Traffic Stop: Will "Are You Armed?" Question Become SOP?

I don't see a reason to lie about it if you are legal.

A driver's license, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance is required to drive on public roads, there is no law (at least in Al or Fl) that says that you must or must not be armed.

So I don't see this becoming the "norm", however I would not lie to the officer.

ColtPythonElite said:

I don't see a reason to lie about it if you are legal.

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That goes for me too. It's not against the law to lie to a non-federal officer to the best of my knowledge, but what's the point if you're on the up-and-up?

You may very well be asked if you are armed by the LEO if your state lists your CCW status on your registration. The LEO may know you are a holder and ask if you are armed when approaches your car. Once again, I don't see a reason to lie.

Don't ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies. It shouldn't be about whether or not you should lie to an LEO, it should be about whether or not they have any legitmate authority to ask. I never bought into the whole "it's for officer safety" B.S. If you're going to interact with people you don't know anything about on a dark road you better assume that they may have a weapon. They may or may not intend on comitting a crime with it. Even though they may smile and show you a CCW card and let you hold their gun they very well might pull another gun on you. But if we proceed on the assumption that everybody should be detained and searched because they "might" be dangerous that is not a free country. That is a police state. That is what we now have at our airports. If a police state is "necessary for officer safety" then we no longer live in a free society. My forefathers did not fight and bleed and die so that agents of the Govt. might "feel safe" as they perform their duties. If you can't deal with the concept that there are some really bad people walking around among the good people then you have a problem. Stripping us of our rights and privacy is not the solution to that problem.

In Michigan you MUST disclose that you're carrying if you're pulled over. I'm sure they already know when they run your plates, but still you must disclose it whether asked or not.

There is NO X amount of step/moves rule for carrying a gun in a car in Florida, not at ALL...never has been

The rule is it must be securely encased and not immediately accessible for use Securely encased is defined as in a glove box, snap holster or a container that has a lid to that has to be opened to access the gun etc, immediately accessible is defined as in as easy to grab and use as if it were on your person, storing as above it is not immediately ready for use

just keep it in the glove box, or center console w/ a lid or just in a snap holster, if you tell the cop you have it expect them to take it, and unload all mags and then they will drop the empty mags, gun and loose bullets in your trunk and tell you you may go

In Florida there is NO duty to notify

Do what's REQUIRED by law.

If you're required to notify, notify. If you're not, don't.

If asked respond truthfully.

so the odds of me getting pulled over for a traffic violation are pretty slim

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Careful, I got too comfortable saying that and then the next day I got a seat belt ticket.

Yeah. I get seat belt tickets a lot too. It's so nice to have the Govt. working so hard to "protect" you ain't it?

I'm sure it will save my butt when/if I ever get into a accident, but why do they make them so damn uncomfortable?

I don't see a reason to lie about it if you are legal.

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I don't see a reason to divulge, either.

That goes for me too. It's not against the law to lie to a non-federal officer to the best of my knowledge, but what's the point if you're on the up-and-up?

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If I'm on the up-and-up, who cares what I'm carrying? I'm obviously a good guy, otherwise I wouldn't have a license to carry in the first place.

I reject the outlook that good guys have "nothing to hide" and therefore should automatically cooperate with law enforcement. The fact is that good guy or not, law enforcement is not your friend. That's not said to bash cops, merely to state reality. Good people have been put through the ringer by police "just doing their jobs" many times in the past, and will continue to be. One of the things that will help prevent that sort of thing happening, though, is by asserting your rights, and not playing along when you don't have to.

....or some other way that it takes "two moves" to get to it

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No such rule in Florida. You really should know the law.

At routine traffic checks, I automatically hand over my driver’s license, vehicle registration and insurance documents and my concealed carry license. It is not a legal obligation; I see it as a friendly/transparency gesture.

"[sigh] Does it look like I'm armed?"

fiddleharp said:

Will the new "normal" include the LEO asking every driver whether or not there is a gun in the vehicle as standard operating procedure?

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Are you guys seeing this out in the world? I've never been asked this question before. My lead foot and I have (unfortunately) some pretty regular contact with LE and this has never come up.

Sometimes I hand over the CHL, sometimes I forget, but I've never been flat out asked if there was a gun in the vehicle other than when I had a long gun visible to the LEO.

