Traveling & conceal carry

[Steve29803]

In a few days, I will be making my first trip out of SC as a cwp holder. All of the states except one that I will be in have reciprocity with SC on conceal carry and the one state "recognizes" our permit. My question is, do any of you know if anything specific I should be aware of in NC, TN, KY, or OH? And, I will be in Indiana which recognizes our permit but we don't have reciprocity with them.

** I will only be passing through NC, TN & KY but will be spending time in OH and IN.

Thanks for any tip, advice or warnings....

 

[Avtomat-Acolyte]

Ignore all state laws except for the state you begin your trip and the state you end your trip.

No state's DMV return on your vehicle tag or operator's license will show SC CWP records. I.E. if you get your tag run in NC or KY the trooper will have zero information that you have a concealed weapons permit in your name unless you, inexplicably, tell him.

 

[11B3XCIB]

You have to abide by the laws of the state you are in, regardless of "just passing through". Where did this origin and destination thing come from?

 

[crystalphoto]

Go here: http://www.handgunlaw.us/ then on the left side of the page, go to "create license map", and you follow the instructions. you will find what states do and do not honor the SC permit, and others if you possess them. Save the link to your favorites, as you can use it to plan what non resident permit you want to aquire, for any future trips.
Handgunlaws also has the laws you must follow while in those states, such as transportation of a firearm.
The idea of not worrying about the state if you are passing through, can possibly get you in trouble, especially if you happen to be passing through a communist state and get stopped (Like NY, IL, etc). I cannot recommend that thought process, though it may work for some, who have luck on their side. Me, I would get stopped. And go to the pokey. Not a happy place.

Have a safe trip.

 

[Tigerstripe]

the map shows Georgis and Alabama do not honor SC.

when you "create a map" it says they do honor SC.

 

[crystalphoto]

the map shows Georgis and Alabama do not honor SC.

when you "create a map" it says they do honor SC.

Not sure what you are looking at, TS, but if you create a map, with JUST SC CHECKED, as this is the only state you have a permit in, GA and AL DO NOT recognize SC... you check the states you hold permits in (which the instructions may not have been clear... :roll: )

 

[V65Magnafan]

You could do a check here, also.

http://www.nraila.org/gun-laws/state-la ... olina.aspx

The main issues in the states in which you can carry are: a) must you notify law enforcement b) can you carry in a restaurant or other location that serves alcohol by the drink.

I made a small table of the relevant laws in the states through which I travel and I kept it in a tray in my dashboard.

 

[11B3XCIB]

I made a small table of the relevant laws in the states through which I travel and I kept it in a tray in my dashboard.

That's a great idea.

 

[Avtomat-Acolyte]

You have to abide by the laws of the state you are in, regardless of "just passing through". Where did this origin and destination thing come from?

I was referencing the Firearms Owners Protection Act. While the FOPA doesn't address CWP, it does address gun transport across state lines.

The only way any police officer, outside of your state, will ever know you have a gun, is if you show it to them, tell them or let them search your vehicle.

If you are just "passing through" a state and do not stop, other than to refuel immediately adjacent to an interstate on-ramp, then I can't imagine the obsessive compulsive desire to download and memorize that particular state's irrelevant laws governing something that you won't even be participating in, let alone them knowing you even exist as a human.

 

[11B3XCIB]

If you can without a doubt guarantee you will not stop for any reason, feel free to just hop in the car and go. Also, some states DO have a "must notify" law, so if it's a law you want to circumvent, that's an individual decision.

I know my wife can alter the course and duration of our journey at any given moment, so I like to know the specifics of the states along the way in case I find myself out in some outlet mall somewhere and having lunch in a sit-down restaurant (for example).

 

[rotarymike]

Disclaimer: This is not legal advice. We're just devil's advocating a topic. You want a legal opinion on the matter, contract with an attorney for such.

FOPA, from my reading, governs interstate firearms transport. It does not govern *carry*. Transport assumes you are abiding by the transport laws of the origin and destination states, and in SC you can transport a handgun if it is in a compartment or container with an integral fastener, et al (I'm not going to look up the reference at the moment, easily available on SLED or the SC Congressional website).

While an argument could be made that CW permitted SC carry is an allowable method of transport as listed in FOPA, are you willing to bet your freedom and further rights to gun ownership, forever, on that legal argument... AFTER you get arrested for non-reciprocal CCW? Expensive and time consuming and fraught with bad outcomes.

Having said that, if you want to wing it there is only a small chance you will get stopped and searched and get into trouble if you aren't doing anything else wrong. Not zero, but small.

