Traveling To Georgia With A Handgun

[PCCUSNRET]

For some reason Georgia and West Virginia do not have a reciprocal agreement for concealed carry. I have to spend a few days in Georgia next month and curious if I can still have a gun in my vehicle and hotel room. If yes, does the gun need to be unloaded? Thanks!

 

[22-rimfire]

You might be able to facilitate a change. Call the attorney generals in both states and verify the recpricity thing. Ask why. If the WV permit is not honored in GA, ask that it be changed. It takes a letter from each Attorney General.

Sometimes the reason that there is no reciprocity is that nobody has requested it. It is as simple as that. The "reason" is often that one state has a stricter requirements and will not honor the other state's permit with lesser permit requirements.

 

[2A Citizen]

As you can see the law's as stated make for some muddy interpretation. In layman's terms, you can have it in your car and in your hotel room, loaded and in the open. However carrying it openly is not allowed, loaded or unloaded. It must be cased to carry it into or out of a place or residence and unloaded too.

I like 22-rimfire suggestion to contact the Ag of your State and ask if/why and see if this can be rectified by a resident citizen.

 

[rdhood]

In layman's terms, you can have it in your car and in your hotel room, loaded and in the open.

I believe that this is correct. If I remember correctly, "in the open" also includes in the glovebox or console. I always thought it strange that I can have a loaded gun on the passenger seat in full display with no license, but thats the law. Technically, to move it from the car to the hotel room, you have to unload it and put it in case (if you don't have a carry permit).

BTW, for more info, go to http://www.georgiacarry.org/

 

[22-rimfire]

Back when I first got my TN carry permit, I began to routinely carry my gun in PA where I grew up. I went there often. Handgun Law said there was reciprocity. I read somewhere that you really need to verify these things. The PA AG website showed no reciprocity with TN. I called the AG in PA first and they told me that they had no reciprocity with TN contrary to what Handgun Law said. I asked why, and they simply told me that they needed a letter from TN AG requesting the change and vice versa. I called the TN AG and they kind of ignored me or seemed to... but about a month later, low and behold... official reciprocity.

 

[ssyoumans]

I wonder when FL changed their laws. Back in July of 2012, they accepted GA, now it appears they do not!


Edit: Now I see on another site that FL and Ga do honor each others. This can be very confusing.
Http://licgweb.doacs.state.fl.us/news/concealed_carry.HTML

 

[PCCUSNRET]

Thanks for the info. Hopefully I won't run into any problems on this trip. I have since learned that the reasoning has something to do with the requirements for obtaining a CCW in WV were not strict enough for GA but supposedly this has been changed and they are working on getting this changed. When I got my permit they supposedly did a background check and used my firearms training listed on my DD-214 to meet the training requirements. This was the same in Virginia and GA didn't recognize my CCW permit from there either. Glad my 22 years of standing watches and qualifying for expert pistol finally paid off

 

[janedoedad]

Ahem!

Parker, your WV vs GA comparison is off by 180 degrees.

Georgia honors permits from states that honor ours. WV will not honor GA permits because Georgia does not impose a training requirement on carriers.

Information about carry and possession in GA here: http://www.georgiapacking.org/law.php

Enjoy your trip! Where are you visiting?

 

[PCCUSNRET]

Ahem!
Parker, your WV vs GA comparison is off by 180 degrees.

Georgia honors permits from states that honor ours. WV will not honor GA permits because Georgia does not impose a training requirement on carriers.

Information about carry and possession in GA here: http://www.georgiapacking.org/law.php

Enjoy your trip! Where are you visiting?

Thanks for the correction. It did seem odd that GA would be stricter than WV but I received an e-mail from a local gun rights organization advising there was a bill being considered that will allow a reciprocity agreement between the two states.

I will be visiting Smyrna.

 

[22-rimfire]

You going to vist Glock? I hate Atlanta traffic. About the only time I want to go there is for the annual Blade Show.