[bamf]

Greetings,

It's looking like I may be attending school at Tulane. I was hoping some of you could give me a heads up about the state regarding firearms.

Anything banned or mag restrictions? CCW? Easy to get or impossible? Registration of firearms brought into the state?

I'm sure hoping it's a hell of a lot nicer that CA, my current home.

thanks!

[RustyHammer]

Welcome to Louisiana!

Tulane is a great school. I have many friends who are either graduates or are faculty there. It's a fine choice.

Louisiana is generally gun friendly, although the former Mayor of New Orleans did join in the national law suit against gun manufacturers. He's no longer in office. The Governor, Governor Foster, suggested that, during the low points of the serial killer events, that women should women arm themselves if they felt insecure.

Louisiana is an "open carry" state.

Here is a chart of other laws that apply in Louisiana:

http://www.nra.org/frame.cfm?title=NRA%20Institute%20for%20Legislative%20Action&url=http://www.nraila.org

There are a few indoor ranges in the New Orleans area. The one I like best is:

Jefferson Indoor Shooting Center, Inc.
2338 Hickory Ave, Harahan 70123
(25-yards, indoor, modern facility. Handgun, rifle or shotgun w/ certain basic restrictions.)

Obviously no guns allowed on campus. Sign says not even in cars.

The CCW process is a complicated one and many Parishes issue their own local permits. State-wide permits are available, but aren't inexpensive. (A couple hundred bucks I think.)

PM me if you have any other questions.

Rusty


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Louisiana - Firearms Laws
As of August, 2002


A synopsis of state laws on purchase,
possession and carrying of firearms.

CAUTION: Firearm laws are subject to frequent change and court interpretation. This summary is not intended as legal advice or restatement of law. This summary does not include federal or local laws, ordinances or regulations. For any particular situation, a licensed local attorney must be consulted for an accurate interpretation. YOU MUST ABIDE WITH ALL LAWS: STATE, FEDERAL AND LOCAL.

+++++++++++++++++++ Permit to Purchase ++ Permit to Carry

Rifles/Shotguns/Handguns ...... No ................................ No
+
Registration of Firearms .......... No ................................ No
+
Licensing of Owners ................ No ................................ No
+
Permit to Carry ........................ No ................................ Yes


STATE CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISION

"The right of each citizen to keep and bear arms shall not be abridged, but this provision shall not prevent the passage of laws to prohibit the carrying of weapons concealed on the person." Article 1, Section 11.



PURCHASE

No state permit is required for the purchase of a rifle, shotgun, or handgun.

It is unlawful to sell or deliver firearms or other dangerous weapons to anyone under the age of eighteen. Lack of knowledge of the minor's age is not a defense.



POSSESSION

No state permit is required to possess a rifle, shotgun, or a handgun. It is illegal for any person who is a national of a country with whom the United States is at war to own, possess, have custody, or use any firearm.



CARRYING

No person shall carry a concealed firearm intentionally without a permit unless one is a peace officer in performance of his or her official duties.

The Deputy Secretary of Public Safety Services of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall issue a concealed handgun permit to any citizen who qualifies for a permit. To qualify, a citizen shall:

(1) reflect training in pistols, revolvers or both;

(2) agree to hold harmless and indemnify the department, the state or any peace officer for any liability arising from the issuance of the permit;

(3) be a resident of the state and have been a resident for six months or longer;

(4) be at least 21;

(5) not suffer from mental illness which prevents the safe handling of a firearm;

(6) not be ineligible to possess a firearm by having been convicted of a felony;

(7) not have been committed for the abuse of a controlled substance, or been found guilty of, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere relating to a controlled substance within 5 years;

(8) not chronically and habitually use alcoholic beverages to the extent that normal facilities are impaired;

(9) not have entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to or been found guilty of a misdemeanor crime of violence within 5 years of completion of sentence;

(10) not have been convicted of, entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, or not be charged under indictment, or a bill of information for any crime of violence or any crime punishable by imprisonment for one year or more;

(11) not be a fugitive from justice;

(12) not be an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana, depressants, stimulants, or narcotic drugs;

(13) not have been adjudicated to be mentally deficient or been committed to a mental institution;

(14) not be an illegal alien;

(15) not have a Dishonorable Discharge from the Armed Forces;

(16) not have a history of engaging in violent behavior;

(17) not be ineligible to possess a firearm under federal law.

The applicant shall demonstrate competency with a handgun by completion of certain specified courses, classes, and programs in firearms safety and training.

The Deputy Secretary of Public Safety Services shall, within two working days of the permit application, notify the Chief of Police of the municipality and the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of the parish in which the applicant is domiciled of such application. Those officers shall have 10 days to forward to the Deputy Secretary information relating to the applicant's legal qualification to receive a permit. The Deputy Secretary shall issue, "timely and without delay," the permit to all qualified applicants. The permit shall be valid in all parishes statewide for a term of four years.

