Concealed carry etiquette
- Thread starter joneb
- Start date
No requirement to disclose in Georgia, but I work late and sometimes have to stop for "safety checks" on weekend nights. I hand over my permit with my license and say, "my sidearm is on my right hip."
It's better to say "sidearm," or "pistol," and not "gun."
FWIW, the officer always seems to appreciate it, and it's never usually a problem.
It's better to say "sidearm," or "pistol," and not "gun."
FWIW, the officer always seems to appreciate it, and it's never usually a problem.
snowtiger308
Inactive
a little diff
I have been stopped 4 times with my ccw in the vehicle. the first I about filled my shorts. the cop did a complete felony stop on me BC he thought I was a person they were looking for BC of a armed robbery. I WAS NOT HIM!!!
he took my S&W 4006 and cleared me and gave me the gun back empty and handed me the mag.
Second time was late at night and it was a Sheriff new to the force. he ran my plates and it did come back in red flashing letters CCW PERMIT HOLDER. yes I got to see the screen. I knew the officer.
no ticket.
the third time I was pulled over the cop asked me and he said OK when I told him where it was.
I never deviate from this pattern on a stop.
1 pull over
2 shut car off
3 turn on dome light
4 put hands on steering wheel
5 inform officer of ccw when asked for lic because I have a sig220 2 in from my id. (if there is a sec officer he may see the butt of the gun and see the danger of not being informed of the gun to start with and think I am going for a draw.)
6 hand the id and ccw to the officer
7 If asked to surrender the gun
NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER take it out yourself.
tell the officer that you will step out of the car and let him/her remove it from your persons or vehicle. inform the officer if it has a round in the chamber or not and where the spare mags are also.
(this from county, city, state. I asked all three when I got my ccw on what to do.
8 BE RESPECTFUL it goes a long way.
my state does not require me to tell the officer unless asked but I found it a good practice.
I have been stopped 4 times with my ccw in the vehicle. the first I about filled my shorts. the cop did a complete felony stop on me BC he thought I was a person they were looking for BC of a armed robbery. I WAS NOT HIM!!!
he took my S&W 4006 and cleared me and gave me the gun back empty and handed me the mag.
Second time was late at night and it was a Sheriff new to the force. he ran my plates and it did come back in red flashing letters CCW PERMIT HOLDER. yes I got to see the screen. I knew the officer.
no ticket. the third time I was pulled over the cop asked me and he said OK when I told him where it was.
I never deviate from this pattern on a stop.
1 pull over
2 shut car off
3 turn on dome light
4 put hands on steering wheel
5 inform officer of ccw when asked for lic because I have a sig220 2 in from my id. (if there is a sec officer he may see the butt of the gun and see the danger of not being informed of the gun to start with and think I am going for a draw.)
6 hand the id and ccw to the officer
7 If asked to surrender the gun
NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER take it out yourself.
tell the officer that you will step out of the car and let him/her remove it from your persons or vehicle. inform the officer if it has a round in the chamber or not and where the spare mags are also.
(this from county, city, state. I asked all three when I got my ccw on what to do.
8 BE RESPECTFUL it goes a long way.
my state does not require me to tell the officer unless asked but I found it a good practice.
It depends on the state. I'm not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV, but I'm guessing that a person with a CCW from a "not required to inform" state would have to abide by the rules when in a "required to inform" state. I would think that is part of the recipricocity agreement. If in doubt, err on the side of safety.
Here in North Carolina (there are a lot of us NC CCW holders in this thread), you are required to inform. You will get into needless trouble if you don't. You need your permit with you when carrying, plus a form of "valid identification," which the law does not currently define. However, I should think your driver's license would pretty much suffice, since you should have it anyway while driving.
The handout I got at my CCW course says that, if in a vehicle, you are to keep both hands on the steering wheel where they are visible. You are to notify the officer that you have a concealed carry permit and are carrying a handgun. Only attempt to remove the permit or the handgun on instructions from the officer.
If I'm ever pulled over while carrying, I plan to put my hands on the top of the steering wheel and then not move until given specific instructions to do so from the officer. Before I do move, I plan to tell the officer what I'm going to move and where I'm going to move it, such as, "Officer, I'm going to bring out my wallet with my right hand." I don't want any misunderstandings. A lot of moving around and getting things out could be misconstrued as a threat. I have enough natural holes in my body without acquiring any more, thank you very much.
