Since I don't pose a threat to a police officer, why do I need to inform him/her that I have a gun? So I can be hassled by the officer if he/she isn't knowledgeable in the law or doesn't like the fact that citizens have the right to be armed?
Up here, the vast majority of our police force are very knowledgable about gun laws. We don't really worry about being hassled. I have been pulled over several times, and when I carry the first thing I say as I hold out my DL (and registration and proof of insurance just to save a step) is "Hello, how are you? State law requires I hand this to you and advise you that I am carrying today."
The only time that resulted in anything fun went something like this:
Spiff: "Good morning, state law says I must show you my license and inform you I am carrying today".
Officer 1: "Okay, thank you. Where is the gun at?"
Spiff: "Holstered and under my right leg."
Officer 1: "You mean under the seat?"
Officer 2 is at the passenger window and in my peripheral I can see him trying to get the other officers attention. Since my holstered pistol is wedged between my thunder thigh and the seat, I know he must have seen the butt of it sticking out. I choose to ignore him, and focus only on Officer 1.
Spiff: "No its right under my leg."
Officer 1: "Okay, I am going to ask you to exit the vehicle and my partner will secure your weapon."
Spiff: "Sure, I need to unbuckle my belt first." After unbuckling I kept both hands on the door frame, opened the door with the outside handle and stepped out. Officer 1 walked me a few feet away, and started to frisk me. Oh yeah, its 4 in the morning, I was getting off work at the bar, still had on my two pairs of cuffs, bottle of pepper spray, knife, and vest with trauma plate. (it was a rough bar)
Officer 1: "You wear this vest for work?" (starts taking my cuffs, knife, misses the pepper spray though)
Spiff: "Yes, I work at the Gaslight."
Officer 2 (is a FTO): "Your weapon here, is this a decocker?" (has just manipulated the safety to the off position of my 1911 and the muzzle is pointed at my feet)
Spiff: "Nooo, thats the safety, and you should know there is one in the chamber".
Officer 1 is not sure if she should put me in cuffs for their safety, she takes hold of my thumbs as if shes about to, then changes her mind. She then tells me she pulled me over for not making a turn into the closest possible lane, which was bogus, it was more a fishing expedition for drunk drivers, which of course I had not had anything to drink.
After they ran my info, they let me go. Officer 1 thanked me for following the law and letting them know I was armed. Officer 2 returned my weapon to me unloaded.
I found it odd that a FTO would seem to be so unfamiliar with a 1911.
My point being, advising a law enforcement officer is in my opinion, a good idea. Nearly every time, the officer is unconcerned with it, not a big deal. That could be due to the reasons they pulled me over in the first place, they were all minor traffic infractions.
A few times the officer has recognized me from my work at the bar, having been the officer who responded to an arrest or disturbance that we had reported.