Interesting chat with a traffic cop...

Caveat- Ohio is a "must notify" state.
A few years back I was going to buy a lawn mower and missed the turn, so I made a u-turn. As luck would have it there was a villiage police car coming the other way and he lit me up.
As the law required I "immediately notified" him I had a ccw and a firearm.
The cop lost his cool instantly, drew his pistol, ordered me to keep my hands out the window, and called for priority backup.
Two more villiage pd cruisers- one of which turned out to be the chief- roared up in a minute.
I could hear them ask "what do you have?" And he told them I did a u-turn and had a ccw gun.
Chief walks to my door and asks did I have a ccw license? And I replied I did. He asked to see my papers, gave them a quick look, said OK, he's a rookie, and told me to be careful and have a nice day,

In Michigan you must notify "immediately" when the cop gets to your window, and if he feels it wasn't fast enough you get hit with a misdemeanor as well as suspension of your CPL.

Red Wind said:

Just another reason not to inform unless you are in one of the 9 states where it is required upon official contact with a LEO.

Tennessee is not one of the 9.

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BTW, do you know which states DO require it? I've tried to look it up on-line, and couldn't find it (shoulda looked harder, I guess).
If I do ever get pulled over again, I'd planned on handing my CCL along with the DL just to be safe, but I'd like to know for sure.

I got pulled over the first time since carrying a month ago. In Ohio you must inform. I would anyways. Why? I put myself in their shoes. I don't scramble for documents before they walk up. ( beyond getting my wallet out.) That makes them nervous. I keep my hands on the wheel, turn on the dome light if its dark. They like to know what your hands are doing. When they walk up, I inform them I'm armed, and where it is, if its within reach. They don't like surprises. (No need to tell them my shotgun is in the trunk.) When they ask for something, I till them where it is before reaching for it.

My encounter went much like the OP. A little courtesy from an "in their shoes" perspective goes a long way. I did get a ticket for no seat belt - non-moving violation. I thanked him for only giving me a warning for speed - 69 in a 50. That one would have been expensive.

As a retired LEO you passed the "attitude" test. That's a huge break. My kind of officer.

Just another reason not to inform unless you are in one of the 9 states where it is required upon official contact with a LEO.

Tennessee is not one of the 9.

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Unfortunately Michigan is. But, I've heard mostly the conversation generally goes like, Officer, I'm legally carrying a handgun, how would you like me to proceed?

Cop: Just leave it where it's at.

To MIL-DOT. The 9 states where you must notify the LEO upon official contact: Alaska,Arkansas,Louisiana,Michigan,Nebraska,North Carolina,Ohio,Oklahoma and South Carolina.

To TimSr and others. We had a poll on THR a few years back about whether the 9 inform states or the 41 no need to inform states had it right. There were hundreds of votes.

About 90% of THR voters went with the 41 state majority. I'll try to dig it up in the "archives". The comments make good reading.

Was pulled over twice in Florida, lived here 13 years. First time, tax collecting in Winter Park, you need to know they haunt a particular road.
Second time, two bike Officers, they said they were going to tell my Son I was doing 40 in a 35! With much laughter, I was driving a marked Security Vehicle.

Last, not stopped, a crash! A visitor from Ohio, half an hour after picking up his rental SUV Volkswagen, from Hertz at Toronto Airport. He swung across Dr Phillips Blvd, into my front left wheel, him doing 30+? me doing the speed limit, 40 MPH.

My 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee, totaled it. Me, no apparent damage to me? Till 4 days later! A Orlando Police Officer friend of mine, was at home, a mile away, I called him to come and help out (the other driver would not show me any ID of proof of Insurance, even the rental form) FHP listed him as Driver one, prior to FHP arriving, a Orange County Deputy stopped by, the Parra Medics, took my blood pressure, 174/93 "We have to take you to Hospital" I informed the Deputy, "I have a Orlando PD friend coming to pick up some Glocks, could you mind them till he gets here, he only lives a mile away"

He said OK were are they, I gave him a small case with a G26/G19/G17 in it. a fanny pack my Son had given me, with his G19/G43 in it, he had gone on a flight that day. "I have a Glock 19 on my belt, loaded, do you want me to unload it?" He said he had that same pistol at home, and he would unload it, he did.

