imported post
kennys wrote:
Virginian683 wrote:
You could always call Maryland State Police and ask them. Of course as always when asking police about the law, you only have a 50% chance what they tell you will be correct.
My uncle has a beach house in Ocean City. I talked to the OC police about two years ago, about transport as I would try while I was there to find a shooting range as something to do while on vacation. He said if the dwelling is not directly in my name or leased to me andI am not just passing through as in interstate transport it is against their laws. I had briefly discussed this with a Maryland lawyer and he said it could go either way if caught I could always hire him to try to fight it.
The interstate transport clause of Federal law allows, notwithstanding any other state law, any person to transport a firearm from any place they may lawfully possess such firearm to any place they may lawfully possess such firearm, provided that it's transported unloaded and in the trunk, or if there is no trunk, unloaded and in a locked case. In the case of traveling directly from VA to MD, I do not believe this needs to apply as MD law already allows such transportation and possession.
Snippets from §4–203(b).
(4) the wearing, carrying, or transporting by a person of a handgun used
in connection with an organized military activity,
a target shoot, formal or informal target practice, sport shooting event, hunting, a Department of Natural Resources-sponsored firearms and hunter safety class, trapping, or a dog obedience training class or show, while the person is engaged in, on the way to, or returning from that activity if each handgun is unloaded and carried in an enclosed case or an enclosed holster;
(5) the moving by a
bona fide gun collector of part or all of the collector’s gun collection from place to place for public or
private exhibition if each handgun is unloaded and carried in an enclosed case or an enclosed holster;
(6) the wearing, carrying, or transporting of a handgun by a person on real estate that the person owns or leases
or where the person resides or within the confines of a business establishment that the person owns or leases;
I'm not a lawyer, but I would personally have no qualms about transporting a firearm unloaded and in an enclosed case or enclosed holster (as MD law does not require a locked case) to a destination in Maryland if a) I will be visiting a shooting range or otherwise target shooting while I am in the state, even if that is not my primary reason for being in the state, b) staying at a hotel/motel, c) staying at a friend or family's home provided that I have their permission to possess a firearm while I am on their property. b) and c) are places where I will be residing and are covered by exception (6). I know someone is going to argue the fact that I would "reside" there while I am residing there... so go ahead, let me hear it.
Furthermore, I would not tell an officer where I'm going nor from where I'm coming under any circumstances except as directed by a competent attorney.
