How can you “legally” carry a firearm for protection on a cross country road trip?

Gray Rock: How can you “legally” carry a firearm for protection on a cross country road trip?
Gonna drive literally ACROSS this great nation…but…want “protection” as well. So…..as you go from State to State…how do you avoid be arrested for some sort of concealed weapons thing? How do truckers do this? Any tips? Suggestions? Thanks from fellow firearm enthusiest!

Answers and Views:

Answer by The Coming Evil
Ive seen truckers that just put it in the pouch on their door. If it is unloaded and you lock the bullets in the trunk or glove box, you should be fine.

Answer by Nicolas
You can’t legally. The people who do it are not doing it lawfully. Each state has it’s own laws on concealed carry. Some states have reciprocity between them but, most do not. People who do it and are not caught are lucky.

Answer by Nova
You’d have to apply for permits to carry handguns in each state you will be entering. Lame, huh?

Side note, Elvis once applied for and got a permit to carry weapons in all 50 states at once.

Answer by Guroo
In florida there is a license that you have to get in order to carry a concealed weapon. not sure for other places.

Answer by Das_Spinkel
Nicolas is right. I carried a firearm with me on my cross country road trip, luckily I was only pulled over in Utah! I informed him not to be alarmed and that I had a firearm in the vehicle, and he was very nice about it (just remember to keep your hands where he can see them).

I looked up the laws for all the states I was passing through before I started driving. It might be wise to lock up your weapon when passing through certain cities such as Wichita or New York, and certain states such as Indiana and California. You probably shouldn’t take a gun into California, it wouldn’t surprise me if it was a felony.

ADDED: Florida carry conceal permits are honored in more states than any other permit, and you can apply for it even if you aren’t a resident. That is probably your best bet.

Answer by caffeyw
If it can fit in the glove compartment (and there’s a lock on the compartment) you can put it there and it’s legal as long as it is locked. (By locking it you “aren’t in possesion of a loaded firearm)

Whatever you do, don’t put it under the seat or somewhere easily visable. If you get pulled over and it’s accessible and loaded you’ll be going to jail. (Unless you have a license to carry a concealed weapon, which may or may not be valid in another state. Unlike a driver’s lic. most states do not recognize other’s concealed weapons licenses)

The only other way is to be a peace officer (doesn’t matter if city, county, state, or federal) since by federal law they are allowed to carry a weapon across state lines without restriction.

Answer by Forest Basenji
It’s highly illegal for truck drivers to do this. Some do, but getting caught means a one-way trip to jail. It’s expressly forbidden in the FMCSR to carry a firearm while involved in interstate commerce.

For a non-commercial civilian on a road trip, I’d reccomend what someone else suggested and check the laws for all the states you plan to be in. Many states without concealed carry permits (or that don’t honor concealed carry permits from your state) will permit you to carry a gun in your car as long as it’s out of your immediate reach and requires unlocking 2 locks to access it. Storing it in a locked case & in a locked glovebox, for example.

Then again, if it’s across the car and under 2 locks, it’s not much of a protection, I suppose. I’m as much of a pro-gun person as anyone, but whenever I travel out of state in my personal vehicle I carry a 600,000 volt stun gun and a can of law enforcement grade pepper spray. Legal in far more places & far less of an “issue” even if you get caught in a place where it’s not legal.

It all depends on where you’re going, and sometimes it depends on the cop, if you get pulled over. Some will appreciate your honesty, others will run you through the wringer if you’re in violation of their laws. Up to you to make that call- my grandfather always carried a rifle in the trunk of his car “just in case” and never had trouble in 15 years of leisure travel.