To comply with the law completely you'd need to transport only in those states that don't recognize the SC CWP. So put it in a pistol safe or lockbox in the trunk; when you enter a state with SC reciprocity you can rearm. Sucks to do the little dance, I agree... but currently that is the state of the law.

 

[Steve29803]

The bad thing with those websites mentioned...handgun law & NRA one is the contradict ech other. One says that GA does recognize the SC permit and the other is opposite. One also sys Ohio doesn't recognize the SC cwp but SLED lists it as a reciprocal state with SC.

On my trip, outside of fuel & bathroom stops in NC,TN, & KY I don't plan on being off the highway....plus they (according to SLED) are states SC has reciprocity with. Indiana was my biggest concern but I found out they recognize all resident permits.

These various websites and apps ( legal heat ) are good starting point but aren't always the most up to date.

I basically was wondering about any "odd" places that are off limits to carry that might shock a reasonable minded person. We all think the list of off limits is too broad but can find one logical reason for a few of the restrictions...

 

[11B3XCIB]

The bad thing with those websites mentioned...handgun law & NRA one is the contradict ech other. One says that GA does recognize the SC permit and the other is opposite. One also sys Ohio doesn't recognizeent the SC cwp but SLED lists it as a reciprocal state with SC.

I'd go with SLED on that one and call or look up the other state's equivalent to make that choice.

 

[Tigerstripe]

twice before going to Fla ive called the Georgia Highway Patrol and they said "come on down".

 

[Steve29803]

The bad thing with those websites mentioned...handgun law & NRA one is the contradict ech other. One says that GA does recognize the SC permit and the other is opposite. One also sys Ohio doesn't recognizeent the SC cwp but SLED lists it as a reciprocal state with SC.

I'd go with SLED on that one and call or look up the other state's equivalent to make that choice.

I have done that too. I contacted a friend in Indiana that's a state legislator & attorney for clarification on what is meant by "recognition" according to the Indiana law. He informed me that the state recognizes every state "resident" permit but if I just had a Utah (for example, nothing against it) non resident permit, it would NOT be a valid permit for me to carry in Indiana, only my SC cwp is accepted.

 

[armaborealis]

There's a lot of advice in this thread.

This is my procedure when I need to carefully research a trip.

1) Figure out where I have reciprocity. Obviously there are some websites that help with this but the best method is to check the attorney general's site for that state (or whatever entity handles their CCW permits) if there is anything unclear. If I have reciprocity then I cruise by HandGunlaw.us or check the actual state statutes to check out answers to key questions such as "do I have to honor gun-free-zone signs," "can I carry in rest stop areas," "do I have to show the cop my CCW permit" or "what about restaurant carry?"

1B) Check for stupid local laws like mag capacity bans and so on. Generally if you stay inside America you're fine. If you depart the country to places like NJ, NY, CA, etc then you need to doublecheck.

2) If I don't have reciprocity, check Open Carry laws. Open Carry.org has a useful map. Many states allow open carry without a permission slip. You just tuck in your shirt when you hit the state line and carry on.

3) If there is no reciprocity and no open carry, check Car Carry. For example, even SC with its relatively bad carry laws allows for people without a permission slip to carry in a car under certain conditions.

4) If there is no reciprocity, no open carry, and no car carry then I am pretty much down to traveling with the Federal FOPA shield. FOPA requires the guns to be unloaded and in a locked case inaccessible from the passenger area. You can make no non-essential stops. Think about driving and stopping for nothing but bathroom breaks, gas, and maybe a meal. Do not stay the night. Do not stop for a tourist destination. Do not do anything that could conceivably be considered as breaking your journey. I would suggest paying with untraceable cash as well if you do anything even remotely questionable like having a coffee with friends while passing through (not necessarily essential to the journey, is it?).

5) In all cases, prepare your vehicle. Remove junk and clutter. Empty cars attract less attention. Consider removing controversial bumper stickers, etc.

6) Prepare to exercise your 4A rights. Ask if you are free to go if stopped, and if not, then ask why not ("Officer, am I free to go?" "What crime do you suspect I have committed?"). Understand that you can and probably should decline a search. Understand that you should always decline a seizure ("I don't consent to your seizure of my property but I will not resist."). Have a tape recorder or recording app on your phone. Have a locking case inside the grabbable area of the car to put any possibly questionable items into; generally, anything in the grabbable area of the car (i.e. the entire passenger compartment) can be subjected to a "Terry Frisk" search with a pretty low hurdle for the cop to meet, but items in locked cases are entitled to additional protection against arbitrary and unreasonable searches.

 

[John Canuck]

+1 on the last.

 

[Cano]

When moving here from Communist CT I locked ammo and weapons in separate locking boxes in the trunk and made it.