Planning a trip to visit family soon and trying to figure out the best route. I want to bring a firearm with me, but going through New York State makes that a bit complicated. Skipping NY would add a ton of extra drive time, which I'm not super excited about. I've been weighing my options and would love to hear if anyone's had to deal with this before. How did you handle it? I'm open to suggestions on routes or any tips for traveling with a gun through states like this.
Road Trip with a Gun
- Thread starter Alan
- Start date
We go to the SW annually. Via Hwy 97 to 395 to L.A., thence to Tucson (formerly Flag), then on to Gallup or back via Las Vegas. From Gallup up through Boulder and back. Or maybe to Yellowstone and back I-90. Or maybe down the Coast Highway to Monterey to SoCal. Al;l depends on which relatives we are visiting.
First, if there is time get CCW permits for as many states as you can. I have OR, UT, & WA. Wife has WA and UT. Check a reciprocity map and determine which are best. Carry a copy of the map with you! I keep it in a folder with addresses, reservations, etc. For us on our trips, my permits cover WA, OR, NV (not needed), UT, AZ (not needed), WY, MT, ID. We have a locking gun case that is attached by cable to the front seats in our 4Runner. We stop for gas in a border town and lock the pistol(s) if necessary. Be sure you know if you have to declare you are carrying if stopped. State laws vary. I was once stopped in Utah for speeding and told the trooper I was returning from an elk hunt and had a 6x7 in the camper, frozen and packed. He asked if I had any firearms in the car (???
). He said I was getting a ticket anyway, so I said "No, I strangled it"!
Utah permit: Requires a safety class (can be done locally), fingerprints and photo. Application can be done on-line.
Oregon Permit: Weird regs! Counties on the border CAN issue non-resident permits to adjacent state IF there is reciprocity. In actuality,very few do! Ironically, Multnomah (Portland) does. You need to send a justification letter with your application, take an Oregon Sheriffs' safety exam on-line, make an appointment for photo and fingerprints in Portland, have it done. If you are clear, you get an e-mail stating it is in the mail.
Important: If stopped, I roll down the window, place my hands on the steering wheel, and inform the officer that (a) I have a permit, (b) am carrying &, (c) how would HE like to proceed? The last time I was stopped the officer said thanks for telling him and he was always happy to see an upright citizen carrying. A couple of times they have asked what I was carrying and why I chose that particular weapon.
First, if there is time get CCW permits for as many states as you can. I have OR, UT, & WA. Wife has WA and UT. Check a reciprocity map and determine which are best. Carry a copy of the map with you! I keep it in a folder with addresses, reservations, etc. For us on our trips, my permits cover WA, OR, NV (not needed), UT, AZ (not needed), WY, MT, ID. We have a locking gun case that is attached by cable to the front seats in our 4Runner. We stop for gas in a border town and lock the pistol(s) if necessary. Be sure you know if you have to declare you are carrying if stopped. State laws vary. I was once stopped in Utah for speeding and told the trooper I was returning from an elk hunt and had a 6x7 in the camper, frozen and packed. He asked if I had any firearms in the car (???
). He said I was getting a ticket anyway, so I said "No, I strangled it"!Utah permit: Requires a safety class (can be done locally), fingerprints and photo. Application can be done on-line.
Oregon Permit: Weird regs! Counties on the border CAN issue non-resident permits to adjacent state IF there is reciprocity. In actuality,very few do! Ironically, Multnomah (Portland) does. You need to send a justification letter with your application, take an Oregon Sheriffs' safety exam on-line, make an appointment for photo and fingerprints in Portland, have it done. If you are clear, you get an e-mail stating it is in the mail.
Important: If stopped, I roll down the window, place my hands on the steering wheel, and inform the officer that (a) I have a permit, (b) am carrying &, (c) how would HE like to proceed? The last time I was stopped the officer said thanks for telling him and he was always happy to see an upright citizen carrying. A couple of times they have asked what I was carrying and why I chose that particular weapon.
Baddtrigger
Member
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- Aug 5, 2025
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- 8
It's your Right...
How would anybody know you're carrying unless you disclose the fact? It's nobody's business but yours. Be Smart, Be Safe!
How would anybody know you're carrying unless you disclose the fact? It's nobody's business but yours. Be Smart, Be Safe!
On the other hand, you can lose that right, go to jail, be fined, and lose your firearm for a violation! A friend lost a beautiful S & W 586 when he was found to be carrying in his car illegally (per state law) and was fined also. My brother's 41 OM Blackhawk was confiscated (from a third party he had loaned it to) and it took the intervention of a Sheriff Deputy friend to get it back. You have to decide if it is worth it!
- Joined
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I took a coast.to coast and back trip a few years ago and prepped by taking the Utah CCW course (I already had WA and OR). Several of the states I drove through (MN, MI NY, OH, MD,DE) have pretty onerous firearms laws. They also allow an out-of-state to "pass through" as long as the firearm is cased and not readily available. I wasn't checked on the entire trip, so I don't know how good is that bit of advice.
On the other hand, the firearm spent the entire trip in a case, in the spare tire compartment. Not too handy and all it did was take up space. Good thing I never needed it.
On the other hand, the firearm spent the entire trip in a case, in the spare tire compartment. Not too handy and all it did was take up space. Good thing I never needed it.
A little off topic but I had to pick up my niece at Spokane airport and was stopped for speeding (OK, but we were doing a round trip and I was a little tired!). The Wasp (WSP: Washington State Patrol) officer was courteous and when I told him I was armed, with a CCW and asked how to proceed, he stated "Always glad to see an upright citizen exercising his right to bear arms". BTW: Got a warning.
Renton Indian
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- Aug 24, 2025
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- 53
A guy got stopped in NJ, got two years for "passing thru" with firearms.
Need more details! How did they find it? Boxed in sight? Loaded? in case? WHY did they search the vehicle? What type of vehicle (RV, SUV, P/U?)
Renton Indian
Well-known member
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- Aug 24, 2025
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- 53
Geez, its a few years old. He was moving to the northeast and got a flat. When the trooper stopped to check, he saw the cases. Asked if he had a permit to have those in NJ.
When to jail.
from a NJ legal page:
Then how come you need a lawyer?
Its so bad they got lawyers on standby.
https://www.christopherstjohnlaw.com/weapons-crimes/out-of-state-weapons-charges/
When to jail.
from a NJ legal page:
If You Plan to Transport Your Gun in New Jersey
New Jersey does not prohibit people from transporting guns in their vehicles, so long as the gun and ammunition are not available for immediate use. Logically, the state does not want people driving their cars with loaded guns ready to shoot at cars or people. Federal and state laws criminalize the illegal transportation of firearms. You may transport guns you are legally permitted to have in your vehicle within the state or across state lines when the guns are unloaded and secured in a "fastened case" or gun box out of reach of a driver or passenger.Then how come you need a lawyer?
Its so bad they got lawyers on standby.
https://www.christopherstjohnlaw.com/weapons-crimes/out-of-state-weapons-charges/
