As summer approaches and you plan a trip or vacation, you may consider taking your firearms. Many people combine vacations with shooting opportunities such as hunting, training or competition matches.
First let’s talk about motor vehicles: If you are staying in your home state you simply need to comply with your state’s laws, just as you do the rest of the year. When taking multi-state trips, National Firearms Laws provide a foundation that protects all U.S. Gun owners the right to transport their guns:
U.S. Code of Federal Regulations
Title 18 – Part I – Chapter 44 – § 926a
Interstate Transportation of Firearms
“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:
However individual state gun laws may vary and it is your responsibility to understand changing requirements and abide by the storage and firearm laws when passing through each state.
It is important to know that some states do not recognize Non- Resident Carry permits or licenses. What this means is that if you are the holder of a Non-Resident permit from a state such as Utah or Florida, but reside in Michigan it will may not be honored in all states.
States that do not support your right to carry do not take these rules lightly and I urge you to be compliant to the laws. There have been several well publicized cases recently in New York and Illinois where people are no facing serious jail time for not understanding the law.
A good source for this information is www.handgunlaw.us . The site is very easy to navigate and contains links to very helpful information. A similar map on the Michigan Coalition of Responsible Gun Owners Site (www.mcrgo.org/mcrgo/d_ccwrec.asp) also provides a hot link to each state’s online current gun laws. Below is an example for Michigan:
I print out a hardcopy of the current laws for each state I will be passing through and keep it with me in the vehicle. .
If you plan to travel by air, more planning and preparation is required, TSA publishes their guideline on their website: www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/editorial_1666.shtm
Make sure your handgun is unloaded and inside a locked hard sided case. You must declare the firearm at the ticket counter where you will fill out an unloaded firearms form. The gun then needs to secured in the case and padlocked with a lock that TSA cannot open. The case is then placed inside your checked luggage with the TSA form taped to the outside of locked case inside your luggage. It is very important to use a high security lock that cannot be easily picked and that TSA cannot open with master keys. It is required by the law that only you can open the locked case. A good lock such as those made by “Abloy” will cost approximately $75, but is a small fraction of gun replacement cost.
One additional method of getting your gun cross country is that Federal Law allows you to ship a gun to Yourself. You must meet certain shipping requirements, but it allows you to avoid the hassles of checking a gun at the airport and possible loss by theft during airport baggage handling.
Next month: Women & Guns
Until then …….Safe Shooting!