CCW at the Post Office

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bushmaster1313

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I am pretty sure that concealed or open carry of a handgun at the U.S. Post Office is a big no-no.

I think this also applies to the parking lot.

What do you do if you are licensed to carry and you need to go to the post office?

Lock the gun in the trunk in an off site parking space?

Are there laws against leaving a handgun locked in an unattended car?
 
In order:

Correct: No guns on Postal Property, period. Very bad things can happen to you if caught.

Correct, All postal property including parking lots.

Send someone else to the PO for you if you can not leave your gun alone. *they get lonely. . :D"

Sounds like a good idea.

Laws regarding leaving a gun in your car are a matter of local jurisdiction.

Another question in the same vein. . Would a Pak-n-Mail or Mailboxes Etc be considered USPS property? They accept postal shipments and sell postage. This is not referring to the contract PO's inside stores & gas stations in rural areas-those are a whole other can of worms.
 
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Correct: No guns on Postal Property, period. Very bad things can happen to you if caught.
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while I do not carry my CCW into the post office I have shipped several firearms via the post office. Never had a problem just fill out the paperwork and hand it over.
 
So if I'm sitting in my car, waiting for someone to be done in the USPS office, and there are firearms in my vehicle, I'm breaking the law? Seems hardly believable.
 
PTK said:
So if I'm sitting in my car, waiting for someone to be done in the USPS office, and there are firearms in my vehicle, I'm breaking the law? Seems hardly believable.
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Well, you're okay if you're parked on the street or in a parking lot common to the post office and a number of private business (e. g., a strip mall). But if you're parked in a parking lot exclusive to the post office (or the post office and other federal agencies), believe it.
 
That's absolutely wild. What else is defined as a dangerous or deadly weapon for purposes of this prohibition? Where could I look that up?
 
It's true. From http://cfr.vlex.com/vid/232-1-conduct-postal-property-19777182#ixzz0yLJnkak8

(l) Weapons and explosives. No person while on postal property may carry firearms, other dangerous or deadly weapons, or explosives, either openly or concealed, or store the same on postal property, except for official purposes.
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I read that as the parking lot as well. For a non-dedicated post office (like one in a strip mall, you're probably on firmer ground as it's clearly not just postal property).
 
while I do not carry my CCW into the post office I have shipped several firearms via the post office. Never had a problem just fill out the paperwork and hand it over.
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The firearm is already in the box and is being legally shipped. That is about the only time it is legal to have a firearm on USPS property. With as much discussion as there is about shipping firearms, I vapor-locked on that one. :uhoh:

So if I'm sitting in my car, waiting for someone to be done in the USPS office, and there are firearms in my vehicle, I'm breaking the law? Seems hardly believable.
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Beleive :(. 39 CFR 232.1, This is part of the sign at USPS facilities:

(l) Weapons and explosives. No person while on postal property may carry firearms, other dangerous or deadly weapons, or explosives, either openly or concealed, or store the same on postal property, except for official purposes.

Interesting article here: http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/Concealed-carry-in-a-post-office-may-lead-to-rude-awakening
 
That's just... wild. This very completely ends my use of the local post office, since my firearms must either be on my person or in my car currently due to unfortunate housing circumstances. :(
 
bushmaster1313 said:
Handgun in the car in the parking lot is bad.

Long gun may not be a problem. Anyone know?
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I don't think the issue is handgun vs long gun, I think the issue is loaded readily accessible firearm vs unloaded, boxed up and ready to ship firearm.

I've never heard of a CCW licensee being charged with packing at the post office, nor do I think its 100% settled law (there seems to be some conflicts in the law ... I don't remember what they are but this subject is a perennial favorite on gun forums. It comes down to one of those technically it might be legal but I wouldn't want to be the test case scenarios).

I would recommend erring on the side of caution and leaving the gun in the car (and parking outside the parking lot) but even if you decide to carry I'd bet you've got a very small risk of trouble.
 
I know for a fact that a postal employee with a CCW permit was dismissed for having a gun in his glove compartment in the post office parking lot amd that the case was appealed to the Federal Circuit.

I do not know what happened on appeal.
 
@PTK im sure we could arrange a way for at least part of your amazing collection to be stored he in FL under my supervision until your housing arrangement improves :D
 
bushmaster1313 said:
I know for a fact that a postal employee with a CCW permit was dismissed for having a gun in his glove compartment in the post office parking lot amd that the case was appealed to the Federal Circuit.

I do not know what happened on appeal.
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Ok, that's possibly one. But he's an employee that was there every day for several hours (and they probably found out he had a CCW probably from conversation between him and other employees) not a postal customer running in and out of the post office every once in a while.
 
I've never seen a sign at the post office I go to in Tennessee saying it is illegal. I do conceal my handgun. I have read the postal reg stating carrying a firearm for UNLAWFUL purposes is like a fifty dollar fine. I am not carrying unlawfully because I have a permit. People mail long guns and FFL's can mail handguns and long guns at the post office, again lawful.

I do carry concealed so no one knows anyway. We do not have a state law against carrying on fed property. I read about a guy in VA who was fined fifty bucks for carrying openly as a test case, so who knows. I'm not asking the people at my post office for permission because like all govt employees they'll say 'no'. It is better for them not to know what I do.
 
shipping and carrying are 2 separate issues. shipping long guns-ok. carrying not ok

how could there be a state law affecting federal property? the state has no jurisdiction over federal property.
 
That's absolutely wild.
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Yep, but more so, it's idiotic.
What else is defined as a dangerous or deadly weapon for purposes of this prohibition?
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IANAL, but I once read/heard something about knives and the PO. IIRC, any blade over 3", on PO property is a C felony. Not completely certain though.

Anyways, I have to mail a number of things every week, and since it is not just envelopes that I can stamp and drop in some box, I've had to enter a PO to do this for many years now. Well, I used to always carry a "large" (3.5") folder on me, until I found out about this alleged violation I had been committing every week, for years on end. How many times, over and over, had I committed that felony? Hundreds. Now, the two knives that I carry on me are no longer than 3", for this very reason.

Oh, and the CCW stays in the vehicle. I think I've gotten quite good at untucking, unholstering, and retucking while in the driver's seat. Then doing the reverse as well.
 
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I think packing a weapon on ones person into any federal building or physical plant is a felony. This would include restrooms at the recently liberated National Parks.
 
if the restrooms are cleaned by non federal employees like contractors entry is ok. the law is kind of vague because it states buildings where federal employees are located. if the restroom is empty then no federal employees are present. crap at your own risk.

:uhoh:
 
The info I got said that the building could be owned or leased from or to the federal government, I was not aware of the personel issue.
 
while taking my firearm class for my CCW( in Massachusetts).... our instructor specifically told us that it was legal to ccw in a post office( in MA)...
 
swinokur said:
shipping and carrying are 2 separate issues. shipping long guns-ok. carrying not ok

how could there be a state law affecting federal property? the state has no jurisdiction over federal property.
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Can you point out where that distinction is made in the CFR?

You have to carry the firearm into the post office to ship it, don't you?
 
The info I got said that the building could be owned or leased from or to the federal government, I was not aware of the personel issue.
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if a fedral building that is occupied by a private concessionaire for example, it's up to the occupant on the policy.

2 conditions must be met to meet the requirements of the NPS law

1. occupied by federal employees
2. posted no weapons

both must be met.

to the poster who said his CCW instructor said it was ok to carry in a post office, he needs to go back an read the federal post office regulations.

either that or ask him to go do it while you watch.

more bad info comes from gun shops and cccw instructors than any place i know of.
 
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