Here in North Carolina (there are a lot of us NC CCW holders in this thread), you are required to inform. You will get into needless trouble if you don't. You need your permit with you when carrying, plus a form of "valid identification," which the law does not currently define. However, I should think your driver's license would pretty much suffice, since you should have it anyway while driving.
The handout I got at my CCW course says that, if in a vehicle, you are to keep both hands on the steering wheel where they are visible. You are to notify the officer that you have a concealed carry permit and are carrying a handgun. Only attempt to remove the permit or the handgun on instructions from the officer.
If I'm ever pulled over while carrying, I plan to put my hands on the top of the steering wheel and then not move until given specific instructions to do so from the officer. Before I do move, I plan to tell the officer what I'm going to move and where I'm going to move it, such as, "Officer, I'm going to bring out my wallet with my right hand." I don't want any misunderstandings. A lot of moving around and getting things out could be misconstrued as a threat. I have enough natural holes in my body without acquiring any more, thank you very much.
With the car pulled off the road:
1) Turn off Ignition
2) Turn on Dome light (if at night)
3) Roll down window
4) Place license, CCW permit, registration and proof of insurance on dash in front of me
5) Place car keys on center of dash
6) Greet office with, "Hello officer, I have a permit to carry a concealed weapon and I am carrying a concealed weapon. How do you wish to proceed?"
6a) If I am not carrying a weapon, "Hello officer, I have a permit to carry a concealed weapon but I am NOT carrying a concealed weapon. How do you wish to proceed?"
7) If the officer asks for me to hand over my gun I respectfully reply, "With all due respect officer, I refuse to place my hand on my gun. If you wish, I will exit the vehicle, you may place me in restraints if you wish, and you may relieve me of my weapon." While the officer questioning you may see and hear everything you say, his partner may be out of earshot and have an obstructed view. If the first thing the partner sees is your hand on a gun, things could get real bad real quick.
1) Turn off Ignition
2) Turn on Dome light (if at night)
3) Roll down window
4) Place license, CCW permit, registration and proof of insurance on dash in front of me
5) Place car keys on center of dash
6) Greet office with, "Hello officer, I have a permit to carry a concealed weapon and I am carrying a concealed weapon. How do you wish to proceed?"
6a) If I am not carrying a weapon, "Hello officer, I have a permit to carry a concealed weapon but I am NOT carrying a concealed weapon. How do you wish to proceed?"
7) If the officer asks for me to hand over my gun I respectfully reply, "With all due respect officer, I refuse to place my hand on my gun. If you wish, I will exit the vehicle, you may place me in restraints if you wish, and you may relieve me of my weapon." While the officer questioning you may see and hear everything you say, his partner may be out of earshot and have an obstructed view. If the first thing the partner sees is your hand on a gun, things could get real bad real quick.
Jon N Lakeland
Inactive
Every time I've gotten pulled over for speeding, the officer has asked me directly if I had any weapons in the car. (I didn't!)
I don't have a CCW permit, so no red flags for me...
I don't have a CCW permit, so no red flags for me...
AussieHunter
Inactive
Is it that unsafe in the US that you guys need to carry concealled handguns.
We cant even own a pistol of any sort with out being a member of a club and then it is so strict it works out not being worth it.
No pistols over .38super or anything with a barrel length shorter than 4inches.
it is even hard to get a rifle over .22 hornet calibre.................
still it is a lot safer than the states as only a small percentage of the crooks actually have illegal firearms.
But you guys still got a great country, great trucks, great gun laws and great hunting..........look forward to chatin` to you`s
We cant even own a pistol of any sort with out being a member of a club and then it is so strict it works out not being worth it.
No pistols over .38super or anything with a barrel length shorter than 4inches.
it is even hard to get a rifle over .22 hornet calibre.................
still it is a lot safer than the states as only a small percentage of the crooks actually have illegal firearms.
But you guys still got a great country, great trucks, great gun laws and great hunting..........look forward to chatin` to you`s
sparkysteve
New member
The State of Michigan says:
An individual licensed to carry a concealed pistol who is stopped by a police officer (traffic stop or otherwise) shall immediately disclose to the police officer that he or she is carrying a concealed pistol either on their person or in their motor vehicle.
Failure to disclose this information to a police officer carries the following penalties:
First offense = State Civil Infraction - $500 fine and 6-month CCW license suspension.
Second offense = State Civil Infraction - $1000 fine and CCW license revocation.
Also I wouldn't recommend getting your license, registration, and CCW card out before the officer gets to your vehicle. If they see you moving around they get nervous. Put yourself in their shoes. They don't know who you are. You could be hiding items, getting a weapon, anything. I would stop, turn off vehicle, turn on dome light, and keep your hands on the wheel until the officer greets you.
