Moving Across State Lines, Ammo Question

Sorry. I had a couple of thousand rounds, mostly .22. I'm giving most of it away before the move. Should have made that clear.
 
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Just how much ammo are we talking about??
Several hundred rounds. A mix of shotgun shells, .30-30, .38, and .22.

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You cannot get out of New England (by car) without traversing New York. To miss New Jersey, you have to spend more time and miles in New York.
Yeah, it's a pickle. The other consideration is the massive flow of drugs from MA, CT, and NY into ME. My plates could attract police attention.
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When I moved across the country, my truck had roughly 100K rounds of ammo in the back of my truck along with a LOT of powder, gas cans and chemicals. Tarp over everything, took 4 days to make the trip - no issues. I also had the movers move my guns and safe. The guns were cased and boxed by me in wardrobe boxes and every gun and serial number was listed on the manifest. I also paid for the full replacement coverage insurance. Everything came through just fine. Enjoy your new home state.
 
"...curse control..." That's the box of Epsom Salt my Da had when he was chasing my brother around the dining room with me in the doorway crying(I was about 4 or 5) and the old lady telling him(my Da) to stop. Don't know what he said. Didn't work anyway.
"...A ship wouldn't have to..." A ship going South to NC wouldn't go outside Territorial Waters or the Exclusive Economic Zone. State law applies there.
Doesn't matter if it's 1,000 rounds or 5 in some States. MD coming to mind. Mind you, it's not difficulty to find all the pertinent laws on line.
 
"Set curse control at the speed limit..."

I was NYC born and raised and never had an issue with cursing in NY, even today when I occasionally go back and visit. You may want to watch your speed though.

NYC and not NY state is your main area of concern and using the I 95 corridor you only have about 23.5 miles or so of NY State and less than that in any of the 5 borrows of NYC. You can read up on transporting ammunition in NYC laws. Research a few sources as the link is merely an example.

I would let the moving company move your guns. They are bonded and insured. Moving companies for some reason don't want to move ammunition. Following my sister's husband's passing in W. VA she returned to Ohio and the moving company would not take ammunition. Moving the entire loaded gun safe was no problem. I took a three hour drive down and loaded my truck with the ammo which she gave me. Then too moving ammunition between W VA and Ohio is nothing.

If I were you and considering the small amount I would just place the ammo in a lockable box and load it in the trunk. Then just drive as you normally would. If you have concerns about this then do as suggested and just ship the stuff to yourself using UPS or FED EX. Again, personally and space permitting I toss it in the trunk and go. It's not like we are talking about tens of thousands of rounds.


Just My Thinking....
Ron
 
Just to point out, there are moving companies and there are shipping companies.

A moving company might not take ammo. A SHIPPING company, will. And, they will charge you for it, at the "applicable" rate, which very likely will be different than the rate to ship something else which doesn't have the same legal (DOT and other) requirements.
 
A moving company might not take ammo. A SHIPPING company, will. And, they will charge you for it, at the "applicable" rate, which very likely will be different than the rate to ship something else which doesn't have the same legal (DOT and other) requirements.
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Wow, that's a great point. We're having one of the cars shipped. Maybe I can just put the ammo in it and avoid any stress.
 
Moving companies for some reason don't want to move ammunition.
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They do not take ANYTHING hazardous - that includes charcoal starter, household chemicals, pesticides, gas cans, etc. And your power tools better be empty of gas and oil as well.
BTDT about 23 times over the years

And BTW, several hundred rounds is nothing
 
The legal requirements for shipping hazardous materials are complex and involve a lot of things depending on the specific classification of the materials, that the general public is unaware of. Things such as physical position of the materials in the truck, relative to other things in the truck, for just one.

Proper placarding of the truck is another, the list is long, and involves both chemical safety regulations and worker right to know laws as well.

The proper, legal CYA method is to inform the shipping company, let them meet all the needed regulations and pay their price for doing so.

Most people would simply put it in a container and not tell the company so as to save a few bucks. This is the "everything's legal until you get caught" school of thought, and we advise NOT doing it.

Consider, for a moment, the possible worst case situation. You "sneak" your ammo into the shipment, and something happens where the shipment is involved in a traffic accident, or some other thing where it is discovered, and its NOT on the shipping manifest.

Now, not only have you caused the shipping company to violate various regulations and/or laws, but you lied to them, in order to do it.

Neither the government, nor the shipping company will look kindly on this, and some fairly serious fines (or possibly worse) could result, and almost certainly cost you FAR more than the extra charges you would pay having it declared and shipped in compliance with the law.

Also, there is the possibility of violating your contract with the shipping company and their insurance carrier, which could cause further issues.

