Interstate Travel with Firearms,New England to Florida

S

Sea Buck

New member
At 70 I have decided to retire and we are becoming snowbirds and heading to Florida. I would like to take several of my favorite firearms with me for target shooting, hog and turkey hunting. However after reading some nasty accounts from many of the states I am traveling through I have decided otherwise. Unless someone can convince me that I can legally transport my guns through the many States to get to my destination in Florida they stay home, in the safe. I would like to hear what is to be said about this. I have a CWP in my home State.
 
Its going to vary a bit with the type of firearm & the sates you're passing through.
Are we talking handgun, shotgun, rifle or what?
Are any of them *cough, choke splutter* "assault weapons"?
Not trying to be nosy, but in places like MD it makes a big difference.
 
It'll help if we know what state you're in now and what states you'll be travelling through.

In theory, you are protected by 18 USC § 926A so long as you are just passing through and the firearm is unloaded and out of reach of the driver. In practice, there are some states that don't acknowledge federal law on this. New York, New Jersey, and Maryland are problem areas.

Your best bet is to make a straight shot, without stops, until you reach Virginia or Ohio. From there, you're in safer territory.
 
If you're too worried to risk those states ignoring federal law, then you can still have your firearms shipped to yourself in FL. You probably don't have a thing to worry about, though- you aren't going to get stopped for some kind of random firearms check.

Another precautionary measure you can take is to print out several copies of the relevant federal laws and bring them with you- one in your glove box, another in your gun case. If your state requires any kind of documentation, bring copies of that as well- including your carry permit, if you have one. Bring three cases: one for your guns (which should be unloaded, magazines removed), one for your magazines (which should be empty), and one for any ammunition you're bringing with you. All three cases should be locked. That will cover you under both federal law and the more restrictive transport laws in the problem states.
 
New Jersey doesn't ignore the FOPA if you stay on the Turnpike and only have to deal with the state police. It's the county mounties and local cops who ignore the federal law. In fact, the NJ State Police web site specifically addresses transporting forearms through New Jersey.

There is one caveat: The federal law requires that, if your vehicle doesn't have a trunk, the firearm(s) OR the ammunition must be in a locked container. The NJ State Police want both the forearm(s) AND the ammunition to be in a locked container. Easy to do -- if you don't have an old toolbox, go to Wal-Mart or Harbor Freight Tools and buy an inexpensive tool box and a cheap padlock. Use that for the ammo. Guns go in their own locking cases.
 
Ok Tom I have to ask... why would he go to Ohio from New England? Virgina yes, but Ohio? :p

OP, I wouldn't sweat it too much. Put the guns in the trunk in a locked case and you'll be OK, even in New Jersey. Or swing through PA instead. Oh, and I don't recommend stopping for the night unless your guns are NJ legal. The [people] here consider it a "destination" and not passing through if you do that.
 
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^^^ I wouldn't stop here in NJ even if his guns are NJ legal. And I would even think of taking a bit longer route through PA just to avoid NJ. Accidents do happen and cars do break down. And MD isn't much better, if any, and neither is DC.

That's a long stretch of I95 through enemy territory - NY through DC. :eek:
 
Kind of hard to say more with the info we have, but by all means avoid NJ, NY & MD as much as possible.
There have been issues.
 
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wogpotter said:
& thus the qualifier.
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Noted.

Since there's no way to escape New England without passing through Injun territory, the goal would seem to be to minimize one's exposure. IMHO, that means staying away from I-95 and getting onto I-81. Looking at Google Maps, it looks like the path of least resistance is to get onto I-84 in Connecticut. Follow that across New York to Port Jervis, where you cross into Pennsylvania and safety. Going farther south exposes you to NYC and then New Jersey. Going north and using the New York Thruway to get to I-81 takes you halfway across NY state, so it's a much longer route and spends more time in NY. IIRC, both Connecticut and Massachusetts respect the FOPA and have a version thereof in their own statutes, so you should be good until you hit NY. The I-84 corridor isn't heavily traveled (albeit it isn't exactly deserted), and it's far enough away from NYC that perhaps the madness hasn't infected them too badly.

Once you get to Scranton, PA, you jump on I-81 south. I-81 just ticks the northwest corner of Maryland -- I think I've read posts from people saying that the jump across Maryland is only 12 miles. You can't do much better than that.

