Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we talked about ways someone can build skills at the range specifically for carrying concealed. If you happened to miss that article, be sure to click the link here to check it out. This week, I wanted to look at some of the prep work I do when I get ready to travel. In past articles, I’ve talked about traveling and the best way to fly with a concealed carry handgun. This is more about how to prepare and be prepared when traveling around the country. Let's take a closer look at the best way of traveling with your carry gun.
Checking Where Your Gun is Legal
The first thing you need to do is hop on a reputable website where you can look at where your concealed carry permit has reciprocity and what states to avoid if you're traveling. I have been traveling out west for work the last two weeks and one of my friends decided not to carry because he did not know the local laws, ultimately asking if we could protect him, which we immediately poked fun at him for. The daily joke was, “Why aren't you carrying, man?” or we said, “ Must be nice getting protected by everyone.” There are a number of different lists or map views, but by far the best one I have used in the past has been the USCCA Concealed Reciprocity map, where you click on your home state and it will present an interactive map where you can clearly see what's legal and what's not based on your home state. Knowing what's available and easy to travel with a concealed handgun will not only make your life easier by giving you peace of mind, but it also keeps you legally compliant.
I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard people saying they are just going to take their gun and unload it and put it in the back of their car to keep things compliant. While this is the easy route, it's important to know exactly where you have to pull over and unload as well as store your handgun to keep things legal. Once you cross that state line, you are immediately out of compliance, so it's important to plan ahead to either avoid the state you're out of compliance in entirely or plan accordingly to stop before you find yourself running an illegal carry gun in that particular state. It's important to know exactly what's legal and illegal for the states you're traveling through.
Different States Have Different Variations of The Law
It's important to know the details about each state's law that isn't the same as where you're originally from. One of the biggest variations I can talk about that varies from state to state is what the term concealed really means. When it comes to Michigan, you can have a handgun anywhere in your vehicle and still have it be considered concealed. Whether that's on your passenger seat, dashboard or in the center console, this will all be considered concealed under Michigan law. When it comes to Florida law, it has to be absolutely concealed, where you have it 100% hidden from view when someone looks in the vehicle.
This makes a huge difference between states even though the big picture of the license looks fairly similar. There are various differences that a few minutes of research will allow you to have a basic rundown of what to look for when it comes to variations in each of the state laws. Some of these laws are available on the USCCA website as well. Most websites will have a list of basic info as well as unique laws for that specific state to keep you in compliance. The main goal is to make carrying across state lines easier with less stress if you're in violation of any laws.
Take The Stress Away Ahead Of Time
In the grand scheme of things, looking up the basic laws of the states you're traveling through really isn't a huge time commitment. In a matter of 10-15 minutes, you can easily find all the information to plan ahead, which gives you all the tools necessary to have an easy trip with no stress. There are certain areas of the country where police officers aren't always friendly towards people who carry a concealed handgun. The various laws of states may be different from yours, whether it's what is the definition of concealed in a vehicle or the difference between what's considered a gun-free zone and whether it's enforceable by law. These may seem like a fairly simple difference, but they can absolutely land you in a good deal of trouble. Putting a little work ahead of time can alleviate a good amount of stress just by looking ahead and reading up on each state and its laws.
Overall Thoughts
There are plenty of websites and books that give you a rundown on every single state law and whether they reciprocate your concealed carry permit. It may not be a glamorous topic that people get excited about, but it certainly will pay off to keep you out of jail and in compliance. What are some of the strangest state laws you have found while traveling? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. If you have questions about carrying concealed or firearms in general, feel free to shoot me a message on Instagram @fridgeoperator. Stay safe out there and we will see you next week for another edition of Concealed Carry Corner.
TFB’s Concealed Carry Corner is brought to you by GLOCK
