Forgot my permit. What could happen?

[Nashvegas]

I was at Walmart the other night, doing some grocery shopping. I had my XD in a paddle holster on my hip, covered by an open jacket. When the cashier asked for my ID for a beverage I was purchasing, I realized I only had my debit card with me, and not my ID/permit. At first I was disappointed that I couldnt prove my age for the young lady, then I became a bit worried about the fact I had a full-size weapon on my hip that could be easily spotted by an attentive person.

If for some reason I had been approached by law enforcement and I didn't have my permit on me, what would happen? Would it be a citation? Confiscation? Incarceration?!

I'm interested to hear your thoughts/experiences. Thanks!

 

[bikemutt]

Depends on which state you live in.

In WA I believe it's a simple misdemeanor (versus a gross misdemeanor).

 

[Nashvegas]

Sorry, should have included that. I'm in Tennessee.

 

[memphisjim]

in tennessee you get 4 extra points on your driving record for not physically possessing your liscense so i imagine there is some penalty for not having your permit on you
i dont remember what it is though

 

[memphisjim]

i made a quick call to the place i took my class
guy said you can be arrested and possibly lose your permit
but it is not mandatory for the cop to arrest you

 

[bikemutt]

I can find all sorts of references saying you must be in possession of the permit at all times when carrying, but nothing as to what the penalty is for failing to do so.

Since it appears to be unlawful to carry in TN without a permit, my guess is LE could arrest you since you have no way to prove you are exempt from that law.

Depending on the circumstances, I think LE would be likely to cut you slack, it's not like they can't make a quick call on the radio to find out if you really do have a permit and just left it at home. 'Course if a person starts out with "Look here Officer Doughnut" it's probably not going to go well.

 

[Midwest]

Only a $25 fine here in Kentucky

http://kentuckystatepolice.org/conceal.htm

Is there a fine if I do not have my carry concealed deadly weapon license in my possession?

Yes, failure on the part of a license holder to have their CCDW license in their possession when carrying a concealed firearm or deadly weapon will result in a non-criminal violation punishable by a $25.00 fine.

 

[Owen Sparks]

Just out of curiosity, how often have you been asked to show your permit to a police officer while carrying concealed? I would think your chances of getting caught before you could get home and find your license would be pretty slim. After all it is concealed.

 

[Birch Knoll]

Just out of curiosity, how often have you been asked to show your permit to a police officer while carrying concealed?

In 30 years of carrying concealed, I have been asked by police for my permit exactly zero times.

 

[thezoltar]

I'm a little suprised that more people don't do what travelers do with their passports and NFA owners do with their stamp certificates. Make a few copies of your card/license/permit and keep copies everywhere. One in your wallet, car, backpack/briefcase/shooting box etc. Often a copy will work in place of the original as far as an individual officer is concerned. You will still be told to carry your card but you will most likely be set free to offend again

 

[Nashvegas]

I have never been asked to show my permit either, I was just wondering what would happen. It seems as if Murphy's law follows me around, and the one time I don't have my incense and permit with me, some uninformed person will catch a glimpse of my weapon and call LE. "there's a crazy guy with a gun terrorizing people at Walmart!"

Thanks for all the replies. I like the idea of keeping copies in the car. I may even keep a picture of my permit on my phone, since I never forget that! It sounds like an officer would probably understand, as long as you catch them on a good day.

 

[Dnaltrop]

In Oregon if you are caught carrying without your Oregon-issued CHL card, it's considered "Prima Facie" evidence of unlawful possession and you will be charged with possession of a concealed weapon just like any other criminal.

You will then be charged with a class A misdemeanor, and lose your right to both concealed, and open carry in Oregon for (I believe) 4 years.

My wallet is chained (chain tucked in, don't want folks to grab it) to the pants my CCW is belted to, If I'm clothed, I'm armed and my ID is with me.

I've actually considered trying to figure out a way to store my ID card either in or on my (IWB) holster, but having to reach for the ID when needed would be... Problematic.

 

[mljdeckard]

I would look at it from the cop's point of view. He can play it one of two ways.

