Traveling from Florida to Pennsylvania with handguns

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Jack B.

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I'm planning to stay in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania hotels in mid August. I live in Florida and have a carry permit for that state and I pretty much understand the laws for my state. When I cross into Georgia. Traveling on I95 most of the way I plan to take my carry gun off of me and lock it in a safe in a storage compartment in the back of my SUV. Ammo in a separate safe, I will be taking two hand guns with me and plan on storing them both in the same manner. I've been trying to research hand gun laws for the states I'll be traveling through and as far as every state south of Maryland I look like I will be legal. I will be bypassing Washington DC. My main concern is can I stay legally in hotels in these states. My revolver is a five shot a I only have two 10 round magazines for the semi- auto. Maryland is my main concern. It appears to be unfriendly to gun owners. If I leave my guns locked in the car safe can I take them in the hotel rooms with me our should I leave them locked in the car. Don't want to do that if it can be avoided. Any solid advise an a link to the law would be appreciated .
 
Your options will depend on the reciprocity laws of each state you pass through. You can check reciprocity and provisions of state firearms laws at www.handgunlaw.us. You can also get a smartphone app to check while on the road. I use an iPhone and have the app CCW — Concealed Carry 50 States. I think it is also available on the Android App Store. I drive foe SE PA to FL once a year. I have a PA resident permit and. AZ non resident permit. Between the two I can CC in all the stages between except DC and Maryland which do not have reciprocity with any states.
 
As with anything Firearms related the gun laws of each state makes traveling through them a bit difficult. The Safe Travel act in FOPA only covers you if you are passing through. It doesn't specifically state any protection if you stop and stay overnight. I haven't heard of any test cases, but that doesn't mean one hasn't happened yet. I also use the CCW app with my iPhone to give me a good idea of what states have reciprocity with others. Not sure if your Penn license will cover you in Virginia. Get the app and it will tell you. I'd be willing to bet it doesn't cover you in Maryland, who is notoriously anti gun. Be careful if you travel and stay there with your guns.
 
Maryland is my main concern. It appears to be unfriendly to gun owners.
Yes, I agree that Maryland will be your problem. Don't plan on staying in Maryland overnight. In fact, you could plan to take I-81 north from Virginia / West Virginia into Pennsylvania. There's only a very short stretch where it crosses Maryland. If you want to see the sights in Maryland or D.C., rent a room in Virginia or Pennsylvania, leave the guns there (in a hotel safe?), and commute to your sightseeing.
 
I also use the CCW app with my iPhone to give me a good idea of what states have reciprocity with others. Not sure if your Penn license will cover you in Virginia. Get the app and it will tell you. I'd be willing to bet it doesn't cover you in Maryland, who is notoriously anti gun.

Both my PA resident and AZ non resident permits cover me in VA..
 
I've made the trip many times, traveling from Ft. Pierce, FL to Lancaster County, PA for deer hunting. I don't stop for the night, until Springfield, VA. There, I lock my empty carry piece and hunting handgun in a case. Ammo is in a separate locked case. I leave early in the morning, to beat the Washington rush hour. I never stop in Maryland. My next stop is in Newark, DE, there I park away from the crowds, remove cases from the back of my truck. Reload and holster my carry piece and I'm on my way to Lancaster. Washington DC and Maryland are the Big Trouble spots.

Have a safe trip.
 
I just made the round trip last fall, ATL to Dayton, to Lancaster, to Philly and back to ATL. I skirted Maryland even though it cost me several hours of driving. Stay away from there. Bad JuJu.
 