An individual licensed to carry a concealed pistol who is stopped by a police officer (traffic stop or otherwise) shall immediately disclose to the police officer that he or she is carrying a concealed pistol either on their person or in their motor vehicle.
Failure to disclose this information to a police officer carries the following penalties:
First offense = State Civil Infraction - $500 fine and 6-month CCW license suspension.
Second offense = State Civil Infraction - $1000 fine and CCW license revocation.
Also I wouldn't recommend getting your license, registration, and CCW card out before the officer gets to your vehicle. If they see you moving around they get nervous. Put yourself in their shoes. They don't know who you are. You could be hiding items, getting a weapon, anything. I would stop, turn off vehicle, turn on dome light, and keep your hands on the wheel until the officer greets you.
AussieHunter;
It is not that it is that dangerous here in the USA, the vast majority of CHL holders never need to draw their gun in defence.
Its kind of like the seatbelt in a car, if you aren't in a collision, you don't really need it. But if you are, its something nice to have.
It is not that it is that dangerous here in the USA, the vast majority of CHL holders never need to draw their gun in defence.
Its kind of like the seatbelt in a car, if you aren't in a collision, you don't really need it. But if you are, its something nice to have.
What if?
I live in a state that has concealed carry permits, but can't get one and still carry. Obviously I am not going to volunteer the info to the cop unless he decides to search my vehicle. Which by the way has not been done since 1972, but what would happen if I am caught with the weapon, or had to use it?
BTW - I can't get a permit because of a defunct student loan, it has nothing to do with a criminal record. My state decided to collect student loan money with the carry law ???
I live in a state that has concealed carry permits, but can't get one and still carry. Obviously I am not going to volunteer the info to the cop unless he decides to search my vehicle. Which by the way has not been done since 1972, but what would happen if I am caught with the weapon, or had to use it?
BTW - I can't get a permit because of a defunct student loan, it has nothing to do with a criminal record. My state decided to collect student loan money with the carry law ???
Haven't been stopped in my car since 1962 but, in 2003, was stopped on this.
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Put it on side stand, killed the engine, removed helmet and gloves, and handed him my license and CCW permit together. He asked if I was carrying and where and what was it. I told him it was a Glock 29 IWB on my right hip. He evidenced no further interest in it and we discussed my speeding - which really was accidental - I was having some ignition malfunction and was listening for it whe I should have been in a lower gear watching the speedo.
He was a real gentleman and just gave me a warning.
Put it on side stand, killed the engine, removed helmet and gloves, and handed him my license and CCW permit together. He asked if I was carrying and where and what was it. I told him it was a Glock 29 IWB on my right hip. He evidenced no further interest in it and we discussed my speeding - which really was accidental - I was having some ignition malfunction and was listening for it whe I should have been in a lower gear watching the speedo.
He was a real gentleman and just gave me a warning.
MTS80 said:
I am interested in how that is possible. Does NC reference your Carry License to your vehicle license. If so, what if you are driving a friends car. I have traveled to NC numerous times and driven rentals. How, other than ESP, would anyone know whether or not I had a Concealed Carry License?
In Washington, where I live, we are not required to advise Law Enforcement that we are carrying. I would like to think that those of us that have taken the time and gone to the expense of obtaining a CPL (WA State's term for a license) are a little more intelligent and responsible than those that do not. I have had the privelege of riding along with WA Stat Patrol Officers over the years and to a man, they will show more respect to the driver that advises them as soon as possible that they are both licensed and carrying. Finding a weapon on their own can mean a takedown and cuffs until they are sure that everything is "Kosher". After a couple of funerals for State Troopers that have been shot late at night during traffic stops, can you blame them?
I try to drive in a manner that doesn't attract a lot of attention from Law Enforcement but as careful as I try to be, I have been stopped. I always sit still with my hands on the wheel and wait for the Officer to arrive at the window. I then advise him that in order to avoid any misunderstandings I have a CPL and that the weapon is on my person. "What would you like me to do?" At that point I have been told to either keep hands away from the weapon and hand both DL and CPL to him, or as on one occaision, to step out of the vehicle and come back to his vehicle. As the weather was good, I got to stand in front of it until he ran the license. I was also involved recently in an accident where someone ran into the back of my PU. The Sheriff's Deputy arrived, I gave him my DL, CPL, and Insurance Card. He handed the CPL back and had no interest in where the weapon was.