A permittee armed with a handgun shall notify any police officer who approaches the permittee in an official manner or purpose, that he has a weapon on his person, submit to a pat down, and allow the officer to temporarily disarm him. Whenever a law enforcement officer has reasonable grounds to believe an armed permittee is under the influence of alcohol or a controlled dangerous substance, the officer may take temporary possession of the handgun and request submission to a chemical test. Whenever an officer is made aware that an individual is behaving in a criminally negligent manner, or is negligent in carrying a handgun, the officer may seize the handgun until adjudication by a judge. Failure to comply with these provisions shall result in a six-month automatic suspension of the permit.

The permit shall be revoked under any of the following circumstances: (1) the blood alcohol reading of the permittee is .05 per cent or greater; (2) a blood test or urine test shows the presence of a controlled dangerous substance; (3) a permittee refuses to submit to a chemical test upon request of a law enforcement officer; (4) the permittee is found guilty of negligent carrying of a concealed handgun.

A permittee may not carry a concealed handgun into:

(1) a law enforcement building,

(2) a detention facility, prison or jail,

(3) a courthouse or courtroom,

(4) a polling place,

(5) a meeting place of the governing authority of a political subdivision,

(6) the state capitol building,

(7) any portion of an airport facility where the carrying of firearms is prohibited under federal law,

(8) any church or similar place of worship,

(9) a parade or demonstration for which a permit is issued,

(10) any portion of a permitted area where alcoholic beverages are sold for on-premises consumption,

(11) any school "firearm-free-zone"; or

(12) any place in which firearms are banned by state or federal law.

A property owner may prohibit access to his property by persons possessing concealed handguns. A permittee may not carry a concealed handgun into a private residence of another without first receiving the consent of that person.

It is unlawful to possess a firearm on a school campus during regular school hours or on a school bus. It is also unlawful to possess a firearm on one's person: on school property, at a school sponsored function, in a firearm-free zone, on a school campus, or on school transportation, or within 1000 feet of a school campus. These prohibitions do not apply to: the possession of a firearm occurring within 1,000 feet of school property and entirely on private property, entirely within a private residence, or in accordance with a concealed handgun permit; or any constitutionally protected activity which cannot be regulated by the state, such as a firearm contained entirely within a motor vehicle.



ANTIQUES AND REPLICAS

Louisiana statutes are silent on antique and replica firearms. They are treated as ordinary firearms for possession, sale, and carrying purposes.



NATIONAL FIREARMS ACT FIREARMS

State law governs a special category of firearms that is roughly similar to the category also governed by the National Firearms Act. Such items include: shotguns with barrels of less than 18 inches; rifles with barrels of less than 16 inches, any weapon made from either a rifle or shotgun if the overall length is less than twenty-six inches; machine guns, silencers, and certain specifically described weapons. No person shall possess or transfer such an item without the prior approval of the Department of Public Safety. Every person possessing such an item shall register with the Department of Public Safety. State law does not require the registration of items which are unserviceable and are transferred as a curiosity or ornament.



MISCELLANEOUS

The governing authority of any political subdivision or local or other governmental authority of the state is preempted from bringing suit to recover against any firearms or ammunition manufacturer, trade association, or dealer for damages for injury, death, or loss or to seek other injunctive relief resulting from or relating to the lawful design, manufacture, marketing, or sale of firearms or ammunition. The authority to bring such actions as may be authorized by law shall be reserved exclusively to the state.

It is unlawful to obliterate, remove, change, or alter numbers or marks of identification on any firearm. No person shall intentionally receive, possess, carry, conceal, buy, sell, or transport any firearm from which the serial number or mark of identification has been obliterated. This shall not apply to any firearm which is an antique or war relic and is inoperable or for which ammunition is no longer manufactured in the U.S. and is not readily available in the ordinary channels of commercial trade, or which was originally manufactured without such a number.

No governing authority of a political subdivision shall enact after July 15, 1985 any ordinance or regulation more restrictive than state law concerning in any way the sale, purchase, possession, ownership, transfer, transportation, license, use, or registration of firearms, ammunition, or components of firearms or ammunition.

No person shall import, manufacture, sell, purchase, possess, or transfer, any bullet that has a steel inner core or core of equivalent density and hardness, truncated cone, and is designed for use in a handgun as a body armor or metal piercing bullet, or which has been primarily manufactured or designed by nature of its shape, cross-sectional density, or any coating applied thereto, to breach or penetrate body armor when fired from a handgun.

[XavierBreath]

A bit to add, CCW is forbidden in gun free zones, such as schools (Tulane). At LSU you can register weapons with the campus police and place them in a safe box there (you keep the key) and then pick them up to leave campus and go shoot. You must return them there immediately upon reentering campus. You may NOT keep any piece of the gun or it's ammo with you on campus. Doing so will violate the privilege. (I know this because my son attends LSU and does it.) I'm not sure how Tulane handles this, but they may have something similar. Ask, it won't be held against you.