I-81 then takes you well clear of Washington, DC, which avoids both traffic and Injuns. A bit farther south you can jump onto I-64 east and follow that to Richmond, where you pick up I-95 again.

Does that look workable, or do I need to go back to Map Reading 101 again?
 
I-95 is a bad idea traveling through New York and New Jersey for a lot of reasons, and not all of them relate to the states' respective draconian gun laws. IMO you have more to worry about from traffic-related idiocy than overzealous highway cops.

95 in the NYC area can be a congested mess at any time of day, such that it can take you hours just to pass through the city during calm times; it is invariably faster to detour around even if the route is physically longer by dozens of miles.

I-95 is also not a single continuous freeway in NJ; rather, it loops back on itself in the Trenton area and turns into 295, which takes you south back towards Delaware. In order to take I-95 south, you have to get off 95 (the NJ turnpike part) and take 195 west to 295 then backtrack north until it becomes 95 again or take 295 all the way south into Delaware until it rejoins 95 there. NJ doesn't demonstrate any more sense in road construction than it does in gun legislation.

That road in that region is a headache that you don't need compounding your worries. Plan a detour, save yourself a whole lot of aspirin.
 
Thank you for all the comments. This is inconclusive, so, my firearms will stay in the safe. As for the travel route to avoid "Injun Country" I'll take the idiots on I 95 over the icy conditions of I 81. Scenic in the summer! I will seek to get a carry permit in Florida, as I have one for my State. I will purchase a long arm for my needs in FL (a dreaded AR type maybe) for the range, most certainly a shotgun,18" Mossberg I'm thinking, for the home, and a Turkey/Hog type for the bush.
 
Everyone is right about NY, NJ, and MD. But your trip begins somewhere in New England. From my perspective in Maine the laws in MA are restrictive too.
 
Yes, MA is very restrictive. Maybe I'm all wet here but I have been told that when traversing MA, you should break your firearm down into 3 non-fireable parts and lock them in a case in the trunk or remote from the drivers seat. Ammo and mags to be locked and stored separately. Non resident Law Enforcement Officers are not an exception in MA, also. As I understand it, you have to be licensed and pass their tests. And each municipality has it's own rules. I do not know what CT law is but I imagine it's right up there with NY,NJ,MD,& MA.
 
Sea Buck said:
Yes, MA is very restrictive. Maybe I'm all wet here but I have been told that when traversing MA, you should break your firearm down into 3 non-fireable parts and lock them in a case in the trunk or remote from the drivers seat. Ammo and mags to be locked and stored separately.
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Possibly, but I think I recall reading that Massachusetts honors the FOPA -- which does not require breaking firearms down.

Non resident Law Enforcement Officers are not an exception in MA, also. As I understand it, you have to be licensed and pass their tests.
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ALL police officers are subject to the LEOSA (Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act). The law starts out by saying something like "Notwithstanding any laws to the contrary ...," which means non-resident police and retired police ARE an exception -- because federal law specifically made them an exception. Retirees, however, have to qualify annually or they aren't covered by the law.

And each municipality has it's own rules.
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Perhaps in Massachusetts, but not in most states.

I do not know what CT law is but I imagine it's right up there with NY,NJ,MD,& MA.
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Not even close. CT is much closer to New Hampshire or Maine. And CT does respect the FOPA (even though they may not like it).
 
I stand corrected...if you are right...I do not trust any of the NE States in this regard.....however I' leaving the firearms in the safe....I just do not want to be the test case. Recently I was traveling to Nebraska for pheasant hunting...in the Utica area I was followed by a NY State Police Officer for over 5 miles ON MY BUMPER...10 yds... obviously doing a profile check...scared the hell out of me...70 year old male and female in a new model vehicle...no firearm onboard because I had to stop in NY...not my "destination" but according to NY Law it was "My destination".
 
You may be over thinking this.
What are the odds, of all the people driving that route, it will be you being stopped by the cops?
And if you are, what are the odds that the police will want to search your car?
Two 70 year olds?
And if by some very unlikely circumstance you are stopped,
Don't invite or allow any kind of searches if asked, take the ticket without complaint or comment and keep on trucking.
Or avoid the entire thing, stay home and just turn the thermostat up.
 
Correct me if I'm mistaken. I thought a long gun, with the exception of those classified as "assault rifles", were legal basically everywhere in the US except one or two really draconian places (NYC, DC). I'm in Upstate NY, and there's no restriction on any sort of non-"assault" long gun.

David
 
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