Several things to consider. The Officer doesn't know who he is stopping or what they may have been up to recently. Does the vehicle look like a piece of junk? Is the driver dressed like a gang member? Shaved head and lots of tattoos? Like it or not, the Officer is going to adjust his approach to what he thinks will keep him alive. If one likes to dress and act in the extreme, be prepared for a cautious approach. That may mean "cuffs" until the stop is over. Again, the Officer does have the right to provide for his safety.
If there was ever a time to look average and be extremely polite, it is during a traffic stop while carrying a weapon. Also not a good time to attempt an arguement on one's civil rights.
waterhouse
New member
I've been pulled over twice while carrying and both times I've kept my hands on the wheel and just explained that I had a concealed permit and told the officer where the gun was. One time the guy didn't do anything out of the ordinary, the other time he asked me to step out of the car and he disarmed me for the duration of the stop. He then returned my gun and told me to have a nice day. Ww are required by law to notify the cops here.
Glockamolie
New member
To AussieHunter:
I don't carry a pistol because I feel like I may need it every minute of every day. Likewise, I own a fire extinguisher, but I don't plan on putting out a fire all that often. But you cannot make an appointment for an emergency in either case. I carry for that reason, and because I can legally, and I should morally. I would take my current level of safety and security over a government that is so intrusive as to dictate every breath I take. Please don't take offense, as there's none intended. With freedom comes responsibility, and the irresponsible get put in their place eventually.
I don't carry a pistol because I feel like I may need it every minute of every day. Likewise, I own a fire extinguisher, but I don't plan on putting out a fire all that often. But you cannot make an appointment for an emergency in either case. I carry for that reason, and because I can legally, and I should morally. I would take my current level of safety and security over a government that is so intrusive as to dictate every breath I take. Please don't take offense, as there's none intended. With freedom comes responsibility, and the irresponsible get put in their place eventually.
I am interested in how that is possible. Does NC reference your Carry License to your vehicle license. If so, what if you are driving a friends car. I have traveled to NC numerous times and driven rentals. How, other than ESP, would anyone know whether or not I had a Concealed Carry License?
My NC CHP # is the same as my NC Drivers License #. My understanding is that my License has to be run before the LEO knows I have a CHP. And that doesn't happen until after I hand my license to him/her.
Mark
My NC CHP # is the same as my NC Drivers License #. My understanding is that my License has to be run before the LEO knows I have a CHP. And that doesn't happen until after I hand my license to him/her.
Mark
AussieHunter
Inactive
Glockamolie,
I agree with your laws and your constitional ( I think I spelled that correctly) rights as we dont seem to have any reguarding our saftey or personall defence. I live in the West which is damn quiet compared to the rest of the country and we have had a growing number of double murders in the past year, the thing thats gets me as a gun owner and a marksman, with military training, is that I cant help that person getting shot becuase of our laws, hand gun or rifle it doesnt matter. Who has the safer community unarmed citizens or residents with ccw lic.
I love the States I been there numerous times, and i think your laws and rights should be a template for the rest of the western world.
Dont forget the English were here to..........God knows how we got rid of them
So there
I agree with your laws and your constitional ( I think I spelled that correctly) rights as we dont seem to have any reguarding our saftey or personall defence. I live in the West which is damn quiet compared to the rest of the country and we have had a growing number of double murders in the past year, the thing thats gets me as a gun owner and a marksman, with military training, is that I cant help that person getting shot becuase of our laws, hand gun or rifle it doesnt matter. Who has the safer community unarmed citizens or residents with ccw lic.
I love the States I been there numerous times, and i think your laws and rights should be a template for the rest of the western world.
Dont forget the English were here to..........God knows how we got rid of them
So there
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AussieHunter, I spent three days in Sydney back in 1997 and absolutely loved it. It was like the best parts of London, San Francisco, and San Diego combined. From what I've heard, Sydney is not the garden spot of Australia, so I definitely plan to visit again.
It's a shame what's happened to your gun rights. Sadly, I fear you will experience a rising violent crime rate along the UK model. I can't help but think of those wildlife documentaries I've seen where the lioness attacks not the strongest zebra in the herd, but the most vulnerable one. In human society, that's usually women, children, and the elderly. And predators are predators, not matter what species.
It's a shame what's happened to your gun rights. Sadly, I fear you will experience a rising violent crime rate along the UK model. I can't help but think of those wildlife documentaries I've seen where the lioness attacks not the strongest zebra in the herd, but the most vulnerable one. In human society, that's usually women, children, and the elderly. And predators are predators, not matter what species.