When my Buddy Mike rolled up, he passed them over. No ID was asked for, no CCWL either! Mike said the Security written all over the Jeep might have been a clue reference my status!

Only in Florida.

Laws differ in different states and as I am a new transplant to the state of Virginia when I got my CCW here I made a point at The earliest opportunity to talk to a local Leo about they would prefer during a traffic stop as to informing him that I was carrying a weapon. In Virginia your carry permit is linked to your DL so as soon as they pull up your drivers license info it tells them that you have a permit you are also not required to inform an officer that you're carrying a weapon as I explain to the officer I would just assume keep him safe and myself safe that's why I was I was asking what he preferred he said personally he would rather have someone tell him even though it's not required by law he also said with a few exceptions most of the other offices would appreciate the same courtesy he also informed me that he would be more inclined to give someone a break knowing that they went through the trouble of getting a permit and as a courtesy informed him that they were carrying as it turns out even though he was about 30 years my junior that we were originally from the same part of the country ( Long Island New York) in fact he had grown up in the same town that I lived in both of us had moved to Florida and as he put it where halfbacks because we then moved to Virginia all in all it was a very nice and informative conversation I wish him a safe evening and we parted ways. As younger man I can say that I've probably had an extensive experience in traffic stops Some of them ended with me getting warnings and some of them ended with me getting citations I have always found that hav some of them ended with me getting warnings and some of them ended with me getting citations I have always Believe it to be a good idea to be open and honest with the local Leo's it's never their fault that were speeding and they're just doing their job for the most part and if you treat them with respect they will do that same towards you after all you never know when you might need one and the last thing you ever want is to be in a he said she said situation and I have a cop show up that already has a bad opinion about you. Ps sorry for any miss spells or typos or auto text strikes again

I was recently pulled over for going about 9 over on my way to work. First time with a CCW. I gave the officer my license and CCW permit and informed her I was carrying, she said "thank you for letting me know".

And that was that. I got a warning and was on my way.

Got pulled over going to work one day. Expired registration. LEO liked my NRA decal.

I was pulled over one morning, 3 am, coming home from out of town job in a new model corvette. I was 29 at the time. I had a 45 in the center console. We were in rural Idaho 40 miles past nowhere and it was a Idaho State cop by himself. I thought as he was coming up to the car that I had better tell him I had a gun and where it was. He laughed and said that he had a gun too. I think a lot of officers do not care...ie you are either a threat or not. It was 40 years ago and I cannot remember if I got a ticket or not.

I had a very positive police incident many years ago on the Pa turnpike. I was driving home on a Sunday afternoon after dropping my son off at college. There was marked state police car sitting in plain sight on the side of the road w/ a radar gun. I looked down and I was doing 82 in a 65 MPH zone. He took my papers and went to the rear of my car to check my tags and noticed my NRA Life Member window sticker. He said he was an NRA member also and did I have any firearms in the car. I told him I had two revolvers in my trunk and he asked what I had. One was a Colt Python and he asked to see it. Said that was one pistol he would love to own. So after fondling it for about 10 minutes, gave it back to be and said slow down on the way home...that was my verbal warning. Nice trooper!

Going 59 in a 45, going 82 in a 65, rolling through stop signs, expired registration, illegal u-turns. I'm seeing a pattern here.

I've had three traffic stops since I started living where it was legal to carry. One in FL was very cordial, I let him know I had a CCW & license, and I got a ticket for 5 over when he could have given me one for 15 over (a LOT higher fine). The second one in FL the cop tried to give me a ticket for running a stop sign when I had to physically stop to let a car making a left turn go. That guy took my handgun, unloaded it, told me I should clean it and not to touch it until they had pulled away. No ticket, though.

