Question for all of you licensed concealed weapon guys.

[Estes]

Ive always wondered, and im sure the law varies state from state. But lets say you get pulled over for speeding or something. Do you have to straight up tell the officer that you have a gun, with the license to do so. What happens from there?

I would guess the officer would ask ya to get out of the car, show him the license and let him know where the gun is? Or how does this work?

[TwinEng]

The problem is that the law does vary from state to state.   So you should check into Texas specific law.

There is no legal requirement to declare your weapons where I live.  If you have done a proper job in concealing them, then there is not going to be any issue.  At least for a typical traffic stop and ticket.   

Now if you have done something stupid like drink and drive and the officer asks you to step out of the car, then you obviously will need to produce your license and declare all of your weapons.   If you are also legally carrying other weapons like a knife, taser, or pepper spray, be sure to give them up as well.

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[Strip]

Just hand him your CCW permit and drivers license at the same time, he will usually direct you afterward in a manner comfortable with him.

If anything it usually puts him at ease, a CCW holder is very unlikely to give him any trouble....

Ditto on checking the local laws, even states your traveling through, some may not honor your CCW from another state.

Ryan Norton

[trigger2]

Ive always wondered, and im sure the law varies state from state. But lets say you get pulled over for speeding or something. Do you have to straight up tell the officer that you have a gun, with the license to do so. What happens from there?

I would guess the officer would ask ya to get out of the car, show him the license and let him know where the gun is? Or how does this work?

The dispatcher will inform the officer that you have a concealed weapons permit, but out of custom courtesy, you should inform the officer of it, and where it is located. Odds are, they'll get it, or if it's out of reach, they'll keep an observant eye out, but go on with it. So, say I had a firearm in the glove box for some reason, I'd say to the officer when he approached the vehicle...

"Good (insert time of day) officer. Here's my information, and I have a firearm in the glove compartment which I am licensed to carry."

There, good safe way of putting it, keeping the officer informed, and they'll appreciate you being up-front and honest, and it could help you get out of a ticket if you're lucky.

[FireDrgn]

Arizona  if you have it you have to state that you have it.  NO big deal happend once to me he took it and  cleared it... gave it back empty when he was done writing the ticket.

[Jayhawk]

In Kansas you have no requirement to inform an officer unless he/she asks.  So if you get pulled over you have no requirement to inform the officer, but as someone else has mentioned, after he/she gets your driver's license he'll know you you have the permit.

Though I haven't had the experience, here is how I was told to handle the situation.
[This isn't going to Hollywood, I'm just getting the point across]

Officer:  I see that you are a CCH holder, are you currently carry?
Me: Yes Officer, would you like to hold onto it for now?
Officer: Yes
Me: How would you like me to transfer the firearm to you?
Officer tells you what to do, probably will clear it and store it in the care and return it unloaded at the end.

Or something like that.  If I ever get pulled over I don't have any intention of informing the officer unless he/she asks.  I see no reason to complicate the situation and let the officer decide what to do.

[v1st]

Strip hit it right.   If you show him the permit and tell him about the gun it should make things much easier.  If you have a gun and he does see it before you tell him. They tend to get nervous and then pissed off.   If your carrying a gun legal just tell the officer he can't do nothing about it.  Show the respect to the officer  he is out there with some wierd people.  Protecting him self is on the top of the list.  If you defuse the situation before it happens then everybody leaves happy.   (maybe not  you if he gives you a ticket anyway).
v1st

[Jayhawk]

I just remembered a story about someone getting pulled over.  The concealed holder was an elderly woman and I believe she was carrying a revolver.  She gets pulled over and wanted to make sure the officer knew she had a gun.  Soo, she gets the firearm out and sticks it right out the window and holds it there for the officer to see.  I can only imagine the surprise seeing that white haired woman holding a gun out the window along the side of the road.

[LYNX]

If a cop approached a car and the occupant said "I have a gun".  Wouldn't the next sound be


              BANG

[shppr01]

You do not have to tell him you have a gun , but if he asks if you have a weapon , you will need to say yes with a permit

[Obie303]

Not all dispatch centers have that information.  For example, if you get stopped in the county/town you live in where you got your LTC, they will have it.  Outside of town, maybe not.  It depends on which software program the agency is using.  But, all agencies do have the ability to check any person for a LTC through a national database.  Those records are kept by the FBI (remember giving your fingerprints). 

In short,  this is what I would suggest to do.  Keep your hands on the steering wheel. Calmly tell the officer that you have a LTC and you have a weapon on you.  Don't forget to tell the cop that you have a LTC first.  Any cop who has half a brain won't give it a second thought.  It's the bad guys who won't tell a cop if they are carrying a weapon.  Those are the people cops worry about.  Not the honest ones.  But again, it depends on your state laws.  Some states require you to tell an officer that you are carrying a weapon. 

Oh and as a side note, it is illegal to carry a weapon in any bank unless you are law enforcement.  Federal Laws supercede State Laws.  (All banks are FDIC insured.  That's how the Feds get around that one.)  Most people don't know this.  But again, most honest people don't brandish their weapon everywhere they go either.

[Maverick]

Strip, Jayhawk and Obie have it pretty well covered. From the perspective of one who has done thousands of traffic stops it is a good idea to be up front about it. Finding you are carrying a weapon a bit later is not conducive to calm nerves.

I stopped a car full of little old ladies one time. When I asked for the registration the passenger opened the glove box and inside was a grand kids toy gun that looked very VERY real. No red parts on it at all. She started to grab it and show it to me, muzzle first and I had to yell at her several times to just drop it. She darn near got it pointed directly at me and almost got shot because if that. You cannot trust folks to do the right thing all the time so plan accordingly.

For the Officer it's all very real and there are no do overs so do what you can to keep things calm and easy going.

[Shamus]

The law in my state changed a few years ago requiring CCW holders to notify the leo if armed.

For 25 years when pulled over the leo and I conducted our business and calmly went our separate ways. The last 3 stops I hand all the required documents along with the CCW and inform that I am armed and the tension starts, "where is the gun? hands on the wheel please, where are you going?"...causes a bunch of unneeded drama if you ask me.

shamus 

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

I've always handed the officer my permit with my driver's license. Never had the slightest problem. In fact, they usually smile an ask what I'm carrying. Only once has an officer asked me if he can hold the weapon while he runs the checks.

[TwinEng]

Or something like that.  If I ever get pulled over I don't have any intention of informing the officer unless he/she asks.  I see no reason to complicate the situation and let the officer decide what to do.

Exactly my point: Why on earth complicate things?

As for another post that talked about having a handgun in your glove compartment, I would say this:  One would have to be awfully stupid to store a handgun in the same place that you have your registration and proof of insurance forms, which you will need to hand over to the officer.  That would be asking for trouble.