Why would there be a "new" normal?

The old normal for traffic stops seems to work pretty well. Is there some reason why asking if people were armed is now obligatory for every stop anyone makes?

Don't ever lie to a peace officer if stopped in a public place. They have the upper hand, and can make your life miserable. If you do, and they catch you in a lie, it will only go downhill, FAST. Be polite, cordial, but don't volunteer information that was not specifically asked. You want the encounter to be brief, and over with ASAP. The longer you are the subject of their focus, the more likely you will be riding in the back of their car.

I had a Las Vegas officer tell me he always asks if there are guns in the vehicle, just because it is legal in NV to carry a gun in the vehicle. If there is a gun they have to unload it and run the sn. Now I live in Pahrump in Nye Co. and when stopped by a Sheriff's Deputy he did not ask about guns and I did not volunteer that I had a ccw because I was not carrying - there was a snubbie in the center console but it never came up. I guess having a ccw doesn't come up on their computer because he never mentioned it.

As for not informing if you don't have to, every CCW class I've had here in NV has advised to show the officer the CCW right away even though we do not have to inform. I had the opportunity to do this once back around '06 when I was stopped by NHP for doing 85 - I handed it over with the license and registration and he asked if I was carrying. I said "Yes, right hip", and he had me get out and he disarmed me from behind. He unloaded it, ran it and gave it back by laying it on the floor of the back seat along with the mag and spare round. I got a $60 ticket but could have gotten a $350 ticket. I did not like being disarmed but I would hate to not tell the officer and have him find out.

(in the state of Florida)......it takes "two moves" to get to it.

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^ this is wrong


i dont know the statutes in Florida (leave that to THR Member NavyLT...hes the expert on finding statutes)
but the law basically states that either

a) If you DO NOT have a Concealed Weapon or Firearm License = Handgun in vehicle may be loaded but not "immediately accessible" ie glove box, center console, zipper pouch, snapped holster, box with lid, or any where else "not immediately accessible"

b) If you DO have a Concealed Weapon or Firearm License = You can keep a handgun, where you want, how you want, in whatever condition you want...even on the dashboard in plain view (not recommended)

the above does not apply to long guns....those can be stored wherever however as well, CWL or No

willie nelson set my rules for lying in the movie thief with james cann

I have avoided being stopped for any reason sinse 1984; some due to luck, but mostly the way I drive. Saves ga$. Watch those limit lines, crosswalks, pedestrians, and signals VERY closely. NO ROLLING STOPS!!! Let them focus on someone else. Don't draw attention, and likely you will AVOID CONTACT OF ANY KIND.
But for me the biggest reason is that by not getting citations, I deny revenue to the state. If 90% of my fellow California indentured servants did this, we could likely bankrupt this political diaper and start over!

I just give them licence, insurance and CCW & get it over with wherever I am..

I have avoided being stopped for any reason sinse 1984; some due to luck, but mostly the way I drive. Saves ga$. Watch those limit lines, crosswalks, pedestrians, and signals VERY closely. NO ROLLING STOPS!!! Let them focus on someone else. Don't draw attention, and likely you will AVOID CONTACT OF ANY KIND.

Watch out for trailer lights out, or expired tags. There are a ton of ways to get pulled over, even if you drive very safely.

Of course, the cops around here have been very nice, they've cut me breaks when they didn't have to. The trailer incident happened opening day last year...we were headed out, they pulled me over to let me know the lights weren't working. I went to work figuring it out (tracked down a bad ground later that day) and they moved on. Hunting partner realized she had an unloaded Browning in the bag at her feet, with magazine, after we drove off.

For a standard stop, I probably wouldn't disclose, but I'm only carrying when obviously hunting (unloaded in the car) or if I'm going to shoot. If I'm going to be reaching anywhere near a firearm, or if there's any chance the officer will see a firearm or shooting equipment, yes I would say something first. I would agree that it comes down to not drawing attention to yourself. For a handgun in the console, I'd ignore it unless pulled out of the vehicle (if no duty to inform)...if they're going to search, say something. If you have something in the glove box, and have to reach into there for the registration you'd damn well better say something before opening it. Handing over the CCW license seems like a good middle ground, you're showing you're legal and implying that you're carrying. If they're concerned or want to know, the LEO will ask.