I'm planning to stay in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania hotels in mid August. I live in Florida and have a carry permit for that state and I pretty much understand the laws for my state. When I cross into Georgia. Traveling on I95 most of the way I plan to take my carry gun off of me and lock it in a safe in a storage compartment in the back of my SUV. Ammo in a separate safe, I will be taking two hand guns with me and plan on storing them both in the same manner. I've been trying to research hand gun laws for the states I'll be traveling through and as far as every state south of Maryland I look like I will be legal. I will be bypassing Washington DC. My main concern is can I stay legally in hotels in these states. My revolver is a five shot a I only have two 10 round magazines for the semi- auto. Maryland is my main concern. It appears to be unfriendly to gun owners. If I leave my guns locked in the car safe can I take them in the hotel rooms with me our should I leave them locked in the car. Don't want to do that if it can be avoided. Any solid advise an a link to the law would be appreciated .
Check this site.
https://handgunlaw.us/ It provides summaries of the law as well as links to each state's website where you can read the actual text of the relevant laws. There's no reason to unload and stow your weapon till you get to Maryland. I would avoid staying over night or even stopping in MD at all costs. Technically you're covered by FOPA if you're traveling through MD, but overnight stays are pushing it. People have been arrested for less.
 
Yes, I agree that Maryland will be your problem. Don't plan on staying in Maryland overnight. In fact, you could plan to take I-81 north from Virginia / West Virginia into Pennsylvania. There's only a very short stretch where it crosses Maryland. If you want to see the sights in Maryland or D.C., rent a room in Virginia or Pennsylvania, leave the guns there (in a hotel safe?), and commute to your sightseeing.

The last couple of times I traveled from FL to PA and back that's the route I took.

You spend maybe 15 min in MD. I would just take it nice and easy and cruise though at the speed limit.

Be sure to eat and have enough fuel before you hit MD and never stop there
 
Below is text directly quoted from the www.handgunlaw.us page for Maryland

"If you interrupt your trip while in Maryland, you come under state law, and may not transport a handgun even unloaded and cased, except to a few designated destinations (range, residence, etc.) without a Maryland Permit. These restrictions on transportation do not apply to long guns." (Emphasis added.)

Based on this I would either pass straight thru MD or just avoid it altogether.
 
It's all very well to to say it's legal to transport a handgun right through Maryland without stopping but you better hope that whoever stops you knows that.

There are also unforseen things that could prevent you from exiting Maryland in the expected time frame; i.e., car trouble.

I would not want to be anywhere in Maryland with a handgun. In fact, I wouldn't want to be in Maryland with anything for any reason. I would definitely go a few hours out of my way to avoid Maryland.
 
West by GOD Virginia is really nice this time of year. Avoid Maryland at all costs.
Coming from west coast Florida to visit relatives in Gettysburg PA I went out of my way and enjoyed WV and western PA.
 
I travel from Pa. to Florida and S. Carolina quite often and have a CCW in Pa.. With that being said when I travel through Maryland on I 81 (which is 17 miles) I am very cautious. They are very strict in that state and will confiscate a firearm. It seems they don't care about the Interstate Transportation Firearms Act.
 
Stay off the Interstates and travel the nice back roads; might take a few hours longer, but you won't have the stress of driving on I-95 or other interstate and you'll get to see some nice countryside. My wife and I went from Florida to Maine a few years ago (because she wanted a lobster roll) 4000 miles in 10 days or so and very little on Interstates. You'll also likely see fewer highway patrols or sheriffs since they are lightly traveled.
 
If I go into Maryland I will leave my hand guns at a relatives house( that they own) overnight and pick them up the next day and drive straight to PA. Thoughts?
 
Federal laws come into play here. You can legally transport your firearms thru any state in the union when certain transport rules are adhered to. I Tavel Ri to Fl and return once a year sometimes twice a year. Troublesome states are non stop except for necessary pit stops. Overnights only In Florida reciprocal states.
 
If I go into Maryland I will leave my hand guns at a relatives house( that they own) overnight and pick them up the next day and drive straight to PA. Thoughts?
Why? What good would that do? Leaving them at a relatives just opens up potential for a bunch of additional problems. Maryland isn't that big. Just don't stay there.
 
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Ironically, it is legal to transport a machine gun through Maryland, provided you have filed a Form 5320.20 with the ATF. If you stay longer than 24 hours, though, you have to register the machine gun with the Maryland State Police. (Maryland is a Uniform Machine Gun Act state, same as Virginia.)
 
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