Getting pulled over by the police with a CCW
- Thread starter JohnMover
- Start date
Black Dragon
New member
It depends on what state you live. Some states require that you inform, some states you are not required to inform unless asked.
brcombs
New member
Handgunlaw.us Click on a state and it will say at the top if it is a MUST INFORM state.
Lowjiber
New member
Whether it's a must inform state, or not, I think it's a good idea to inform the officer. I have a couple of friends who are cops, and they don't like surprises.
I was stopped at a highway patrol DUI checkpoint in Florida (not a must inform state) a few years back. My action was to place both hands on top of the wheel and say something like, "Officer, for your peace of mind and our safety, I want to tell you that I'm legally carrying a firearm."
Everything went smoothly and the officer thanked me for informing him.
I was stopped at a highway patrol DUI checkpoint in Florida (not a must inform state) a few years back. My action was to place both hands on top of the wheel and say something like, "Officer, for your peace of mind and our safety, I want to tell you that I'm legally carrying a firearm."
Everything went smoothly and the officer thanked me for informing him.
sdprof
Active member
If you must (or feel the need to when not required), I would start by stating you have a concealed carry permit. Then state that you do have a firearm in your possession.
Do not, repeat, do not, just blurt out "I HAVE A GUN!"
Unless you need a little added excitement in your day.
Do not, repeat, do not, just blurt out "I HAVE A GUN!"
Unless you need a little added excitement in your day.
Firefighterchen
OC for Tactical Advantage
As others have said, depends on the state you live in. Abide by the law, inform if it's required, and try to get that law rewritten in courts.
If not required, I advise to not inform. I do not inform in my state as its not a requirement. I believe when you voluntarily inform it confused a situation more than needed. In my opinion, it also gives more opportunity for misinformation to spread, and for police to get the mentality that they deserve to be informed.
The best way to avoid this situation though, is follow the driving laws.
But if you find yourself in that situation where you must inform, when he asks for your paperwork, give him your permit. He will read it, probably ask you some questions, and base his decision from there. No need to say anything more than you have to, that helps avoid the fishing that will be going on as well.
mappow
New member
NC is a must notify. Although I have yet to be stopped and or question but I have already trained myself to say "Sir per State Law I must inform you that I do have a Concealed Weapons Permit and I am currently carrying a weapon on my person. How do you want to proceed?" With that said, I would have probably have my License out along with my permit if able to. TOTALLY AGREE with DO NOT STATE YOU HAVE A GUN. Unless, as SDPROF says, you want a large escalation of events.
Treo
Bullet Proof
I am not getting the inform / don't inform pissing contest this time. I'll just say this :
Know and comply with your state law.
If your state requires you to inform and state law doesn't stipulate that you must inform verbally it seems to me that the best thing to do would be to hand the officer your permit when he asks for your other paperwork the respond clearly to any questions he may ask.
Know and comply with your state law.
If your state requires you to inform and state law doesn't stipulate that you must inform verbally it seems to me that the best thing to do would be to hand the officer your permit when he asks for your other paperwork the respond clearly to any questions he may ask.
Easy for me since MI is a must inform. 90% of the time on the motorcycle anyway, so if I get pulled over, my usual response is to shut the bike off, sit with both hands in plain sight on the handlebars and wait for the officer to approach. Once next to me, I inform him have a carry permit, am carrying a weapon that is located near my wallet and that I am wearing earplugs that I would like to remove to better converse. Usually defuses the situation quite a bit. Haven't been pulled over in over 10 years (knock on wood) so think that is the best approach to it, stay legal in regards to my driving.
Washington is a state where notification is not required. Our CPL information may be returned when our name and driver's license is checked during a stop. I used to speed quite a bit and have been stopped 4 times while carrying a firearm. I never mentioned my CPL or my gun, neither has any LEO, we both got the stop over politely and professionally in the minimum amount of time required, no muss, no fuss, two tickets and two warnings.
