Driving cross country with firearms

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gadgetguy1288

New member
Im driving cross country in the middle of April(Bellingham, WA to Central FL) And I will be taking all of my rifles and handguns with me(3 Handguns, 7 rifles). I dont have a concealed carry permit for any state(getting a FL permit when I get there, as Im still a FL resident) I plan to lock them all up and leave them in the trunk of my car, except my Glock 30 which will stay in the Glovebox through the states that Im allowed to leave it there.

Are there any states along the way that would require me to do more with my guns than lock them and leave them in the trunk? I didnt get much help from Handgunlaw.us for this subject.

Thanks,
Randy
 
I've done the same thing numerous times while relocating in the military. I'm unfamiliar with any state laws that require more than locking un-loaded firearms inside a case, and then locking that case inside the trunk of a vehicle. You should be fine as far as legal requirements go.

I'd find another location for your Glock, if you also keep your vehicle registration and proof of insurance in the glovebox. You also want to prevent that pistol from being taken by anyone quickly rifling through your vehicle if you had to go inside a gas station at a gas stop or supermarket, or anything like that. When on roadtrips I stick my pistol in one of those small daypacks, along with other road supplies - you can grab it and take it inside with you if you need to. It can just ride on the floor or seat behind you, and is quite unobtrusive.

One thing to consider though - hotels at night. If you don't intend to hump your arsenal inside every night, and reload it the next morning, then all your firearms will sit outside in your locked trunk each night.

The most common threat you'll face isn't assault - it's theft. It is not at all uncommon for cars sitting in hotel parking lots to get broken into. (That's why you see all those signs that say "management is not responsible for valuables left inside vehicles" in hotel parking lots....liability coverage.)

So, if you're intending to leave your firearms out in the vehicle overnight each time you stay in a hotel, I'd make sure you have an insurance rider on them, and photos, serial numbers, etc. written down somewhere in the event that they're stolen. Vehicles get broken into a lot more commonly than people might guess.

FWIW.

YMMV.

Hope you have a safe trip.
 
I don't know of any states on that route where the law would be a problem, if you avoid Illinois. Now if it were NY or NJ or even MD, things would be different.

The key is to drive safely and normally, and keep your car in shape. Most of the people who are caught transporting something that could get them in trouble are incredibly stupid. I saw on TV a guy who had guns and drugs, both illegal, in his car. Why was he stopped? Well, he was going 75 in a 25 zone and flipped the bird to a parked cop car as he zoomed past. Also, a broken rear window, no tail lights, no brake lights, an obscured license plate, and a trunk lid held down with wire. No reason to stop our boy, none at all.

Jim
 
Quite frankly, when I travel cross country, I bring all my firearms into my motel room if I don't intend on going out again. Just be sure to do it surreptitiously and avoid attracting attention. Second best option would be to bring the handguns and bolts out of your rifles into your room (if possible).
 
I've done several cross country moves with the military/work. I'd just case them in the trunk & not worry a bit, except at the hotel. Part of that can be alleviated with the location & type of hotel you pick. I was out in SD for some dogging last June. On the way back the son & I did a hotel. I said I won't be able to sleep with the guns in the truck so we brought them in the room. In some places that alone could raise an eyebrow but not where we were.
 
Doesn't matter about state law....

Federal law preempts any screwy laws of any states you might be traveling through... Unloaded and locked in the trunk is all you need to do.
 
I almost never travel out of state so this is just speculation on my part, but wouldn't the worst thing be having your car stolen overnight while you slept and all your valuables(guns) were in the trunk? Imagine the shock on the thieves' faces when they opened up.

If you were crossing Massachusetts you'd want to be sure of their laws, it's like an eastern california. But then again, I haven't checked into the preemption by federal law as Blume357 says. I just don't go there much.

It must be tough to disguise long guns as you move them from your vehicle to the room without arousing suspicion.
 
You might think about using hard plastic or metal cases to store multiple firearms in per case and just move them into the room at night. Those cases do not scream GUN to most people. You can find them pretty cheap these days at Bass Pro Shops or similar super stores.

I wouldn't want to be seen carting multiple firearms into a hotel room as it'll potentially make you a target for more violent crime, IF someone is dumb enough to attempt to break into a room full of armed guests and there are plenty of people who are that dumb. It also tends to scare the masses if you are staying in a better quality hotel with internal hallway room access instead of the external access found in many older motels/hotels. The metal/plastic cases never raise an eyebrow of anyone unless it's another shooter. They also have their own locks which will just make them that much more secure and trump any local transportation ordinance, if one exists.
 
Call the NRA and ask. They used to have info on this subject but I don't recall what all they said about it. Asking for everybodys opinion or guesstimate isn't going to answer your question.
 
To avoid any problems, whether aforementioned nightly car emptying/motel interface, theft or varying state-to-state legal interpretation/hassle, I'd consider shipping any firearms you don't specifically need for SD along the way. I assume that'd mean all but one handgun, perhaps the Glock? Maybe one BUG. Just my .02.
 
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Two weekends ago I roomed over night with two other guys

when we unloaded and moved our stuff to the room we had 6 cased rifles and numerous ammo cans on the self serve cart at the Sleep Inn.

I had a buddy travel up to see me last Fall. He stopped at what according to him must have been a motel where working women had a business... he unpacked late in the afternoon. and when he pulled the 8mm belt fed auto out of the back of his truck everybody hanging out on the open balcony at the place scooted....

I'd feel better unloading to the room as long as I was going to stay in the room for the night.
 
the main thing is that if stopped you do not allow searches and you do not mention the legal contents of your trunk.

In order to legally search they need either permission of a "reasonably articulated suspicion"

I suggest you say something like "Man, I would love to let you search but my best friend is a lawyer and he would ride me like a borrowed mule if I gave up my civil rights".

That way you are being a good guy but in a non threatening way you mentioned your rights and that you have legal help.
 
If you do choose to leave the firearms in the trunk overnight, you should consider some type of heavy guage cable lock or motorcycle link-style lock for the cases. Somebody popping trunks in the lot will probably be in too big of a hurry to bother with 4' bolt cutters. I would want mine in the room, though.

BTW, since you may be coming through MS, it is MY UNDERSTANDING as a non-attorney that we are allowed to have a loaded firearm concealed in our vehicles for our own protection.
 
blume357's right. Federal law on interstate transport of firearms preempts all state laws. Federal law permits you to transport handguns interstate so long as they are unloaded in a locked container that is inaccessible to the driver (obviously, while he/she's driving).

Every year we vacation in Arizona where I rendezvous with several shooting buddies. I transport as many as five firearms by car. I've purchased some inexpensive lockable plastic carrying cases, each big enough to hold two guns. I lock them with small padlocks. The guns travel in the cargo area of my SUV. Ammo is in a separate locked container. At night, the guns go into the hotel with me. I don't tell the clerk what I'm carrying and I've never been asked.

Now, a separate question is what can one carry concealed while traveling interstate? Many states have concealed carry reciprocity laws that allow the traveler to carry concealed in that state so long as he/she has a permit in his/her state of residence. For example, I have a Georgia concealed carry permit. The states along the way from Georgia to Arizona are: Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona. All of them except New Mexico have a reciprocity law (I haven't checked New Mexico recently; things may have changed there). Thus, I may carry concealed in every state that I travel through except New Mexico. Arizona also has an open carry law, which permits me to carry openly if I want to (I don't).
 
I did it a few years ago NY to FL I just packed them all up and never gave it and other thought. Me the wife my three Brittanys and boat 1100 miles but I think you have a few more miles to go:D
 
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