Last weekend we drove to Florida for a Shoot Sig match. We went through Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia on the way down and came home the same way. Everyone in the vehicle holds a concealed carry permit. Two of us are West Virginia residents with West Virginia permits, and one is a Virginia resident with a Virginia permit. Even so, a trip across this many state lines takes planning before you leave the driveway.
A permit helps, but it doesn’t replace homework
Concealed carry reciprocity is a patchwork. Some states honor any permit, some honor only resident permits, and some have their own conditions. As of this month, West Virginia permits are honored by 36 other states, and Maine doesn’t require a permit at all, so a West Virginia permit holder can carry in 37 states. Our Virginia permit is honored by every state on our route.
Those numbers change, and they come with exceptions. Before any trip, check each state on your route and your destination with official sources, such as the state police or attorney general. A permit also covers handguns only. It doesn’t settle how to transport everything else you bring.
Federal law is the baseline for everyone else
For travelers without a permit, or for firearms a permit doesn’t cover, federal law, 18 U.S.C. § 926A, protects interstate transport for any lawful purpose. The firearm must be unloaded, and neither the firearm nor any ammunition may be readily or directly accessible from the passenger compartment. In a vehicle without a separate compartment, they must be in a locked container that is not the glove compartment or console. You must also be able to lawfully possess the firearm at both ends of the trip.
Before your next trip
- Check the carry laws of every state on your route and at your destination.
- Confirm that your permit is honored there, and whether it must be a resident permit.
- Keep your permit and photo ID with you.
- Know the rules for places off limits even to permit holders, such as schools, courthouses, and some government buildings.
- Plan what you will do with your firearms during stops.
Tie it back to the previous post
If you read our last post, you know this trip also taught me to check my gear twice, if not three times. A packing list is just as much a part of traveling responsibly as knowing the law.
Planning a trip with firearms, or want to understand your responsibilities as a gun owner? Contact Tri-State Training, LLC at 301.988.0809, tristatetrainer@gmail.com, or tristatetraining.org.