CC on the Navajo Reservation

[ebx61u5]

Is anyone familiar with Navajo Nation Law? Each summer my wife's church does volunteer work at the Lutheran Mission (livestock inoculations, building shelters etc), and for the first time I'm going. May I legally carry on the Reservation?


I have a CCW permit from my home State, California, and non-resident permits from Arizona and Utah.

Mike

 

[CharonPDX]

No.

If you have to ask about any Indian reservation, the answer is no.

If you had legal standing to carry in any given Indian reservation - you personally would already know it.

The *VAST MAJORITY* of Indian reservations only recognize their own concealed carry permits. (See http://www.handgunlaw.us/documents/tribal_law_ccw.pdf)

Do not carry on an Indian reservation without personally verifying with tribal law enforcement first!

I know this from being with a friend has he had his brand new Sig P228 confiscated - by the Navajo Nation Police. He basically was given the choice of paying a small civil fine (I want to say $50,) and relinquishing the gun or going to full blown court proceedings with the potential of a $5000 fine and one-year imprisonment. This was in 1996, it may have changed by now. He let them keep the gun. (After all, ignorance of the law is no defense, and he was very obviously guilty.)

As with any case of pure transport, transport is safe as long as it is in a locked container out of reach, and you go through as quickly as possible. (AKA: Stick to the Interstate, don't stop for gas within the reservation.)

Of course, with any such: I am not a lawyer, contact a lawyer.

 

[g3ride69]

these Gentleman offer wise advice

these guys have it right! i live in the triangle of 3 Sioux reservations and would not recommend carrying concealed without first obtaining a tribal permit.

i am not sure about other tribes but i do not think the tribes here would offer a permit to ANYONE not a member of the tribe. even 20 years ago they wernt even letting other Natives work at the IHS hospital.

you can always ask. i would just do it by making a phone call.

~~~randall

 

[Nightmare45]

NEVER, Do not do it.

 

[Phillip Gain]

I did a quick bit of googling. This is all I could find. It's secondhand anecdotal, but is very precise in its wording, and seems to make sense. I'd recommend calling the Navajo nation to verify before acting on it:

Actually, I just called the Navajo Nation in WIndow Rock and was connected to their police division (their version of DPS) and was told the following:

If you are a card carrying Tribal Member (Navajo Nation Member), Tribal Law applies to you. You are permitted to own a gun but no open or concealed carry is permitted, period. The Navajo Nation does not have a weapons permit system.

If you are a US Citizen, Arizona Law applies to you... just the same as if you were in Phoenix, Flagstaff, Payson, Prescott or anywhere else in the State. Your CCW is honored, concealed carry is OK, ect...

NOTE: If you are an Open Carry person, You may get stopped and asked to put your sidearm away and/or leave the reservation. Carrying a weapon, of any type, is considered by the Tribal Elders as a sign of agression and considered very disrespectfull.

Source: Link Removed

Once again, I recommend doing what this guy did, and calling them directly. And do let us know what you find out...very interesting question.

 

[Gaucho]

Not as bad a carrying a gun in Mexico, but don't do it. I get nervous just traveling through on a major highways where you pass through tribal land here in New Mexico.

 

[Raider-3]

Not as bad a carrying a gun in Mexico, but don't do it. I get nervous just traveling through on a major highways where you pass through tribal land here in New Mexico.

I would think you are ok as long as you stay on the highway

 

[NavyLCDR]

What Phillip Gain posted is the way it works on Indian Reservations in Washington. Their tribal laws only apply to tribal members, state law applies to non-indians, but the reservation is basically the private property of the tribe so if they don't want you to carry there they can ask you to disarm or leave the reservation. If you don't, then you can be cited for trespassing. In Washington, tribal police may be sworn law enforcement officers with the same ability to enforce Washington state law over non-indians as any other LEO can, even off the reservation.

 

[santa]

A couple of weeks ago a man and his wife visited our church. They are tribal-members and live on a reservation here in Washington State. The man and myself got to talking and the subject came up about firearms so I showed him a couple of guns in my trunk that I was going to use target practiceing after church. He wanted to come with me so we went to my favorite spot (only 3 miles away) for a couple of hours. We had a good time and he was obviously very familar with guns and very safety consious. He did ask me a few questions about a Washington CPL. He wants to carry his 38 special when he makes trips off the reservation. Can a tribal-member living on tribal land apply for a Washington CPL? I believe so but the next question he asked was would it be a resident or a non-resident permit? He considers himself a member of the tribe and tribal land to be a separate nation, that is located in Washington. Resident or non-resident? Anybody know that one?

 

[NavyLCDR]

A couple of weeks ago a man and his wife visited our church. They are tribal-members and live on a reservation here in Washington State. The man and myself got to talking and the subject came up about firearms so I showed him a couple of guns in my trunk that I was going to use target practiceing after church. He wanted to come with me so we went to my favorite spot (only 3 miles away) for a couple of hours. We had a good time and he was obviously very familar with guns and very safety consious. He did ask me a few questions about a Washington CPL. He wants to carry his 38 special when he makes trips off the reservation. Can a tribal-member living on tribal land apply for a Washington CPL? I believe so but the next question he asked was would it be a resident or a non-resident permit? He considers himself a member of the tribe and tribal land to be a separate nation, that is located in Washington. Resident or non-resident? Anybody know that one?

The reservation is private property belonging to the Indian Tribe. Just like any other private party belonging to anyone else in the state. If his residence address has WA in it as the state, he is a resident of Washington. If he has lived there for greater than 90 days, and has had a WA driver's license or ID card for greater than 90 days, then he gets the resident CPL. If less than 90 days, hen he gets the non-resident CPL. The only difference is the sheriff only has 30 days to issue a resident CPL vice 90 days to issue a non-resident CPL.

RCW 46.20.021 and 9.41.070 are the references.