imported post
hammer6 wrote:
“is there like an AG decision or something from each of those states that i can print out and carry with me showing the legality of OC if i am confronted by LEO? or like a state statute or something? Thanks!!!”
I can't speak for the other states, but here in NC, Open Carry is legal, if you are legal to purchase and possess a handgun.
There is no statute in the NC Code that prohibits open carry, which means it is legal.
Be careful about vehicle transport in NC though. It needs to be in "plain view" from an approaching LEO outside the car. Sitting on the passenger seat is generally the best place. If you have a Concealed Carry permit, you need to inform the officer that you have a permit, and that you are carrying. If it's being OC'd, I'd still inform the officer, so he's not surprised.
If you're traveling from VA to FL, I assume you're taking I-95. You should be good on that road, at least in NC. NC has a specific statute that allows OC/CC in NC Rest Stops. (but you can't carry in State Parks, or on other State Property.)
Don't carry on school property.
You CANNOT carry in any establishment that serves alcohol for consumption on premise. That means you CAN'T carry (OC or CC) in ANY restaurant that serves beer, wine, and/or liquor.
Do NOT drink alcohol AT ALL if you are carrying. Not even 1 beer with dinner. In NC, if there is ANY measurable alcohol in your system while you are carrying, it is a violation.
Don't carry in banks. In NC, it is technically legal to OC (but NOT CC) inside a bank if it is not posted, but a lot of banks get twitchy with OC, especially if they don't know you.
However, the further south you get in the US, the less tolerant they seem to get about OC, and the weirder their carry laws get in general. One of the only good things about Yankee Carpetbaggers coming to NC is that they seem to have brought with them a general distaste for "Jim Crow" laws and have gotten rid of most of them in NC. Unfortunately, states like GA, SC, and FL still are sort of twitchy about "the wrong kind of people" (you know what THAT means) carrying, and that is why their laws are still not very OC-friendly...
So, IF you can legally purchase and possess a handgun, here is the breakdown:
In VA, OC is legal.
In NC, OC is legal.
In SC, OC is NOT legal.
In GA, OC is legal, ONLY with a permit.
In FL, OC is NOT legal.
It is my understanding that OC of a handgun is generally NOT legal in GA SC, and FL.
Car carry is sort of a gray area in many of these states. Each state is different, and some are contradictory to each other. My advice is that if you do a lot of interstate travel, and you're a VA resident, spend the time and money to get a Concealed Handgun Permit. It makes travel MUCH easier...
Check out the "OC Map" page here on this forum, and click on each state to get the specifics (including car carry) for each state:
http://www.opencarry.org/opencarry.html
If you have a Concealed Carry permit, it makes vehicle travel a LOT easier. If you do a lot of interstate travel in the mid-Atlantic region, I'd suggest getting a CHP. Most of the states in our region are pretty universally recognized. FL is recognized by VA, NC, SC, and GA.
http://www.vsp.state.va.us/Firearms_Reciprocity.shtm
And as always, I will inform you that IANAL. My advice is worth EXACTLY what you paid for it. If you're still unsure, contact the Attorneys General of each state for specific answers.
Good luck.