The safest place for my gun is secure in it's holster with nobody touching it. The best chance I have of the firearm remaining safe in it's holster is to keep my mouth shut about it. Informing the police officer when not required accomplishes one thing and one thing only - it invites the police officer to needlessly handle my gun, placing everyone within range in more danger from a negligent discharge than if the gun stayed in the holster. I simply will not put myself, the officer, and others in more danger in order to prove my "good guy" status to them at the beginning of a traffic stop.
If the officer has a concern about a firearm, all he has to do is ask. Since I have never, ever been asked about any firearms during a traffic stop it doesn't seem to be that big of a concern, so why should I rasise the concern, unless I have to by law. Once the officer returns to his vehicle and calls in my name, address and date of birth and finds out that I have a VALID CPL and driver's license - he now has ZERO legitimate reason to ask/be concerned about a firearm if he wasn't before. Now, at this point, if he returns and asks me about a gun, and seizes the gun "for officer safety" it is now a 4th amendment violation. If I tell him about my gun and CPL at the start of the stop, he has every right to take my gun from me "for officer safety" because he has no idea if my CPL is valid or not until he checks it through the state.
BTW, this argument is brought up about twice a month on this forum. But, what the heck, the same people with the same opinions will post the same things. Can we talk about open carry now?
The safest place for my gun is secure in it's holster with nobody touching it. The best chance I have of the firearm remaining safe in it's holster is to keep my mouth shut about it. Informing the police officer when not required accomplishes one thing and one thing only - it invites the police officer to needlessly handle my gun, placing everyone within range in more danger from a negligent discharge than if the gun stayed in the holster. I simply will not put myself, the officer, and others in more danger in order to prove my "good guy" status to them at the beginning of a traffic stop.
If the officer has a concern about a firearm, all he has to do is ask. Since I have never, ever been asked about any firearms during a traffic stop it doesn't seem to be that big of a concern, so why should I rasise the concern, unless I have to by law. Once the officer returns to his vehicle and calls in my name, address and date of birth and finds out that I have a VALID CPL and driver's license - he now has ZERO legitimate reason to ask/be concerned about a firearm if he wasn't before. Now, at this point, if he returns and asks me about a gun, and seizes the gun "for officer safety" it is now a 4th amendment violation. If I tell him about my gun and CPL at the start of the stop, he has every right to take my gun from me "for officer safety" because he has no idea if my CPL is valid or not until he checks it through the state.
BTW, this argument is brought up about twice a month on this forum. But, what the heck, the same people with the same opinions will post the same things. Can we talk about open carry now?
Deserteagle
New member
If your state law says to inform, then do it.
If it doesnt, then dont say anything, and stop having a guilty mind about carrying a gun.
If it doesnt, then dont say anything, and stop having a guilty mind about carrying a gun.
Treo
Bullet Proof
Well, this is the concealed carry subform
The_Outlaw
~The Dude Abides~
Ok. Can we bash open carry now?
Well, I will agree that it is A video from Massad Ayoob on this very subject.
This is a better video, IMHO:
Treo
Bullet Proof
Open carry makes Jesus sad
Even if you don't agree with it, it isn't a bad video
JohnMover
New member
Thanks, for the link. I found out I don't live in a must inform state, so I won't.
Here is another officer's prospective, since some seem to regard their opinion as "expert":
Concealed Carry- A Police Officers Prospective(MO)
From his article:
“Why can’t I keep my gun with me since I've got a CCW and it’s a legal firearm?” Simply put, just because you may know it is legal doesn't mean that I do. And every officer has seen enough horror films in the police academy to last a lifetime and leave the impression that every gun can kill you. Once I have your weapon with me, along with your driver’s license and insurance I then return to my vehicle and provide dispatch with the serial number of the weapon as well as your license information. Now that I know it is a legal firearm we are on to the next step.
Some officers will approach your vehicle and simply hand you the gun. This practice is largely out dated and most officers are going to the system I was taught. While I am in my vehicle –and after I have been told the gun isn't stolen- I remove the magazine and unload the weapon. I will then take all of the bullets out of the magazine. I will re-approach your car, explain that you are/aren't getting a citation, I am handing you a bunch of bullets to be put straight in the cup holder, and that I am going to place your firearm in the back seat and the magazine a few feet away from it. I then explain that under no circumstances are you to mess with that weapon until I am out of sight. I then return to my vehicle and leave.