He can be tough, cite you, make an example, etc. But would it really be the best thing? Make no mistake, I know there are cops out there who would do just this. Probably the same ones who have written a hundred tickets for 1 mph over the speed limit. Probably been sleeping on the couch for a while.

OR, he can realize that you are one of the good guys, and that if you are a permit holder, you are part of the singlemost identifiable law-abiding demographic in the nation. He can roll his eyes, tell you to go home, and be more careful. I think this is the most likely outcome.

 

[Dnaltrop]

Southern Oregon, (excluding Eugene) I'll give it a 50/50 chance of getting away with a warning.

Anything north of Salem the tolerance level drops as you go through the cities with various local restrictions in place, just too easy to avoid the risk altogether by not leaving your wallet behind.

 

[Owen Sparks]

I once thought that I had lost my drivers license so I had to go buy a duplicate copy. Soon after that I found the original. I kept the spare in my vehicle after that just in case I ever forgot my wallet and got pulled over. It never happened though.

Where I am going with this?

Can you buy a spare copy of your permit in your state? After all you are never more than walking distance from your car and you probably could get off with a warning if you had your permit right outside in the car.

 

[bikemutt]

I'd like to see anyone trump this:

I'm a lawful permanent US resident (back then), travelling on a British passport to the sunny islands of Tahiti. I leave my wallet with my green card, my credit cards, my driver license, and also my passport in a rental car.

I race back to the car rental agency a few hours later; all items GONE, missing, lost forever.

I show up at the airport for my flight "home" without even enough money to bribe a Tahitian dog out of biting me. And of course no ID and no passport.

To cut a long story short, I finally made it back to Los Angeles airport, and man, was I ever glad to see those three agents from Customs and Immigration waiting just for me

 

[zoom6zoom]

Well, if you had been here in Virginia, you could have just tucked your jacket behind it and carried open. No permit or ID required. I know Tenn has OC, don't know if a permit is required.

 

[mljdeckard]

We can do that in Utah too. But I don't usually recommend it.

 

[Dr_B]

The Idaho permit says on the back that you can be arrested for carrying concealed without your permit on you. But you could just uncover the weapon. That would be difficult to do though if you happen to be carrying a revolver stuck in your coat pocket. Just walk around with it in your hand I guess.

 

[Pud]

The Idaho permit says on the back that you can be arrested for carrying concealed without your permit on you. But you could just uncover the weapon. That would be difficult to do though if you happen to be carrying a revolver stuck in your coat pocket. Just walk around with it in your hand I guess.

Pud

 

[Shadow 7D]

Thank goodness that there are now 3 states where you don't have to worry
that said
as long as you have some form of ID, most (if not all) states can pull that you have one.

 

[Some Guy]

Well, if you had been here in Virginia, you could have just tucked your jacket behind it and carried open. No permit or ID required. I know Tenn has OC, don't know if a permit is required.

TN has a Handgun Carry Permit (HCP) as opposed to a Conceal Carry Permit (CCW?). With the HCP you can open carry or conceal carry as you wish. You must have a HCP though to do either.

Jeff

I see I took long forming my response

 

[zxcvbob]

The TN statute that JD referenced doesn't seem to say anything about permits. It is not obvious to me that it applies.

If you don't have the permit in your possession, sure you can be arrested for not having it. Cop doesn't know whether you really have a permit or not. But maybe all you gotta do is show the prosecutor or the judge that you actually had a permit at the time of the offense and get the charges dismissed? Kind of like how they handle Proof of Insurance cards.

I'd rather not test it though.

 

[Art Eatman]

It is common in cases where the appropriate paperwork has been forgotten that showing it to the judge will result in a minimal penalty--and often, no penalty.

You get cited. You go to court. You show the paperwork--DL, insurance, whatever. End of problem.

While there is no "always", this is a common procedure.

 

[Pilot]

I keep my permit under my Drivers License in my wallet. I always take my wallet when I go out.

I am surprised TN requires a permit to OC. In PA, no permit is required unless you are in Philadelphia city limits. So if you forgot your permit, you could just legally OC until you got home.