imported post
I can comment on NC, as I live there, and have a CHP. NC does allow open carry in your vehicle without a permit, as long as it is in "plain view", which means on the seat or the dashboard.
But since you have a permit, you can carry it in a holster in your car. NC has reciprocity with 30 other states, and Virginia is one of them, as it Tennesee. But if you've got a TN permit and a VA drivers license, you are going to have some explaining to do...
If you've changed your residency over to VA, you need to get a VA permit. Plain and simple...
NC laws are a little complicated. We have a "must inform" law--if you are carrying concealed, any time you are "officially addressed" by an LEO (traffic stop, walking down the street, whatever) if an officer engages you in an "official manner", you MUST tell him you have a permit and that you are currently carrying. He might ask to see your ID and permit--you need BOTH, because our permits don't hav your photo on them...
Also, you can't carry in ANY establishment that serves alcohol for consumption on premise--that means restaurants of all types, clubs, etc.
And of course all the prohibitions on carry in Federal buildings, courthouses, jails, school zones, etc, apply as well...
OC is legal without a permit in NC, but tolerance may vary from county to county and city to city. Level of toleranc also varies depending on how the OCer looks--if you look like a middle-aged, law-abiding citizen who is male and white, you rarely run into issues, but any description outside that and some places are less tolerant of OC. Also, the more "urban" areas that are becoming overrun with Yankee carpetbaggers can sometimes be problematic, because these poor brainwashed sheeple don't know that OC is legal, and sometimes call 911 when they see folks walking around with a holstered firearm.
All that said, I OC daily and I live in eastern NC. I've OCed in Raleigh, Fayetteville, all up and down I-95, and all over the Eastern part of the state. I regularly travel to VA and WV and OC there aas well--never had a problem.
Much to my chagrin, my stepdaughters live in the People's Republic of Maryland, so carry of ANY type is prohibited there unless you are VERY politically connected. I bring my firearm with me when I visit them, I just have to do the "border dance" when approach MD. I stop in VA (or WV) at the border, remove my gun, still in the paddle holster, unload it, and then put the gun in one locked container, and the mags in a seperate container in the back of my vehicle, per FOPA and MD law. It's a pain, but I refuse to leave my fiream at home when I make these long roadtrips, because the VAST majority of the places I travel through DO honor my NC CHP, and I'm not going to let MD's ant-human-rights policies on self-defense bully me into traveling unarmed in states where it's perfectly legal.
And of course, I think it goes without saying that DC is a gun-free zone too. In Northern VA, you need to know the roads and be attentive--all it takes in one wrong turn in Northern VA while driving in your car, and you can very easily "cross the moat" into MD or DC, and then if you're traveling with a gun, you are looking at some serious hassle if it's loaded, or in any way accessible.
Good luck and welcome to VA. I lived in VA for 15 years, and really liked living there. THe people are nice, the laws make sense (for the most part) and the current state government in VA is lawful and constitutional. There are growing pockets of "anti's" in NoVa (Fairfax and Arlington Counties, and the Richmond area) but by and large, VA is a great state for gun owners. They HAVE earned a "Gold Star" rating from OCDO, after all.
Stay safe, know the law, and pay attention on the roads.
Good luck!