Traveling from state to state

[PennsyPlinker]

I have seen a couple of threads on transporting handguns across state lines, but nothing that quite addresses what I want to know - at least nothing I could find. I will be taking a trip across several states in a little while. I have a CCW permit for my own state (PA) and that permit is recognized in the destination states where I will be spending most of my time. But in between...

According to packing.org, Maryland will lock you up if you are thinking about a gun while driving along - well, it might not be that bad yet, but it seems that they don't even really allow people to drive through the state with a gun in their possession since it is not listed as one of the exceptions on the site.

VA says I can't carry concealed, but it is not a problem to leave my piece out in plain sight. This is fine for driving along, but what if I stop to pee?

NC, GA, and FL all honor a PA CCW permit, but AL and SC don't. That could make for taking the scenic route.

So two questions come to mind. Is MD really that bad? I suppose I could just say that I am going shooting in GA, and make sure the thing is locked up. Of course, I am only in MD for about 20 miles, and I have no reason whatsoever to stay any longer. But VA is the biggie. Is that open carry for residents only or does it apply to anyone? I thoght about asking directly to someone knowledgeable in the gov'mint down there, but that supposes that I could actually find someone who would know, and find them in a reasonable amount of time.

Thoughts or experiences anyone?

 

[ilbob]

There are several web sites that have links to the applicable laws. You might want to go there and review the various state laws.

http://www.handgunlaw.us/
http://www.packing.org/

A federal law protects you if you are just passing through a gun unfriendly state like NY or MD, but there is no guarantee local LE will abide by federal law. They may just lock you up anyway. But that could happen just about anywhere for any reason. It is unlikely, but it does occasionally happen. Your best bet is to stay away from gun unfriendly areas as much as possible while transporting firearms, especially handguns, and not do anything to attract attention.

I would only be especially nervous about virulently anti-gunowner jurisdictions like NJ or NYC. I suspect the rest of the jurisdictions probably would respect the federal law as long as you complied with it, but as I said previously, you just never know when a cop will have had a bad day and you are the guy he decides to take it out on, so don't attract unnecessary attention by speeding or otherwise giving them any remote justification for stopping you in the first place.

 

[Rumble]

Just spent my honeymoon driving down the East coast, starting in Delaware and ending in Georgia. I'm a PA CCW holder, and a Florida permit holder. I did research on the states I was going through. I did not consult a lawyer, because I am not wealthy enough to do so. I made my interpretations and I tooks my chances. The trip went like this:

1. Drive through Delaware cheerful and well-armed.

2. Just shy of the Maryland border (on the peninsula; the one you'd meet if you followed Route 13), stop, unload, place in case, lock case, place in trunk, lock trunk, throw ammunition away, throw keys away, kneel down with hands behind head, and await incarceration.

Okay, not really. I stopped, unloaded, and locked the gun away in the trunk and the ammunition boxed and locked in the glove box.

3. Drive through a short stretch of MD obeying posted traffic regulations and not stopping for any reason. I didn't run afoul of the law in any case, but I believe I would have been protected by federal law, technically.

4. Upon reaching Virginia, reloaded and re-armed. I did not visit any restaurants while there. Kept the gun in the hotel room during that overnight.

5. Drove through Virginia to NC, where I remained armed, but obeyed the listed restrictions from Packing.org.

6. Hit SC, and transferred loaded gun to glove box. In Charleston, took gun with me to hotel room, where it stayed in the hotel safe while we sightsaw for a few days.

7. Back in the glove it went when we left for Savannah. In Georgia, I can carry, but there are a bazillion restrictions, including the one about carrying in Historic Areas. Since we were staying in old Savannah, I interpreted the restriction broadly and kept the gun locked & chained in the hotel while I was there.

I am not advocating this as being perfectly legal, morally right, or properly researched. I did my reading of statute and sought information where I could find it, and used my judgement about when and how. I had no encounters with Law Enforcement, so I can't say what might have happened.

On the upside, Charleston and Savannah are lovely.

 

[Houser52]

Back in January I had to drive to Mass. on business.
After trying to review all the different laws for each state I ended up leaving my handgun at home.
Sounded like NY, NJ and Mass would lock you up and throw away the key if you even had Guns and Ammo mag in the vehicle.
Luckily nothing happened but if it did I would have been SOL.

 

[Rumble]

Yeah, I wouldn't touch NY or NJ (and by that extension, I won't be driving to an New Englisher states anytime soon). They seem pretty cheerful in their disregard for federal law.

 

[wdlsguy]

You should get a nonresident license from New Hampshire. It will give you Alabama, Colorado, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Hampshire* and North Dakota.

If time and finances allow you should get a nonresident license from Florida or Utah.

Good - New Hampshire
Better - Florida
Best - Utah

* New Hampshire already recognizes your Pennsylvania license.

 

[coat4gun]

You should get a nonresident license from New Hampshire. It will give you Alabama, Colorado, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Hampshire* and North Dakota.

If time and finances allow you should get a nonresident license from Florida or Utah.

Good - New Hampshire
Better - Florida
Best - Utah

* New Hampshire already recognizes your Pennsylvania license.

I agree with the New Hampshire permit. It is cheap, easy to get and doesn't tack on a bunch or extra "infringements" like Florida and Utah. While Florida and Utah will give you more States, they both require fingerprints and training. While I believe an NRA or hunter safety class will satisfy Florida, Utah requires Utah certified training... Not sure where you get that in PA... and I am sure its gonna cost a few bucks... upwards of $500 to get both States I would think... money that would be better spent on a new pistol or ammunition.

And in my opinion, Fingerprinting is for criminals and Government employees... Not something required to practice a right like keeping and bearing arms.

 

[PennsyPlinker]

Thanks for the responses everyone. It never occurred to me to get a non resident license from NH. I will definitely look into that. As far as the rest of it goes, I do my best to blend in, and that is hard for me - real hard. Maybe not while I'm driving down the road or anything, but when I step out of my vehicle, I stand out, regardless of any effort on my part.

I hear you guys on traveling in NJ and NY. It is like going into another country in a lot of ways. I have to go to NJ for an evening business event in a couple of weeks, and I am not looking forward to it at all. The place is swarming with bad guys, and that doesn't take into account the criminals!

Anyway, it looks like I can get from A to B on my longer trip without too much trouble. I just hope it turns out to be no trouble at all.

 

[wdlsguy]

When traversing Maryland, follow the rules in 18 USC 926a:

Notwithstanding any other provision of any law or any rule or regulation of a State or any political subdivision thereof, any person who is not otherwise prohibited by this chapter from transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm shall be entitled to transport a firearm for any lawful purpose from any place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm to any other place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm if, during such transportation the firearm is unloaded, and neither the firearm nor any ammunition being transported is readily accessible or is directly accessible from the passenger compartment of such transporting vehicle: Provided, That in the case of a vehicle without a compartment separate from the driver’s compartment the firearm or ammunition shall be contained in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode18/usc_sec_18_00000926---A000-.html

Here is the link for a New Hampshire nonresident license.

http://webster.state.nh.us/safety/nhsp/plupr.html

 

[Andras]

2. Just shy of the Maryland border (on the peninsula; the one you'd meet if you followed Route 13),

Okay, not really. I stopped, unloaded, and locked the gun away in the trunk and the ammunition boxed and locked in the glove box.

Don't put the ammo in the glovebox. You can keep it in the trunk as long as it's in a separate container.

If you get stopped, there's no hint that you have a gun if you get your registration out of the glovebox.