In Louisiana your car is considered an extension of your home, and as such you can have a weapon concealed IN THE CAR (not on your person) without a permit. You ARE expected to tell an officer where it is, and it's condition if you are stopped. You CANNOT do this in the afore mentioned gunfree zones. If you have a CCW you MUST inform an officer anytime you come in contact on official business, even if you were the one who called the police.

In Louisiana you must be 18 to purchase a rifle or shotgun. 21 for a handgun.

The CCW is fairly easy to get, and if you have military experience using a handgun the class can be waived. If you went to Iraq in Gulf War One they will want to check with the Iraqi government for any weapons infractions while you were there. This will cost an extra $50. If you have been a Louisiana resident for 15 years the cost is $100 first time around. Me, I traveled the world in the Navy. The knuckleheads wanted to check every country.

Louisiana is a shall issue state. If you get a CCW, you may want to consider a non-resident Florida license, because there is more reciprocity. Go to http://www.packing.org/ to check out the latest.
Places you cannot pack a gun in Louisiana include churches, gun free zones, court buildings, parades, and any place that serves alcohol. There are a few others, but those pop to mind immediately.

FWIW, I guess it was about ten years ago that Louisiana decided not to prosecute anyone who shot a carjacker. You are allowed to shoot anyone who invades your home without prosecution (subject to variation between parishes, but generally true).

Welcome to the Bayou state. You'll like it here. except for the humidity. If you run over an alligator, don't stop right away.

[bamf]

Thanks guys for the info.

A few more questions, is there any firearms banned (excluding class III) or magazine limit or anything that would hinder my purchase of any firearm I might want, safety testing etc.

Waiting periods?

[B_Scott]

quote "and as such you can have a weapon concealed IN THE CAR (not on your person) without a permit. You ARE expected to tell an officer where it is, and it's condition if you are stopped."

NO NO NO. You only have to inform a LEO if you have a CCW.
DO NOT tell a NOPD that you have a gun in the car if you are not required to. You will be harassed by most of them.

Have fun at Tulane.

[XavierBreath]

If you hold a CCW, the officer will know it when he runs your plates. You must give him the CCW license along with your driver's license. It would be advisable not to deny where your weapon is at and it's condition. If you are NOT a CCW holder, you do not have to say a thing, unless he specifically asks about any weapons in the vehicle. At that point you will have to make up your mind whether to lie or not.

thanks for the clarification B.Scott! ;)

There are no restrictions on what you can own other than the federal laws.

[RGO]

Hi,

This is my first post on The High Road.

I'm a student at LSU, and felt that I had to point out some errors stated in this thread.

From XavierBreath:
A bit to add, CCW is forbidden in gun free zones, such as schools (Tulane). At LSU you can register weapons with the campus police and place them in a safe box there (you keep the key) and then pick them up to leave campus and go shoot. You must return them there immediately upon reentering campus. You may NOT keep any piece of the gun or it's ammo with you on campus. Doing so will violate the privilege. (I know this because my son attends LSU and does it.) I'm not sure how Tulane handles this, but they may have something similar. Ask, it won't be held against you.

Universities are not gun-free zones. K-12 schools are. At LSU you ARE ALLOWED to have a gun in your dorm room, for example. You can open carry from your car to your dorm room. If you have a CCW, you can carry concealed on campus. If you check with the campus police, they will verify what I've said.


In Louisiana you must be 18 to purchase a rifle or shotgun. 21 for a handgun.

Only if buying from an FFL. You can buy at 18 otherwise (handguns included).


Welcome to the Bayou state. You'll like it here. except for the humidity. If you run over an alligator, don't stop right away.

Ain't that the truth! :)

From bamf:
A few more questions, is there any firearms banned (excluding class III) or magazine limit or anything that would hinder my purchase of any firearm I might want, safety testing etc.

Waiting periods?

No bans. No magazine limits. No waiting periods.
Louisiana: Proud recipient of an "F" from the Brady campaign. :D

RGO

[Preacherman]

Come on down, shooting brother! We'll give you a warm Louisiana welcome.

That reminds me... SouthLa1 and I were planning a get-together for Louisiana THR members, prior to his sad death a couple of months ago. I think it's time to get those plans on the road again... any of you Louisiana THR members interested?

[Bergeron]

I would defintely enjoy a THR Louisiana get-together.

Let's plan it for after August 8 though, I won't be back from Oak Ridge, TN till then. We do have a thread in one of the other forums on this. Been dead for a while now, maybe we should revive it?

[Matthew Courtney]

If you hold a CCW, the officer will know it when he runs your plates. You must give him the CCW license along with your driver's license. It would be advisable not to deny where your weapon is at and it's condition. If you are NOT a CCW holder, you do not have to say a thing, unless he specifically asks about any weapons in the vehicle. At that point you will have to make up your mind whether to lie or not.

You are only required by statute to notify LEO's that you are armed and present ID and CCW when you are carrying on your permit. As one may carry in one's car without a permit, notification is not required in that circumstance.

Lying to LEO's is always a bad idea. If a Cop asks you a question that you do not want to answer, just do not answer.