Traveling Through Several States

vernsimpson

New member
In mid September my wife and I will be traveling from MN to Charleston, SC. We will travel through WI, IL, KY, TN, NC, SC, GA, MS, AL, LA, AR, MO and IA going and returning to MN. I have a resident MN CCL and a FL non-res CCL. I will be legal in all states except IL and SC and know that I must secure my gun in the trunk unloaded and separate from the ammo. I have read everything that is on this site and tried to read the official sites for each state the legalese is confusing. I believe I understand what states I have to notify a LEO, restaurant, rest stop, State Parks and open carry. We will not be going onto any school or government property.

I am looking for any heads up from anyone on info that I may have missed. I want to follow the laws because I do TRY to be law abiding and I do not want to lose my gun because of some obscure edict. Thanks in advance for any help.
 
I think you will be good in Illinois now. I read in several places that with their changes in gun laws, that non residents that have a CWP from their state can carry in their car while in Illinois. When you decide to exit your car in Illinois you will need to unload the gun and lock it up. You might want to read up on their laws to be certain.

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I have a resident MN CCL and a FL non-res CCL.

We will not be going onto any school or government property.

I am looking for any heads up from anyone on info that I may have missed. I want to follow the laws because I do TRY to be law abiding

Well, according to Federal law, it will be illegal for you to possess a loaded firearm on public property within 1000' of the premises of a school in any state except for MN and FL:

18 USC 922 (q)(2):
18 USC § 922 - Unlawful acts | Title 18 - Crimes and Criminal Procedure | U.S. Code | LII / Legal Information Institute

18 USC § 922 - Unlawful acts
(q)(2)
(A) It shall be unlawful for any individual knowingly to possess a firearm that has moved in or that otherwise affects interstate or foreign commerce at a place that the individual knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, is a school zone.
(B) Subparagraph (A) does not apply to the possession of a firearm—

(i) on private property not part of school grounds;

(ii) if the individual possessing the firearm is licensed to do so by the State in which the school zone is located or a political subdivision of the State, and the law of the State or political subdivision requires that, before an individual obtains such a license, the law enforcement authorities of the State or political subdivision verify that the individual is qualified under law to receive the license;

(iii) that is—
(I) not loaded; and
(II) in a locked container, or a locked firearms rack that is on a motor vehicle;

18 USC § 921 - Definitions
(a) As used in this chapter—
(25) The term “school zone” means—
(A) in, or on the grounds of, a public, parochial or private school; or
(B) within a distance of 1,000 feet from the grounds of a public, parochial or private school.
 
Add TN to the list. You can drop off a student at school as long as the gun is not handled while doing so. You can also leave it in your car if you are a non-student adult provided you have a valid HCP.

TCA §39-17-1351 makes a facially valid handgun permit, firearms permit, weapons permit or license issued by another state valid in this state according to its terms and shall be treated as if it is a handgun permit issued by Tennessee.
 
In mid September my wife and I will be traveling from MN to Charleston, SC. We will travel through WI, IL, KY, TN, NC, SC, GA, MS, AL, LA, AR, MO and IA going and returning to MN. I have a resident MN CCL and a FL non-res CCL. I will be legal in all states except IL and SC and know that I must secure my gun in the trunk unloaded and separate from the ammo. I have read everything that is on this site and tried to read the official sites for each state the legalese is confusing. I believe I understand what states I have to notify a LEO, restaurant, rest stop, State Parks and open carry. We will not be going onto any school or government property.

I am looking for any heads up from anyone on info that I may have missed. I want to follow the laws because I do TRY to be law abiding and I do not want to lose my gun because of some obscure edict. Thanks in advance for any help.

your plans will not be good because SC is your destination, and like you said, you are not legal in SC, FOPA only offers you protection only if you are passing THROUGH a state.
 
your plans will not be good because SC is your destination, and like you said, you are not legal in SC, FOPA only offers you protection only if you are passing THROUGH a state.

Who said he was relying on FOPA? FOPA only needs to be applied in states where there would be no other way to legally transport that firearm through that state. As long as he can comply with the state laws of every state he enters, then there is no need to rely upon FOPA. Unloaded and locked in the trunk complies with both the laws of Illinois and South Carolina. FOPA has nothing to do with it. In South Carolina the gun does not even need to be unloaded if contained in a closed Glove Box, Console or Trunk.
 
Who said he was relying on FOPA? FOPA only needs to be applied in states where there would be no other way to legally transport that firearm through that state. As long as he can comply with the state laws of every state he enters, then there is no need to rely upon FOPA. Unloaded and locked in the trunk complies with both the laws of Illinois and South Carolina. FOPA has nothing to do with it. In South Carolina the gun does not even need to be unloaded if contained in a closed Glove Box, Console or Trunk.

he is staying IN SC, his permits are NOT HONORED IN SC
 
So far as I know I have no plans to go near any school or public property. I will be staying in SC for around 2 weeks. I will also be spending 1-2 nights in IL. From all I have read about IL law I will unload and stow my gun in the trunk. There seems to be some conflict on just what the law says. There are several county Sheriff's who say they will NOT pursue guns due to the new CC law passed. BUT the IL State Police say they will arrest anyone with a gun. I do not trust IL at all, the state is broke and will do whatever it can to raise revenue. While in SC I will also stow my gun while on the road only because I do not want to take a chance of losing my gun because of some LEO who does not know the law or just wants to be an a$$. For the most part my gun will not be on my belt much while driving due to comfort. It will be on my belt when I exit the car for gas, to eat or for other needs where it will be legal.

