How Do You Feel About Notifying LEO That You're Carrying


diannabill

New member
The Ohio incident really got me to thinking about whether or not it is reasonable (or necessary) to inform LEOs that I've got a weapon. I know in some states it's required, and in others, no such notification is required.

I realize we've got the constitutional right to bear arms, and the limitations on that right seem to vary from state to state and even city to city. Even though I live in Oregon, and I'm not required to let a LEO that pulls me over know I have a weapon, I can't imagine why I wouldn't immediately do so.

There are rogue cops out there--I'm not going to debate that point. But the majority of cops out there are decent, humane men and women who just want to do their job and go home to their families in one piece. And from my own personal experience, for the most part, they do a thankless job.

I personally want to be respectful enough of an officer's feeling of well being and safety to let him know about my weapon right from the start. I can't imagine it would help his blood pressure to find it some other way (if he did find it at all).

If it's not required by law, disclosure is definitely a personal choice. As for me, I'm leaning toward early, voluntary disclosure. I have no idea what kind of a call that officer was on earlier, and what his stress level might be when I meet him. So I'd like to keep the confrontation as civil and calm as possible. I realize there are some folks here from some states or municipalities that have had a much different experience with law enforcement than I have, and I'm anxious to hear from them.
 

Last edited:
in texas its required, but i believe they changed the law to this???? not sure, but id inform anyways, u know a cop has a gun and the last thing id want to do is be patted down then meet the ground or my car or his muzzle cause it spooked him or whatever cause he didnt know i had it. so id inform not only cause i have to, but might as well keep it calm, and civil to start with. i have cops in the family so i highly respect their thankless job and will do whatever i can to keep my end of the situation calm and respectful.
 
I'm with you,I'm leaning toward early, voluntary disclosure. I have no idea what kind of a call that officer was on earlier, and what his stress level might be when I meet him. So I'd like to keep the confrontation as civil and calm as possible.I am in Texas so it is lind of mute. I will add at night I would turn on the interior lights of my car and keep my hand at 10 and 2 until I am asked for ID and insurance. I would also give the LEO both Drivers Licence and CHL (CCL) at the same time at the same time I am telling Him/Her I have a CHL and am carrying.
 
Even if informing is not required by law, it is still the polite thing to do, and its better for your own safety.
It shows that you are honest, law abiding, and have nothing to hide. It would also put the majority of officers at ease because people who plan on hurting the police dont warn the cops that they have a gun. It also shows you have a genuine interest in the cop's safety and your willing to be cooperative and open.
 
I have been stopped few times. On the times I have been stopped I did not notify the LEO that I was carrying (its not required in Nevada unless asked). I think but I am not sure that the police know someone has a CCW based on a run of the license plate. I just keep my hands on the wheel maintain a neutral attitude and give short answers to questions. I have been let go with a warning on most occasions and been treated well each time. I don't see the need to complicate matters by notifying an LEO that I am carrying. If asked, I will say I have a CCW and again if asked I will say that I have a firearm. If not, I don't think it should matter in a traffic stop and I don't feel I need to volunteer the information.
 
aj's 40 cal:218159 said:
in texas its required, but i believe they changed the law to this???? not sure....

It is still state law but a couple years back they modified the law by removing the penalties for failure to produce your physical CHL. I think the changes were intended to be some kind of safe guard in case someone forgot their CHL. Or at least that was how I understood the changes.
 
The one time I was pulled over, when the officer approached me & asked for my license, I gave it to him & told him "I feel it is my duty to inform you that I am armed." The officer said that he appreciated that & asked where it was & I told him.
In Missouri, your CCW can be on your license or on an ID, your choice.
From listening to our police scanner I know that if you have a permit, the dispatcher will inform the officer that you are CCW. They will even tell the officer if a caller they know by name & possibly address is CCW. I know this because when I had to call the police & wanted contact with the officer I heard them tell the officer that the Caller was CCW. Pretty cool hearing them talk about you on the scanner like that :victory:
 
Even if informing is not required by law, it is still the polite thing to do, and its better for your own safety.
It shows that you are honest, law abiding, and have nothing to hide. It would also put the majority of officers at ease because people who plan on hurting the police dont warn the cops that they have a gun. It also shows you have a genuine interest in the cop's safety and your willing to be cooperative and open.

DesertEagle put it perfectly! Even if you don't have a duty to notify, it shows that you have the officer's safety in mind and you are being courteous. If he asks you to get your insurance card or something else out of your wallet, he can feel comfortable that you're not going for your gun because you wouldn't tell him about it if you planned on shooting him! Even if he removes it from your holster and holds onto it for safety, it makes him feel better and everything goes better for you, so who cares? Keep the conversation light and remember, he's a person, too!
 
The proplem I have with these threads is that I some how get the feeling that it's normal for a cop to be suspicious of a legally armed citizen. It shouldn't be that way.

The state of Colorado recognizes my right to self defense to the point that a permit is not required to conceal a weapon in my car. (CRS 18-12-204) So, should those people inform?

The quickest way I know to find an anti cop is let them know you're armed If I let the cop know I'm armed, the stop is likely to take longer, I'm more likely to be harrassed, and I'm more likely to be exposed to unsafe gun handling by the cop.


Of all the states that allow CC only 10 require you to notify the officer during a police interaction. I think that's significant, we're at, what 49 states that allow ccw? and only 10 feel that Officer safety is enhanced by requiring notification. In many states (Colorado included) no permit is required to carry a concealed weapon in your vehicle, how would a law requiring notification by permit holders affect them? More significantly, how would such a law affect the thousands of criminal who ignore every other gun law on the books on a daily basis?

