Tips on How to Travel With Firearms
It is perfectly legal to travel with firearms and ammunition from a place that allows them to a destination that also allows them. However, the challenge is to get past locations along the way that have restrictions on firearms. Let’s explore a few things to consider when relocating or transporting weapons from one location to another.
It’s Your Right
Federal law allows individuals who have a proper permit or license to cross state and local jurisdictions with firearms and ammunition. This law applies in areas where such possession is prohibited as long as a couple of specific conditions are met. The person who is transporting the weapons must be on the way to a destination that allows for possession. The weapon needs to be somewhere else other than on the person or within reach. Documentation with respect to permits, licenses and destination information should also be kept with the traveling party.
While it is your right to transport weapons if you meet these conditions, you may still face problems with police along the way. They can still conduct a search, seize the weapon and ammunition and bring you in for questioning until they have established the veracity of your story. How each situation unfolds will depend on the mood of the officer as well as how you conduct yourself upon initial contact.
Make sure that you answer truthfully about what you are carrying, reassure them that the items are stored and out of reach and that you have documentation to prove that you are in transit. Be prepared to be harassed, detained or even threatened until they establish that it is indeed your right to transport the weapons. This may lead to delays in transit, but how you handle yourself will help to avoid further inconvenience and other legal problems.
Lock Everything Up
The best thing to do is to lock everything away in a gun box. Make sure that each weapon is unloaded and that no bullets are in the chamber. Keep ammunition stored in an appropriate container, and make sure that everything is not within reach of you or your travel companions. The same applies to traveling by air. The federal government allows people to take their weapons and ammunition with them as long as it is stored in checked baggage and declared to the ticket agent.
Know International Laws
It goes without saying that heading to other countries places you under their legal jurisdiction once you arrive at the border. Canada does allow people to bring in certain types of firearms. However, there are severe limitations and it is important that you become familiar with what is allowed and what is prohibited before you get to the border. You also want to declare everything and indicate to the officers where the weapons and ammunition are stored so they can conduct an inspection.
Mexico has strict laws regarding the importation of firearms and ammunition, and even a stray bullet or shell casing rolling around your vehicle can get you locked up for years. These situations are completely avoidable if you take a few minutes to do your research in order to avoid a host of problems when traveling overseas.
Remember that you are ultimately responsible for anything that you carry with you. Make sure that all weapons and ammunition is properly stored and declared when necessary. Above all else, make sure that you can legally have these items in your possession at your point of origin as well as your destination in order to avoid all kinds of potential hassles with the legal system.