I have been on the Handgunlaw.us site also and I do believe that I know and understand the laws of each state I will be in or traveling through. My reason for this thread was to get the opinion of others to check what I think I know. I want to be sure I understand what I read. I do not want to find out that some state has in fine print, their laws only apply during a full moon on Feb 29th in the year of the rat. Or some other mumbo jumbo.

I do not want my gun taken away and then have to spend a long time in a fight to get it back. We have seen and heard of to many pro-gun states that have anti-gun people in positions to cause us problems.

Thanks to all again for your input and advice.
 
So far as I know I have no plans to go near any school or public property. I will be staying in SC for around 2 weeks. I will also be spending 1-2 nights in IL. From all I have read about IL law I will unload and stow my gun in the trunk. There seems to be some conflict on just what the law says. There are several county Sheriff's who say they will NOT pursue guns due to the new CC law passed. BUT the IL State Police say they will arrest anyone with a gun. I do not trust IL at all, the state is broke and will do whatever it can to raise revenue. While in SC I will also stow my gun while on the road only because I do not want to take a chance of losing my gun because of some LEO who does not know the law or just wants to be an a$$. For the most part my gun will not be on my belt much while driving due to comfort. It will be on my belt when I exit the car for gas, to eat or for other needs where it will be legal.

I have been on the Handgunlaw.us site also and I do believe that I know and understand the laws of each state I will be in or traveling through. My reason for this thread was to get the opinion of others to check what I think I know. I want to be sure I understand what I read. I do not want to find out that some state has in fine print, their laws only apply during a full moon on Feb 29th in the year of the rat. Or some other mumbo jumbo.

I do not want my gun taken away and then have to spend a long time in a fight to get it back. We have seen and heard of to many pro-gun states that have anti-gun people in positions to cause us problems.

Thanks to all again for your input and advice.

As long as you don't meander IL is not your problem, what do you plan on doing with your gun in SC? if you wear it on your belt in SC you will probably have issues with law enforcement.
 
As long as you don't meander IL is not your problem, what do you plan on doing with your gun in SC? if you wear it on your belt in SC you will probably have issues with law enforcement.

I will have to keep it stowed away while in SC. SC does not honor my resident MN or non-res FL.
 
You can find the newest law changes for Illinois from the Illinois state police site at

http://www.isp.state.il.us/firearms/ccw/ccw-faq.cfm

Look under the heading Are out-of-state Concealed Carry permit holders granted reciprocity in Illinois?

It says " out of state residents are granted a limited exception to lawfully carry a concealed firearm within a vehicle if they are eligible to carry a firearm in public under the laws of his or her state or territory of residence and are not prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm under federal law. This rule becomes effective immediately.

If the non-resident leaves his/her vehicle unattended, he or she shall store the firearm within a locked vehicle or locked container within the vehicle in accordance with subsection (b) of Section 65 of the Firearm Concealed Carry Act."

Check for yourself

Sent from my Nexus 7 using USA Carry mobile app
 
Help with California travel

Going through California this summer. Have a gun safe attached to rear of passenger seat (key lock) and gun safe attached to rear seat in back of SUV (key lock). Will have unloaded Glock in one of them and loaded clip in the other one. Based on California law I know this is perfectly legal. My question is on the destination clause where you are suppose to be going to a range or something. Is it a problem if your objective is to drive through the state to go home to your state? I have concealed carry permits that cover me for the other states I am going through. It's just California I'm concerned about. Also if stopped in California and asked or not asked are you required to declare you have a unloaded gun locked in a gun safe and the ammo locked in another safe? I would think the cops would be required to get a warrant to look in my gun safes. I was a LEO in the early 80's in Kansas and this crap was never a concern or issue but now I want to drive through a communist country and still have the ability to protect myself.
 
Also if stopped in California and asked or not asked are you required to declare you have a unloaded gun locked in a gun safe and the ammo locked in another safe? I would think the cops would be required to get a warrant to look in my gun safes. I was a LEO in the early 80's in Kansas and this crap was never a concern or issue but now I want to drive through a communist country and still have the ability to protect myself.

