Reciprocity question

R

ragwd

New member
Greetings , my first time in this particular forum, I hang around " Hand guns semi auto " usually but I had a question about reciprocity. I will be traveling from ohio thru Penn, Ny and Mass. I think they do not honor my CCW, is there anyway I can still take it with me ? bullets in glove compartment pistol in trunk. I really would like to carry it but I dont want to go afoul of the law. Any web site that would give me official answer? Thanks for taking the time to read my post.
 
Thanks Garycw, I just came from that web site, and I know that the 3 states Im traveling through do not have reciprocity. My question is can I put bullets in glove compartment and pistol in trunk in those states. Really dont want to be break the laws.
 
Sure. I don't see a problem with it. We do still live in the USA. That's the way guns were always transported before all the CCW licenses. The gun and bullits separate and not access able without exiting the vehicle
 
Where are you going TO? That's a crucial question for determining whether or not the federal Firearms Owners Protection Act (FOPA) will apply. What it says is:

18 USC § 926A - Interstate transportation of firearms

Notwithstanding any other provision of any law or any rule or regulation of a State or any political subdivision thereof, any person who is not otherwise prohibited by this chapter from transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm shall be entitled to transport a firearm for any lawful purpose from any place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm to any other place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm if, during such transportation the firearm is unloaded, and neither the firearm nor any ammunition being transported is readily accessible or is directly accessible from the passenger compartment of such transporting vehicle: Provided, That in the case of a vehicle without a compartment separate from the driver’s compartment the firearm or ammunition shall be contained in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console.
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Based on that, ammo in the glove box would be a no-no.

I drive an SUV. Technically, to satisfy the FOPA I can transport any firearms in locked cases and just carry the ammo in the rear of the vehicle. To be safe (or, in current buzzwordish parlance, "out of an abundance of caution") I toss my ammo into an old Sears toolbox and slap a cheap padlock on that, too.
 
Thanks for the replies, I am coming from Ohio, traveling through Pa, NY and Mass, all three do not honor my CCW. I guess if I have to lock up everything it doesnt really matter if I do take them . They will not do me any good locked in my trunk. Thanks again.
 
You'd probably be wise to leave them home, all things considered.

Unless things have changed for the better in New York (she said laughingly), traveling through that state can be problematic. New York law states that no one, resident or not, may possess a handgun without a permit, and they have a history of not honoring the FOPA Act. So, although you're legal under federal law, if you're pulled over and found with a gun in the car, the consequences may be unpleasant, and they'll take a long and costly time to sort out.

And that's only if you're just driving through. Staying overnight would be a very bad idea.
 
ragwd said:
Thanks for the replies, I am coming from Ohio, traveling through Pa, NY and Mass, ...
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You stated that in your first post. I asked where you are traveling TO. That is important, because the FOPA applies ONLY if your possession of the firearm is legal at the place where your journey starts AND at the place where your journey will end.

ragwd said:
I guess if I have to lock up everything it doesnt really matter if I do take them . They will not do me any good locked in my trunk.
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That depends. How long will you be at the destination, and what will you be doing there? The likelihood of anything bad going down while you are actually traveling on interstate highways is incredibly small, but even transporting your firearm locked up will let you have it while at your destination. (Assuming it's legal for you to have it at your destination.)
 
I placed a phone call to the NYS Police and asked about taking my rifle to the range to shoot, since I have an SUV I have no trunk. The trooper that I was talking to laughed and said I could tie it to the luggage rack on top of the SUV. He had a sense of humor, lol. Then he said seriously it is fine to have your rifle in the back of the SUV in a case with the ammo in a separate case or range bag. He also said the law to have guns in the trunk was a very very old law made to help stop poachers from having a loaded gun in their vehicle and shooting game out of the vehicle.
Possessing a hand gun in NYS without a permit is supposed to be a mandatory 1 year jail term, but in almost every instance it is reduced or pleaded down with no jail time.
 
ragwd: PA is not a problem, you can OC in PA, and vehicle carry on you OH permit. http://www.opencarry.org/?page_id=292

NY is a big problem. If you are transporting a concealable weapon through NY using the federal transportation law as protection, NY only recognizes the federal transportation law as an "affirmative defense", not as an exemption. A long gun (that is not an "assault weapon" per NY definition) is fine, just as long as it is not loaded in the vehicle.

Massachusetts is another big problem, if that is your destination.

I would suggest www.handgunlaw.us and read what is there for Massachusetts very carefully before you try to transport any weapon into, or through MA.
 
hermannr said:
Massachusetts is another big problem, if that is your destination.
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Massachusetts is one of the three states the OP wrote he would be traveling through. He still hasn't told us where he's traveling to. If the sequence will be as stated (PA => NY => MA), the destination state could be any of the states contiguous to Massachusetts. In other words, he could go from MA into Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, or New Hampshire. (Can't make Maine directly from Massachusetts, there's a short stretch of NH in the way.)
 
ragwd,

Aguila has asked, and is really hitting the most salient point. If Massachusets is yoru final destination, then Federal Law protecting interstate transportation (conveniently cited by AB) does not apply, because, if your Ohio CCW permit is not honored by Massachusets, then you cannot "posess and carry" your weapon (emphasis mine). Leave the gun at home.
 
In addition, Massachusetts is (or so I've been informed) similar to California, in that MA has a list of either guns that simply aren't legal to own in MA, or maybe it's a list of which guns ARE legal to own. Either way, they have a list. If MA is the destination state, I have to wonder if the make and model of the gun in question makes a difference. If it's a gun a MA resident can't buy today in MA, can a visitor even bring one into the state to have under his/her pillow when sleeping?

I don't know the answer to that, I'm asking. But I admit that it never occurred to me that MA might actually be the destination state, since the OP specifically wrote that he would be traveling "through" Massachusetts.
 
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Still don't know where you're headed TO. That's key.

Also, be aware that many LEO's consider a full magazine to be the practical equivalent of a loaded pistol. When I'm not able to legally carry all the way through to my destination, I always empty the magazines to avoid any unpleasant "gotchas" along the way.
 
Thanks all, like the other forums I visit, you guys are very helpful and I do appreciate all answers. Sorry it took so log to come back here, I have broken my hand and it needed a plate with 5 screws. Now to the question of final destination (no reference to popular movie) I am headed for Marthas Vineyard, Mass. Obviously you guys are really up on this subject, and I do heed your advice. I will not be taking any fire arms with me. It doesn't seem right, but its their state and their laws, so i will abide. I will always gives these states a wide berth in planning any future travels, I wonder how much commerce per year they lose because of this, Im sure they aren't worried about my few dollars. Thanks again to all that tried to help
 
Have a great & safe trip. Buckeye firearms.com has a book they sell or a link to it for around $6 that covers all the states when traveling. I'm not sure there laws would be on pocket knives or types such as Kbars. Sometimes there more demonized than guns though.
Take care of the hand. I had the compression plates and pins in my arm once. Not fun.
Garycw
 
Sorry about your hand. That doesn't sound like a fun experience...

Enjoy your trip. Mass. firearms laws aside, Martha's Vineyard is a very nice place.
 
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