Quote:
Originally Posted by aigel
Check your route and list the states you are traveling through. Go to the WWW and research the transport laws for the states. I think the NRA has a specific page. Put the guns in a condition that meets all states' laws and go on your merry way. People travel with guns in cars all the time.
Putting the guns into the moving container most certainly is illegal. I do not know of any moving company (unless specialized) that accepts firearms.
G
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by john rogers
Since you will not be going through New York or New Jersey most of the other states you'll visit should not cause any problems unless you give the troopers a reason to stop you. Remember on COPS they do all the stops because a tail/brake light is out, or a rolling stop or other MINOR issue and then bang. If you plan to stop for the night I would make sure the car/truck you are driving is disabled so it will not run, no matter what or take everything inside with you every night.
I am surprised no one gave any actual references so here are some I had put together for some relatives who were moving a while back.
THR
TruckVault - Gun Transport Laws by State
Cross-country moves with guns, How to do it legally? - Calguns.net
https://www.nraila.org/gun-laws.aspx |
These two posts sum it up very well.
Suggestion: go to the local Guitar Center and find yourself a nice electronic guitar case. With slight modifications, these padded cases make a great discreet rifle and shotgun transport case. Much better than the big black sniper case with big "AR-15" embossed on the cover!
IMHO, a trigger lock is a better bet than a field-strip. A person familiar with firearms can always reassemble a gun, but that same person cannot easily take the lock off unless they have the key or know the combination.
Keeping your firearms in the trunk or a spot furthest away from the driver is also a good idea. Unless you are planning on stopping at ranges or hunting grounds along the way, I suggest not transporting any ammo on your cross country trip - doing this also minimizes the 'appearance of evil.'
If you don't have a CCW, I suggest getting one. (Utah CCW has reciprocity with the most states, and can be obtained remotely.) If you have a CCW, you are better protected under the Firearm Owners' Protection Act of 1986 (FOPA). This comes into play especially in states where there are more strict gun control laws like NJ and NY.
IMPORTANT: Having a CCW from a given state does not mean that you will have reciprocity in a state you are travelling through. I am not suggesting that you have a loaded gun attached to your hip while travel from state to state - not all states honor out-of-state CCW's! The CCW will just give you an extra layer of legal protection should the need arise.
Let me explain this with an example: In NJ, local gun transport laws are subject to the bias of the local magistrate. In NJ, as in DC, there are strict transport laws (to and from the home and range, home and gun shop, home and hunting grounds, with only
reasonable deviation while enroute.) If the range is further than a full tank of gas in my car, I can stop to fuel up. However, I cannot stop to pick up a friend, or buy food along the way. If I have a heart attack and drive to the hospital instead, that may or may not be looked upon as a reasonable deviation. It is the "reasonable deviation" part where a judge's bias comes in. However, if you have a CCW, you are better protected under FOPA, which will put you under federal jurisdiction, which will supersede local jurisdiction. I am probably not explaining this correctly, since I'm not a lawyer - but suffice it to say - having a CCW will give you a little extra protection.
-Z-man.