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Going on cross country hike. Help?

Amber0117

New member
Joined
Sep 30, 2010
Messages
1
Location
Commerce, GA
Me and my fiance have been planning a cross country trip. We would be carrying a visible handgun for self defense since we are planning to travel on foot. Since we are going through quite a few states (Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida) I'm very worried that we could get in legal trouble even though they will be openly carried. Any tips on which states we might need to avoid or in which states we would need to put the handgun in our backpacks? I would really appreciate the help.
 

eye95

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Messages
13,524
Location
Fairborn, Ohio, USA
Me and my fiance have been planning a cross country trip. We would be carrying a visible handgun for self defense since we are planning to travel on foot. Since we are going through quite a few states (Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida) I'm very worried that we could get in legal trouble even though they will be openly carried. Any tips on which states we might need to avoid or in which states we would need to put the handgun in our backpacks? I would really appreciate the help.

Laws vary greatly from State to State. OC is legal in Alabama. Don't get in your car unless you have a GA CC permit. Stay away from demonstrations.

At least two of those States flat outlaw OC: Florida and Texas.
 

Daylen

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Messages
2,223
Location
America
In MS be sure you have a concealed carry permit if you want to OC. Its almost impossible to be completely safe and legal without a permit there.
 

skidmark

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jan 15, 2007
Messages
10,444
Location
Valhalla
Do your due dilligence and fully research the law (statute and case law) for each state you are going to walk through. Illinois looks to be your biggest problem.

I've never considered if FOPA would cover someone travelling by foot. Finding a way to comply with the storage requirement might be difficult.

stay safe.
 

OldCurlyWolf

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2010
Messages
907
Location
Oklahoma
Totally avoid Illinois while carrying any firearm and walking if you do not have a FOID card(Firearms Owners IDentity card). You have no way to meet the standards to be covered by the federal act that allows transportation from out of state owners through Illinois.

Several of the others, unless you have a CCL that they honor, the only way to be legal is unloaded and the pistol and ammo to be in separate locked containers.

All in all, at this time in history, NOT a very good idea.:cuss:
 
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eye95

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Jan 6, 2010
Messages
13,524
Location
Fairborn, Ohio, USA
Totally avoid Illinois while carrying any firearm and walking if you do not have a FOID card(Firearms Owners IDentity card). You have no way to mete the standards to be covered by the federal act that allows transportation from out of state owners through Illinois.

Several of the others, unless you have a CCL that they honor, the only way to be legal is unloaded and the pistol and ammo to be in separate locked containers.

All in all, at this time in history, NOT a very good idea.:cuss:

My understanding is that, even with a FOID, Illinois is a no-carry state. Some very close friends of mine live in Belleville and go to the range regularly. They have to secure the firearm to transport it from home to the range--and they have FOIDs.
 

OldCurlyWolf

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Sep 8, 2010
Messages
907
Location
Oklahoma
My understanding is that, even with a FOID, Illinois is a no-carry state. Some very close friends of mine live in Belleville and go to the range regularly. They have to secure the firearm to transport it from home to the range--and they have FOIDs.

There are some VERY LIMITED legal ways to carry in Illinois, all of which require the firearm to be unloaded, no magazines inserted, even empties. All of which require a FOID. Without one, hiking through, I do not see a legal way for anyone to carry a firearm.
 

eye95

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Jan 6, 2010
Messages
13,524
Location
Fairborn, Ohio, USA
Check out http://icarry.org/

There is a thing called container carry that is iffy, depending on which LEO you run into.:cuss:

While that site is probably a wonderful resource, it doesn't really answer the question (without a lot of searching on the site).

Container "carry" would not really be carry, more like "transport." Carry implies the ability to draw and use the weapon when necessary.
 
X

XxCaMeLxxToSiSxX

Guest
While that site is probably a wonderful resource, it doesn't really answer the question (without a lot of searching on the site)

YOU are going to need to spend alot of time researching what YOU want to know. I would not expect others to do all my dirty work for me.
 

eye95

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Messages
13,524
Location
Fairborn, Ohio, USA
YOU are going to need to spend alot of time researching what YOU want to know. I would not expect others to do all my dirty work for me.

:rolleyes:

The poster made a statement that there were options available. Asking him to elaborate is not asking him to do "my dirty work for me."

Moving on.
 

since9

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jan 14, 2010
Messages
6,964
Location
Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
...we are going through quite a few states (Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida) I'm very worried that we could get in legal trouble...

Good grief, guys - the "dirty work" has long since been done. Please stop your hoarding of resources for someone who's obviouly a newbie and just wanting to do the right thing.

Just give him/her the freakin' link! Gah!

To the OP, here's the link:

Maps!!! Click on 'em - everything you need to know. They'll also reveal the OC/CC laws of each state.

To the rest of you, expecially the oldtimers: SHAME on you! You knew opencarry.org had maps galore, linked to the laws of all 50 states, yet you chose not to share that with our OP WHY?

Geez, fellows. Post a link. Clear the air and stop obfuscating the issue.

SHARE!!!
 
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