You are not required to inform the officer of the presence of guns but if they ask, by California law, you must allow them to inspect the guns or you can be arrested :
Link Removed

PENAL CODE
SECTION 25850




25850. (a) A person is guilty of carrying a loaded firearm when the
person carries a loaded firearm on the person or in a vehicle while
in any public place or on any public street in an incorporated city
or in any public place or on any public street in a prohibited area
of unincorporated territory.
(b) In order to determine whether or not a firearm is loaded for
the purpose of enforcing this section, peace officers are authorized
to examine any firearm carried by anyone on the person or in a
vehicle while in any public place or on any public street in an
incorporated city or prohibited area of an unincorporated territory.
Refusal to allow a peace officer to inspect a firearm pursuant to
this section constitutes probable cause for arrest for violation of
this section.

(c) Carrying a loaded firearm in violation of this section is
punishable, as follows:
(1) Where the person previously has been convicted of any felony,
or of any crime made punishable by a provision listed in Section
16580, as a felony.
(2) Where the firearm is stolen and the person knew or had
reasonable cause to believe that it was stolen, as a felony.
(3) Where the person is an active participant in a criminal street
gang, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 186.22, under the
Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act (Chapter 11
(commencing with Section 186.20) of Title 7 of Part 1), as a felony.
(4) Where the person is not in lawful possession of the firearm,
or is within a class of persons prohibited from possessing or
acquiring a firearm pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section
29800) or Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 29900) of Division 9 of
this title, or Section 8100 or 8103 of the Welfare and Institutions
Code, as a felony.
(5) Where the person has been convicted of a crime against a
person or property, or of a narcotics or dangerous drug violation, by
imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170, or by
imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, by a fine not
to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that imprisonment
and fine.
(6) Where the person is not listed with the Department of Justice
pursuant to Section 11106 as the registered owner of the handgun, by
imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170, or by
imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year, or by a fine
not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both that fine and
imprisonment.
(7) In all cases other than those specified in paragraphs (1) to
(6), inclusive, as a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in a
county jail not to exceed one year, by a fine not to exceed one
thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that imprisonment and fine.
(d) (1) Every person convicted under this section who has
previously been convicted of an offense enumerated in Section 23515,
or of any crime made punishable under a provision listed in Section
16580, shall serve a term of at least three months in a county jail,
or, if granted probation or if the execution or imposition of
sentence is suspended, it shall be a condition thereof that the
person be imprisoned for a period of at least three months.
(2) The court shall apply the three-month minimum sentence except
in unusual cases where the interests of justice would best be served
by granting probation or suspending the imposition or execution of
sentence without the minimum imprisonment required in this section or
by granting probation or suspending the imposition or execution of
sentence with conditions other than those set forth in this section,
in which case, the court shall specify on the record and shall enter
on the minutes the circumstances indicating that the interests of
justice would best be served by that disposition.
(e) A violation of this section that is punished by imprisonment
in a county jail not exceeding one year shall not constitute a
conviction of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding
one year for the purposes of determining federal firearms
eligibility under Section 922(g)(1) of Title 18 of the United States
Code.
(f) Nothing in this section, or in Article 3 (commencing with
Section 25900) or Article 4 (commencing with Section 26000), shall
preclude prosecution under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 29800)
or Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 29900) of Division 9 of this
title, Section 8100 or 8103 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or
any other law with a greater penalty than this section.
(g) Notwithstanding paragraphs (2) and (3) of subdivision (a) of
Section 836, a peace officer may make an arrest without a warrant:
(1) When the person arrested has violated this section, although
not in the officer's presence.
(2) Whenever the officer has reasonable cause to believe that the
person to be arrested has violated this section, whether or not this
section has, in fact, been violated.
(h) A peace officer may arrest a person for a violation of
paragraph (6) of subdivision (c), if the peace officer has probable
cause to believe that the person is carrying a handgun in violation
of this section and that person is not listed with the Department of
Justice pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 11106
as the registered owner of that handgun.
 
You are not required to inform the officer of the presence of guns but if they ask, by California law, you must allow them to inspect the guns or you can be arrested :

I find it interesting that a law like this that requires you to incriminate yourself hasn't been challenged.
the 5th amendment is still in place in CA, isn't it?
 
I kind of feel with a Texas plate on my vehicle and Marine vet. Frame I might be a target for that question. Also I agree about 5th adm. You need a warrant from a judge to search a locked compartment in a vehicle without probable cause and by requiring me to state and prove that I have a unloaded gun in my locked safes is a violation of my civil rights. Wonder what the costs would be for not informing you have a locked unloaded gun in that locked safe? Versus letting a cop on the side of the road take your gun from one locked case and your loaded clip from another case while your handcuffed on the side of the road? Wonder how many California cops are going to lock them back up, take your cuffs off and send you on your way versus just claim your gun was loaded? Part of my concern is that the gun safes would be easily detected if the car was quickly searched. If I had a cubby that I could put the small gun safes that would require a more invasive search I would not be as concerned.
 
the AZ, FL, UT carry permits are easy to get through the mail.

just about all states honor DD214 for Vets.

FAX Congress fro 50 state concealed carry, 202-225-0704 ,202-228-0285.

S498 and HR2959.
 
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