OC in your vehicle

imported post

I OC a Glock 23 pretty much everywhere I go except the office, where the company has a weapons policy.

I keep a combination tac light/laser aim on the rails to improve night aim and aiming from less than optimal positions, as I would guess many self-defense positions might tend to be. I'd rather this not turn into a discussion about aiming with lasers. At the range, the only time the laser is on is to calibrate it. Otherwise, I shoot utilizing the regular sights. The laser is there solely in the event I cannot take a shooting stance, accurately aim and then fire. In a self-defense situation, who knows what the environment could become and what obstacles might prevent a perfect shooting position?

Anyway, OC outside the vehicle is no big deal because it's clearly visible, but when I'm driving, I've heard mention of the gun being visible from outside, etc.

Is it OK to leave the weapon holstered and on my hip while driving? If so, what is the proper procedure if pulled over?

If it's not OK to leave holstered, should the gun be placed conspicuously in the dashboard? I suspect that might result in a code response from LEO especially if I politely blare the horn at a taxi driver failing to proceed at a green light.

How do you carry in the car?

Thanks
Tim

imported post

OC in your vehicle is perfectly fine. Carrying in your car is 100% legal without a CCW(except for in North Las Vegas and Boulder City) as long as it's not concealed on your person. It can be OC on your hip, or even concealed within the car (glove box, center console, under seat, etc.), and it can also be plainly visible anywhere in the vehicle. North Las Vegas and Boulder city are exceptions since they passed OC and car carry bans prior to the state pre-emption law and those statutes were allowed to remain.

imported post

Thanks for the reply. Assuming it's holstered on my hip, when pulled over I know enough not to reach for it or make any motions like I am, but do I inform LEO I have it? If it's concealed say in the center console do I even mention it at all? Is mentioning the gun enough reason to illegally search my vehicle?

I think legally I don't have to mention it, but should I do so anyway?

Also, I don't know opinions on the topic, but I OC loaded. My G23 has a 13 round mag and I keep it full +1 in the pipe. Is that frowned upon by LEO and/or will I be treated differently than if I had the gun empty, no magazine, with a gun lock through the action?

For the purpose of answering, assume I'm not in Boulder City or North Las Vegas.

Thanks!

Tim

imported post

timf343 wrote:

Thanks for the reply. Assuming it's holstered on my hip, when pulled over I know enough not to reach for it or make any motions like I am, but do I inform LEO I have it? If it's concealed say in the center console do I even mention it at all? Is mentioning the gun enough reason to illegally search my vehicle?

I think legally I don't have to mention it, but should I do so anyway?

Also, I don't know opinions on the topic, but I OC loaded. My G23 has a 13 round mag and I keep it full +1 in the pipe. Is that frowned upon by LEO and/or will I be treated differently than if I had the gun empty, no magazine, with a gun lock through the action?

For the purpose of answering, assume I'm not in Boulder City or North Las Vegas.

Thanks!

Tim

Click to expand...

If it's on my hip, I'd tell the LEO. If it's in the center console or glove box I wouldn't say anything since unless I give him/her a reason to search my car it should never be an issue. I would though strongly encourage you to not carry your registration and insurance in the same compartment you have your gun in.

OC'ing loaded isn't an issue. I do it, and have been stopped while doing it. I wasn't even disarmed, so they had no idea how many rounds I had. (16+1 in my XD-9).

imported post

The opening page of this forum states this:

Open Car Carry You may open carry in a vehicle. It must be clearly visible.


So to revisit this topic, does anyone else have an opinion on the topic? I've been carrying inside my center console or on my hip. Is this legal? Or does it need to be "clearly visible" such as in my dashboard?

Thanks
Tim

imported post

I answered my own question in researching and responding to another thread.

The concealed law applies only to when a weapon is concealed upon your person. Thus, in the console of my car the weaspon may be concealed, but not concealed upon my person and therefore not a violation of the law.