Handgun Travel Restictions

[jim4065]

Going on vacation to the UP in August with my son, and want to take a concealed handgun. We will travel in an SUV through Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana. Arkansas has reciprocity with all but Illinois and Wisconsin, so I can't carry in those two states, but are there restrictions about where it's located in the vehicle? Hoping to get by with unloaded in a suitcase, but does the ammo have to be in a separate container? Also, do guns or ammo need to be under lock and key? Kinda tough without a trunk - but maybe lock the ammo in the glove box and put the handgun in a bag at the rear? If I take a bottom feeder, can the magazine be loaded? :confused:

[Wayne Smith]

I can't speak for the specific laws of those states but generally, as long as there is a physical separation between the gun and ammunition and they cannot be easily connected you are safe. I believe that there is a federal law concerning traveling through a state with a firearm. This is the law you need to know, I would think.

[HATCH]

good morning :-)

Wisconsin

Wisconsin generally prohibits the transportation of a firearm in or on an automobile, aircraft, or motorboat with the motor running, unless the firearm is unloaded and enclosed in a carrying case

167.31(1)(b)
(b) "Encased" means enclosed in a case that is expressly made for the purpose of containing a firearm and that is completely zipped, snapped, buckled, tied or otherwise fastened with no part of the firearm exposed.

Illinois


Illinois prohibits any person from knowingly carrying or possessing a firearm in any vehicle except on the person's own home, land, or fixed place of business. 720 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/24-1(a)(4). The statute does not apply, however, to the transportation of firearms that are: 1) broken down in a non-functioning state; 2) not immediately accessible; or 3) unloaded and enclosed in a case, firearm carrying box, shipping box, or other container by a person with a currently valid FOID card. Id.

transportation of weapons that meet one of the following conditions:

(i) are broken down in a non‑functioning state;
or

(ii) are not immediately accessible; or
(iii) are unloaded and enclosed in a case,
firearm carrying box, shipping box, or other container by a person who has been issued a currently valid Firearm Owner's Identification Card


Basically if you put the weapon in a zippered case in your luggage and had it unloaded then you are fine.

this site is a wonderful site to go to for more information -> http://www.lcav.org

If it was me, I would bring a autoloader just for the fact that it is faster to load and generally holds more boolits

[jhrosier]

I don't know much more than you, but do be careful as some places regard a loaded mag the same as a loaded gun, even out of the gun.
The '86 FOPA (FEDERAL) should cover you if the gun is in a locked case, like this:
http://images44.fotki.com/v1409/photos/5/590147/2786028/gunbox-vi.jpg

These cases are only about $30.
These cases have a steel cable that can be wrapped around a seat bracket to keep anyone from stealing it when the vehicle is unattended.

Jack

[jar-wv]

I ended up leaving my gun at home last weekend when I traveled to St Louis. I had to go through Illinois and knew about a local guy that got busted in Illinois. Don't sound like a real gun friendly place.

jar

[Bret4207]

From what I'm told the FOPA of 1986 was supposed to address all this. But I came on the job in 1987 and I never heard of it till just last year. As far as I know it's designed to cover a person traveling from point to point. IOW- if you were moving from Nevada to Maine you would be able to transit all the states in between legally- point to point. It was not designed, as I understand it, to cover people as in the OP. I can tell you for sure that anyone trying to bring a handgun on a trip to NY State would be in violation of our laws, and no I don't agree with that. There are certain exemptions allowed and it would be a good idea to do some very careful research on this before making your decision.

FWIW- I'm theoretically covered to carry anywhere in the 50 States as a retired PO. I would never consider trying it for the simple reason that there are qualifying requirements that my job will not fulfill. Going to another State, getting in some jam where the gun is revealed, getting a Misdemeanor or Felony arrest...... there goes my NY permit and possibly my right to possess a firearm at all. That's a lot to think about.

[winelover]

:coffee:I'll be going the opposite way, this Fall. To Arkansas, from Michigan, thru Illinois. I plan on taking a shotgun instead of a handgun. Figuring the authorities would be more tolerable of a long gun! Vechicle has no trunk either! Will stow it in a case, unloaded, inside of a unlockable but inaccesible storage box. Should be OK??

Winelover::Fire:

[Lutzy48]

IMO, your best source of information is the NRAILA.org website. They have a list of the reciprocity rules as well as a compendium of all the various state laws.

[AZ-Stew]

FOPA is supposed to allow you to pass through any state, with reasonable stops (food, gas, lodging) without hassle. My suspicion is that few police or legal authorities are familiar with it. I believe it requires that you be traveling to a hunting or shooting competition destination. To prove I have a legit reson to have the gun when passing through Illinois (and others), I always buy an Indiana hunting license on line before I leave. My inlaws live there and I usually try to get in a day of groundhog or squirrel hunting while I'm there. I find it humorous that when you cross the Mississippi into Illinois you will see a bilboard-sized sign along the Interstate notifying you that "The People Of Illinois Welcome You". I always think, "Yeah, but as a gun owner, your legislature doesn't think much of me".

Regards,

Stew

[sheepdog]

I don't know much more than you, but do be careful as some places regard a loaded mag the same as a loaded gun, even out of the gun.
The '86 FOPA (FEDERAL) should cover you if the gun is in a locked case, like this:
http://images44.fotki.com/v1409/photos/5/590147/2786028/gunbox-vi.jpg

These cases are only about $30.
These cases have a steel cable that can be wrapped around a seat bracket to keep anyone from stealing it when the vehicle is unattended.

Jack

I have this in both my cars. Work great but can be kinda tight on wide frames and revolvers.

[Storydude]

I'd ship the gun to myself, care of whomever you are vacationing with. Fed regs allow for this and I've done it many times. easier and cheaper than TSA hassles at the airport.

CCW in a locked container inside a locked car isn't going to do you much good if you need it anyway.

[mooman76]

In IL your gun needs to be in the trunk, broken down or in a case so if your gun is in a case you are fine. I'm hoping that now that they finnally got that gun hating gov. out of there maybe they can upgrade some gun laws that make since.

[AZ-Stew]

They need to get rid of the gun-hating mayor of Chicago, first.

Regards,

Stew

[cajun shooter]

I wonder if all the bad guys in the states that you are going through have these type of conversations? Being a retired cop I know the answer but could not resist when I came upon the question. It's a sad thing when the honest people have to worry about the threat of arrest to protect themselves and their families. Take a look at this for the answer given by Ted Nugent http://biggeedaddy.com/miscvideos/TedNugent.html