I can't see how informing a police officer you're heeled can do anything but escalate tensions, especially if you win the lottery and inform an officer who thinks anyone with a CCW is a wannabe cop.

There's no benefit to me if I voluntarily inform so I don't. I'm required to produce my permit and a valid I.D if I'm asked that would be the only time I would do so.

I also think threads like this don't change people's minds at all, sheep are sheep it's in their nature it's who they are.
 
I give early disclosure, but for a completely different reason than what is being said in this thread. I do it for MY safety. As you all stated, i dont know this person that just pulled me over for whatever reason, I dont know his attitude of the day...so for my safety I don't want him shooting me. Do I agree with it, no. If a police officer looks up my DL, sees a chl, that alone should tell him I went through the legal steps to carry a gun. Good people do it the right way. A bad guy won't have a chl on his record.

I deserve as much respect from them, as they do from me.
 
Politely informing LEO that you are armed, and letting him/her know the exact location of the weapon is the best way to avoid a "dramatic over reaction" on the part of the officer. I have been stopped for speeding while armed on three occasions (spanning several years) and have made it clear to the officer in each case that I had a weapon, and a permit. In two of the three cases, the officer simply asked me to keep my hands in sight & did not even secure the weapon. In the other case, the officer secured the weapon without incident and returned it to me, unloaded, after he had completed the stop.
 
Thank you to the majority of you who have responded in the positive. You want to hang your hat on your constitutional rights etal, fine, have at it. Most of these repliers agree with me that in an interraction with an LEO, during his police activities, indicating that you are CC is a responsible, polite, considerate (use whatever words you want) thing to do. Certainly in the states that require same, if you do not do it you are breaking the law and should be willing to face whatever the consequences of same are if this non-compliance is important enough to you. In states where it is not a requirement, as said before, have at it---it isn't my way nor that of most of the repliers to this thread that I have had the privilege to peruse.
 
It's not required here in NY. I've been stopped a few times and have notified each time. I keep my ccw permit right next to my drivers license and hand them both to the officer. I say nothing about a gun. Each time I was thanked.
Seems to me that saying "I have a gun" or "I'm armed " is the wrong way to start off with a Leo.
Handing him a valid ccw permit lets him know you are authorized to carry and avoids any misinterpretation of the "I have a gun" statement.
 
I can be courteous, polite and respectful to the LEO without ever mentioning whether or not I am armed. I am legally carrying said gun, so it is no different than the cell phone or bottle of water that is also in my vehicle. The fact that I am carrying is in no way germain to the stop. IF I am asked to step out of the vehicle only then will I bring it up.

The folks who do inform because they "don't know what kind of day" the LEO had...I think that's EXACTLY why you SHOULDNT mention it. If he was just in a stressful encounter and now you bring up the fact that you have a gun the stress level is going to go back up. And as mentioned, informing is the quickest way to determine that you nave an anti.

A bad guy that is carrying, even in states that require it by statute, are not required to notify as it would violate their 5th Amendment rights. Why should we, the good guys, be required to notify?
 
Florida has no problems with not telling unless asked. And it isn't tied to our DL or auto tags. Having to say does violate your 5th A rights. And the Canton incident shows that cops overreact because of the must tell law. And that isn't the first time a cop in a must tell state has turned beligerent on how soon you tell.
 
I will NOT notify unless required to do so. Here in Washington we do not have to. I have been pulled over twice and neither time did I say I was armed. The police are required to obey the law also and when ANY leo goes off the deep end just because the person is armed in my opinion they should not be an leo. I do realize there is officer safety involved having been through the California Peace Officers reserve training, but to take a persons gun that is LEGALLY being carried and hand it back to them unloaded serves little purpose. I carry a 38 special revolver as my primary gun and a NAA mini revolver as backup. The NAA is difficult to empty and reload and I can imagine the leo struggling with it. While this thread is not about open carry the same principle applies that if a person is obeying the law the police have no right to intimidate or harass anybody legally carrying a gun in his car or openly by his side. I do understand the desire of many people to avoid conflict and notify when they dont have to but I will not unless required. I also expect to be respected by the leo whether I am required to notify(and do) or do not have to notify(and dont). But if you choose to notify thats ok also. Just my opinion, not trying to start an argument.
 
Hey Santa: Appreciate your honest and well-said reply instead of some of the angry personally degrading replies featured at times on other threads. Considering the well-said replies preceding yours, it was a refreshing counter-opinion to the others.
 
I have been very close friends with several "good" LEOs for over 20 years. The Captain of my Sheriffs department help me get my CCP, and a local SWAT team member taught my class. My CCP is the first thing you will see in my wallet as it sits over my drivers license. "I have a CCP and I am armed", and with my hands out the window, is the first thing out of my mouth even if I have to interupt them. They have enough to think about during a stop without finding a dangerous surprise. I think the more that CCP holders show them respect, the more that they will respect us.
 
I live in a must tell the LEO state. I have no problem with it. The times I have been stopped and informed the officer, he just ok and went about his duties. No problems, no further questions about it. Most officers realized the background check you go through to obtain the permit, so I think that takes a lot of the tension away. Being up front, respectful and friendly goes a long way too.
 
I do not mind telling a LEO I am armed--BUT it must be one from the Chesterfield police department. Hopefully I don't get stopped at Balwin or I will not inform. Just keep quiet until I am asked.
 

New Threads

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
49,542
Messages
611,255
Members
74,961
Latest member
Shodan
Back
Top