It is within the realm of possibility that if you are found in violation of your contract, any damage claim for any of the rest of your shipment (including the car) MIGHT be disallowed.

Do the right thing, and pony up the cash to cover all the charges. If nothing bad happens, write it off as money "wasted". BUT, if something bad does happen, you'll be very glad of every penny you spent covering your butt.

Me, I'd put it in container(s) that meet the most restrictive state requirement of those states I'd be driving through, and go for it. I'd also be willing to drive more hours and miles to avoid NYC and NJ, but that's just me.

Good Luck.
 
Mainah said:
Thanks, good advice on NYC. If I had more time I'd avoid it and take the long way through NY and PA.
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You can avoid NYC by following I-95 south through Connecticut, then getting in I-287 a few miles into NY state. Follow I-287 through White Plains and across the Tappan Zee Bridge, then take exit 14A for the Garden State Parkway. The Garden State will meet up with the NJ Turnpike south of NYC and you'll be back on the most direct route.

Depending on traffic, the Tappan Zee Bridge route is often faster than staying on I-95 through NYC and across the George Washington Bridge. NJ is no friend of the Second Amendment, but the NJ State Police web site does specifically include the FOPA language (with the caveat that they change "or" to "and"), so as long as you stay on the parkway and the turnpike you should have no issues with some ammo in the car in a locked toolbox.
 
Me, I'd put it in container(s) that meet the most restrictive state requirement of those states I'd be driving through, and go for it. I'd also be willing to drive more hours and miles to avoid NYC and NJ, but that's just me.
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Thanks. That seems like the best course of action. The drive west through NY will take longer, but will involve better views and less traffic.
 
https://www.nraila.org/articles/20150101/guide-to-the-interstate-transportation

Basic rule is if it is legal in your Origin and your destination then you are legal to travel with it.

Be aware that some states will not allow you to apply the FOPA as protection until AFTER an arrest. Meaning they can arrest, haul you off to jail, confiscate your guns, and let a Judge set you free AFTER being defacto punished by being arrested, hauled off to jail, and having to go thru the hassle of getting your firearms back.
 
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Be aware that some states will not allow you to apply the FOPA as protection until AFTER an arrest. Meaning they can arrest, haul you off to jail, confiscate your guns, and let a Judge set you free AFTER being defacto punished by being arrested, hauled off to jail, and having to go thru the hassle of getting your firearms back.
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Yup, and my wife is stuck at the new location unarmed and without me for at least an extra day. And the dog I'm driving with will be lucky if he gets off with a night in the local pound. Plus legal fees.

Trying to legally move a modest gun collection and a relatively small amount of ammo across a few state lines and 1000 miles away should not be as complicated and regulated as moving radioactive waste. There are so many other things that I could be spending this time and energy on, and many of them involve making money and paying taxes. The same taxes that subsidize all of this nonsense.

Sorry for the rant, it's not directed at anyone here. And I'm very grateful for all the good advice. And maybe there's a good lesson for the NRA in all of this. I got a nice trip-tick from AAA, a version of that from the NRA would be valuable.
 
It isn't complicated; but way too many folks can dream up all kinds of "what if" scenarios to make it seem that way.

Put the stuff in the trunk, drive through - it is not hard. Follow the laws for doing so. As I mentioned above, I moved with enough ammo, gun powder and flammables to be a rolling bomb. It was no big deal.
 
It isn't complicated; but way too many folks can dream up all kinds of "what if" scenarios to make it seem that way.
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That is right. It is also why some of the states in question are up before the SCOTUS on 2nd Amendment issues.

;)
 
Mainah:
Yup, and my wife is stuck at the new location unarmed and without me for at least an extra day. And the dog I'm driving with will be lucky if he gets off with a night in the local pound. Plus legal fees.

Trying to legally move a modest gun collection and a relatively small amount of ammo across a few state lines and 1000 miles away should not be as complicated and regulated as moving radioactive waste. There are so many other things that I could be spending this time and energy on, and many of them involve making money and paying taxes. The same taxes that subsidize all of this nonsense.

Sorry for the rant, it's not directed at anyone here. And I'm very grateful for all the good advice. And maybe there's a good lesson for the NRA in all of this. I got a nice trip-tick from AAA, a version of that from the NRA would be valuable.
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I have been to Maine a good many times and always enjoyed it. They were all during the pleasant summertime. Look on the bright side. When all of this is behind you the winters, while not exactly tropical will be much milder making for a longer season of enjoyable shooting. Like Maine the people are very nice also. Just have a good safe move, you, your wife and of course the dog. :)

Ron
 
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