In AZ I got a ticket for being in an HOV lane when I shouldn't have been. I told the motorcycle cop my holstered gun was in the same compartment as my registration and insurance (I know, Imshould have had it on me, but it was a new to me car and the seats were tighter). He told me so long as it stayed there he had no problem.

Red Wind said:

Just another reason not to inform unless you are in one of the 9 states where it is required upon official contact with a LEO.

Tennessee is not one of the 9.

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When the LEO pulls you over, you are under his control. It's his rules.

No, you don't have to inform him, but if you want to put his mind at ease and make him more comfortable with you and the situation at large, you'll want to divulge that you are carrying. This helps the relationship between the officer and the civilian, and puts you in a good light.

You are certainly entitled to your opinion, however it will never be mine or the opinion of the vast majority of this or any other major gun forum that I frequent.

I could run another Poll but that would be redundant. The results would be about the same:

Red Wind said:

To TimSr and others. We had a poll on THR a few years back about whether the 9 inform states or the 41 no need to inform states had it right. There were hundreds of votes.

About 90% of THR voters went with the 41 state majority. I'll try to dig it up in the "archives". The comments make good reading.

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Live with your beliefs about LEO's and I'll live with mine.

I worked with cops almost every day for almost 20 years. And when they have a official contact with a citizen and the word firearm is introduced in any form, the vast majority have an attitude change.

And why do 41 states have a remain silent rule? Plain common sense ,plus having to notify is a infringement. And does any criminal EVER notify? As I say, go your own way and good luck. I know of enough horror stories to last many lifetimes.

Why not do a poll of police officers on how they feel? They are ones who will make life troublesome for you if they find an undeclared gun.

You need a scientifically sample poll anyway, not an Internet vivid instance, complaint fest.

I've never had any trouble, always positive and polite.

Poppy42

I see you edited your post and feel compelled to ask: "was it punctuation that you 'forgot to add'?"

Undeclared State or not, it's might be a good idea FOR YOU & your physical well being, to tell the LEO you're armed.

But, you decide.

You go, Poppy42! Been there, done that. Keep posting, please.

GEM said:

Why not do a poll of police officers on how they feel? They are ones who will make life troublesome for you if they find an undeclared gun.

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Fine with me. Any LEO can do it. As was said, I interacted with literally hundreds of cops for almost 2 decades. I know how they think and how they react to different stimuli. I don't need any poll. I've been with them, seen them brave, seen them scared, seen them ambivalent.

I need no "scientific" poll. I've had the real life experience. Anyone here who wants to poll, poll away!

As it stands ,it's 41 to 9 with my side ahead by over 4 TD's.
And I am done with this subject. I prefer to remain in good standing on THR and this hot button issue brings out the worst in many.

So, 10-7.

I have a heavy foot and drive a sports car so I get to interact with law enforcement every 2-3 years. I am always respectful, even if they are not. Here are my observations from my experience:

- State police, regardless of state, are always professional.

- Local police are a mixed bag. Last case was a ticket for 31 in a 25. Officer also threatened to ticket me for no seat belt. I took it off to get my wallet out while he was walking to my window. Judge laughed and dismissed it. I always go to court.

- Tribal police border on incompetent.

The officers I have discussed firearms with have said that in NM they assume everyone is armed. Probably a good assumption. When I have told them I'm armed (not required) I have always been thanked.

Cooldill said:

When the LEO pulls you over, you are under his control. It's his rules.

No, you don't have to inform him, but if you want to put his mind at ease and make him more comfortable with you and the situation at large, you'll want to divulge that you are carrying. This helps the relationship between the officer and the civilian, and puts you in a good light.

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No, it's NOT 'his rules". It's the the "rules" of the Ohio Revised Code. We're BOTH subject to them.

The law is what matters, NOT his "comfort".