry in Mass, but can and likely would be used by your CLEO to determine you to be an "unsuitable" person, resulting in the revocation of said CCL. Even inadvertently allowing a jacket to blow open, or a shirt to ride up, and briefly reveal an otherwise perfectly legal CCW would be, and has been, used to the same effect.

I do not disagree with one word of this. The truth of this post is an excellent illustration of the caution that one must use in reading statute law.

 

[Nemo288]

Over on opencarry.org, there are people who claim to have OCed in downtown Madison with no issues.

No doubt. It's a crazy place.
I have also personally witnessed a guy being arrested during the Halloween party for carrying a plastic AK.
He was dressed as a Marxist revolutionary.
Maybe it was a TOO realistic costume
I just wear my motor officers jacket, chaps, riding boots and bandana.
The Bulldog resides comfortably underneath.

 

[steelslaver]

Thanks

A follow-up question regarding open carry. Are individual municipalities permitted to ban open carry while its state government permits it? I ask because [I think I just discovered that Montana permits open carry] Missoula, for example, is a heavily progressive municipality that invariably votes for Democratic Party candidates while the remainder of Missoula County does not. In the real world municipalities that are politically similar to Missoula are likely to restrict or ban open carry - or any carry.

Per MT state law cities and counties can NOT pass more resrictive laws, the can prohibit in some places and cases, but that is also very limited. I know a couple Missolula LEOs and they seem to be OK with guns, but open carry has never come up.Lots of rural areas around Missoula and hunters so I am sure they see it. Never heard of problems.Might be liberal around there but not anti gun except for some of the numerous transplants. 2 Brothers live in the valley.

 

[Mainsail]

OC is lawful in wisconsin because there is no law against it as well.

Good luck trying to pull that off in downtown Madison.

We had that problem way back when open carry was unrecognized by most police agencies, despite it being completely lawful. Open carry would get you harassed, cuffed, threatened, and lectured.

Want to know how we fixed that? We open carried all the more. We wrote letters and emails, called, and if that didn't work, we took legal action. One guy bought himself and his wife new motorcycles with the settlement money he got, and there were several other settlements as well.

What we didn't do is accept the status quo and baa like sheep.

 

[powrguy]

Ohio is an open carry State

I read yesterday on some slanted yahoo posted news story which was talking about Texas and open carry. As usual, the antis were out in full force showing their lack of knowledge and vast amounts of stupidity.

That said, I didn't know that all but 5 States allowed open carry. I knew at least 35 or so did. Anyway, Texas is the 45th to have it. The exceptions are (as listed in the article) Calif, illinois, New York, South Carolina and the one that surprised me was that FLORIDA was the other.


Texas has roughly 826,000 (as per article) CCLs here as of 2014, and I highly suspect tens of thousands more now. Texas (as per the article) also has the highest number of Fed Firearms Licensed dealers and gun manufacturers in the country.

This kinda surprises me but, Austin Police will not check people for their licenses to carry due to possible and probable harassment lawsuits.

One thing I forgot to mention some time ago in someone else's thread, is that currently and locally in my area--probably as well in other places, that every local CCL class, are fully booked through Feb and probably into March.

Very few people would open carry in Ohio, anyway, as nutcases that call 911 when they see ANY gun would cause police to respond, or, worse yet, some yo-yo shooting at you because he thought you were "a threat".

EDC with a CCW permit is the way to go, as the gun-grabbers and panic-stricken neighbors don't have you hassled as a "terrorist/whacko" when you OC.

 

[raljr1]

in Pa, open carry is supposed to be legal. However, if you carry while hunting and don't have a CCW, you are required to get a "Sportsman's Permit to Carry" in order to carry a handgun while hunting, concealed or open.