I live in Missouri, and here –like in most states- you do NOT have to tell the officer that you have a weapon in the car unless he asks. That being said if I find out you have a CCW from dispatch or some other way I will not be very happy when I do ask you and find out that you are carrying a weapon. It is ALWAYS best to be straight forward about having a weapon.
A few things to notice. First - what indication does the officer have the firearm is stolen? None. Second, do you want the officer snooping around the back seat and/or trunk of your car under the guise of safely returning a firearm? Finally, if the officer finds out about a CCW permit from dispatch, exactly what reason do they have to ask about a firearm after that? They now know that you have a valid permit that you had to go through all the background checks to pass and that you have done nothing to cause revocation of that permit. So why won't this officer be happy about finding that out? This officer has no problem treating you like a criminal - all because you chose to provide him with information about an object that was in your legal possession and about a license/permit that was completely irrelevent to the traffic stop or because he finds out that you are an exceptional law abiding citizen from dispatch. Any officer that will not be very happy because he finds out about your valid CCW permit is only looking for any reason to harass the subject he has stopped.
Many people feel that be informing the officer about their permit and gun they are protecting the police officer or doing the officer a favor. However, in so doing you are also setting yourself up to be a victim of police officers such as the one writing this article and ex-Officer Daniel Harless who is in the process of getting his job back.
Concealed Carry- A Police Officers Prospective(MO)
From his article:
“Why can’t I keep my gun with me since I've got a CCW and it’s a legal firearm?” Simply put, just because you may know it is legal doesn't mean that I do. And every officer has seen enough horror films in the police academy to last a lifetime and leave the impression that every gun can kill you. Once I have your weapon with me, along with your driver’s license and insurance I then return to my vehicle and provide dispatch with the serial number of the weapon as well as your license information. Now that I know it is a legal firearm we are on to the next step.
Some officers will approach your vehicle and simply hand you the gun. This practice is largely out dated and most officers are going to the system I was taught. While I am in my vehicle –and after I have been told the gun isn't stolen- I remove the magazine and unload the weapon. I will then take all of the bullets out of the magazine. I will re-approach your car, explain that you are/aren't getting a citation, I am handing you a bunch of bullets to be put straight in the cup holder, and that I am going to place your firearm in the back seat and the magazine a few feet away from it. I then explain that under no circumstances are you to mess with that weapon until I am out of sight. I then return to my vehicle and leave.
I live in Missouri, and here –like in most states- you do NOT have to tell the officer that you have a weapon in the car unless he asks. That being said if I find out you have a CCW from dispatch or some other way I will not be very happy when I do ask you and find out that you are carrying a weapon. It is ALWAYS best to be straight forward about having a weapon.
A few things to notice. First - what indication does the officer have the firearm is stolen? None. Second, do you want the officer snooping around the back seat and/or trunk of your car under the guise of safely returning a firearm? Finally, if the officer finds out about a CCW permit from dispatch, exactly what reason do they have to ask about a firearm after that? They now know that you have a valid permit that you had to go through all the background checks to pass and that you have done nothing to cause revocation of that permit. So why won't this officer be happy about finding that out? This officer has no problem treating you like a criminal - all because you chose to provide him with information about an object that was in your legal possession and about a license/permit that was completely irrelevent to the traffic stop or because he finds out that you are an exceptional law abiding citizen from dispatch. Any officer that will not be very happy because he finds out about your valid CCW permit is only looking for any reason to harass the subject he has stopped.
Many people feel that be informing the officer about their permit and gun they are protecting the police officer or doing the officer a favor. However, in so doing you are also setting yourself up to be a victim of police officers such as the one writing this article and ex-Officer Daniel Harless who is in the process of getting his job back.
mappow
New member
Agreed CMDR on the violation of the 4th on running my weapons serial number. NO PC evident that it may be stolen. As for notify, I do if in NC by Law. As for any other State I may CC in, it just seems natural to me to inform. MY OPINION, the way I handle it. Everyone else is to make their own choices. I'm no expert except what it states on my DD214. .38 Spl and .45ACP (Gotta lov those gedunk ribbons)
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