Interstate travel while packing heat
New to this site, sounds like everybody has good information regarding travel with firearms. I am taking the family on vacation to Ohio and back. I will be traveling to Idaho first through Nebraska then to Ohio. Anybody know what the laws are regarding carrying my firearm through these states.
A federal law which has been listed in the U.S. Code as an amendment to the Gun Control Act of 1968 and is sometimes referred to as the McClure-Volkmer act of 1986. This amendment was made to update some aspects of the original Gun Control Act of 1968.
The amendment basically states that individuals transporting firearms through certain states that would otherwise view such transport as illegal may do so under this law if the weapons are unloaded, cased and stowed in a trunk or vehicle storage compartment which is not readily accessible to the occupants. Any ammunition must also be kept separate from the firearms. Provided the precautions are taken the traveler must simply be passing through the state and must be bound for a jurisdiction where possession of such weapons is legal. Now if the traveler stops in a location for any reason other than gas, biological necessities, or emergencies would effectively nullify the traveler interstate commerce classification and subject him to the laws of the state he happens to be travelling through. For example, a traveler from Kentucky bound for Maine with a Class III machine gun will pass through the state of New York. New York does not allow individuals to own machine guns so as long as the traveler maintains a steady uninterrupted course through the state with the firearms stored as stated above he is operating within the parameters of federal law. If the traveler decides to visit Grandma in Albany he falls within the police power of NY and may be arrested for possessing Class III weapons.
Some travelers have found it beneficial to have a hotel or campground pre-registration form when traveling through such restrictive states such as New York. So, use your head and only stop to get gas .... and use the head.
Certain situations can result in nightmares for law abiding citizens. I have heard of a business man from North Carolina travelling through New Jersey to Vermont. During a traffic stop the person (business suit and tie) informed the officer that he had a gun in the car. Unlucky for him New Jersey is worse than New York when it comes to gun laws and this was no ordinary lawman. He was a New Jersey State Trooper and the ensuing arrest and time wasted in the police station made him think differently the next time he took a trip through New Jersey. This poor slob was handcuffed face on the tarmac and a pistol pointed at his head.
But in general, be smart and be aware of the rules in all states you pass through when you are carrying you firearm.
*Some of this info taken from Traveler’s Guide to the Firearm Laws of the Fifty States. This book is a must have for anyone who travels with a firearm.
Gunlaws for the 50 States
