Just picked up a new handgun and have a few questions with regard to *how* it should be transported in a vehicle. The gunshop where I purchased the firearm told me that the laws regarding carrying a pistol in a vehicle are contradictory in WA and there are NO definite answers about what is/isn't legal.
Here's what I was told: (1) without a CWP, you cannot carry a loaded pistol in a vehicle; (2) the magazines CAN be loaded but must be separate from the gun; and (3) the gun cannot be concealed.
So... from (1) can I carry an unloaded pistol in my side (open carry) in the vehicle? From (2), can I have the gun unloaded in a holster by my side and the magazines separate (in another holster)? From (3), this (to me) reads that the gun cannot be hidden/concealed at all which would apply to keeping it in a trunk, safe, etc.
I've also been told that the gun should NOT be accessible by the driver (e.g. ammo in glove box, gun in trunk). Which of these (conflicting) points of view is correct and least likely to get me in trouble?
Thanks
Here's what I was told: (1) without a CWP, you cannot carry a loaded pistol in a vehicle; (2) the magazines CAN be loaded but must be separate from the gun; and (3) the gun cannot be concealed.
So... from (1) can I carry an unloaded pistol in my side (open carry) in the vehicle? From (2), can I have the gun unloaded in a holster by my side and the magazines separate (in another holster)? From (3), this (to me) reads that the gun cannot be hidden/concealed at all which would apply to keeping it in a trunk, safe, etc.
I've also been told that the gun should NOT be accessible by the driver (e.g. ammo in glove box, gun in trunk). Which of these (conflicting) points of view is correct and least likely to get me in trouble?
Thanks