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vehicle carry in wa state

Jeep Guy

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Joined
Mar 25, 2011
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7
Location
washington
I know that with my cpl i can carry a loaded pistol on my body in my vehicle but is it leagal to have a loaded mag in my pistol in my glovebox or center console? thanks
 

mikewj1900

New member
Joined
Mar 29, 2011
Messages
1
Location
Tonasket, Washington
Glove box gun

I asked a policeman friend of mine about keeping my Glock in my glovebox while Im driving, his responce was: it is ileagle to not have it on your person, but most cops won't care. He also said that if you get pulled over for some reason, you should tell the policeman that you have a loaded weapon in your glovebox and he has your permission to remove it and hold on to it until he leaves. Removing you registration from the glove box when there is a loaded weapon next to it make a cop very nervious and they don't like surprises.

Mike
 

Vitaeus

Regular Member
Joined
May 30, 2010
Messages
596
Location
Bremerton, Washington
Read the sticky thread in the forum. Some useful RCW:

RCW 9.41.050 – Carrying firearms.

(2)(a) A person shall not carry or place a loaded pistol in any vehicle unless the person has a license to carry a concealed pistol and: (i) The pistol is on the licensee's person, (ii) the licensee is within the vehicle at all times that the pistol is there, or (iii) the licensee is away from the vehicle and the pistol is locked within the vehicle and concealed from view from outside the vehicle. (b) A violation of this subsection is a misdemeanor.

Unloaded, it can be anywhere in the car, if it is loaded you have to meet any of the 3 stated conditions. So loaded in the glove box is fine. Also, to my knowledge, there is no RCW requiring the 2nd poster's need to inform and surrender. Could anyone cite the applicable RCW, IF it exists?
 

j2l3

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Joined
Aug 18, 2007
Messages
871
Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
I asked a policeman friend of mine about keeping my Glock in my glovebox while Im driving, his responce was: it is ileagle to not have it on your person, but most cops won't care. He also said that if you get pulled over for some reason, you should tell the policeman that you have a loaded weapon in your glovebox and he has your permission to remove it and hold on to it until he leaves. Removing you registration from the glove box when there is a loaded weapon next to it make a cop very nervious and they don't like surprises.

Mike

Your police friend is incorrect on both counts. It is NOT illegal to carry your loaded weapon in the glovebox. The only requirement is that you have your CPL while storing it that way. NOTHING in the RCW states you can't carry it in your car that way.

There is also no requirement in this state to notify the police that you are armed, though in "some" circumstances it might be a good idea. It is NEVER a good idea to give them permission to remove your weapon and store it until they leave. They need Reasonable, Articulable, Suspicion that you have committed a crime, are about to, or are committing a crime to search your vehicle. A traffic stop does not meet that requirement.

The only thing he told you that is correct is that getting your registration out of the glovebox with a loaded firearm in there would make them nervous and they don't like surprises. However, if he doesn't know the gun is there in the first place, he has no reason to be surprised nor nervous.
 
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j2l3

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Aug 18, 2007
Messages
871
Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
The best single piece of advice I have ever seen on this board is to never, ever, ask an LEO for legal advice. It is a rare officer that will actually give you the correct information. Even if they are a friend.
 

5918mike

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Jan 14, 2009
Messages
44
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, ,
I had to get this one clarified as well and agree that it is perfectly legal to store your firearm in the glove box if you have a CPL. I have had 2 different WSP officers tell me, warn me, that I was wrong. I tried to get clarification from the WSP but they would never respond. I now keep my registration in the center console instead of the glove compartment with my gun so that I don't have a reason to tell them about the pistol when I retrieve my registration, if they don't ask, I don't tell.
 

bikemutt

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2010
Messages
62
Location
Renton, WA
"(iii) the licensee is away from the vehicle and the pistol is locked within the vehicle and concealed from view from outside the vehicle. "

Has anyone determined if this part means the pistol must be locked, the vehicle must be locked, or both? The way it reads makes it sound like the pistol must be locked, like with a trigger lock.
 

gogodawgs

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Oct 25, 2009
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5,669
Location
Federal Way, Washington, USA
"(iii) the licensee is away from the vehicle and the pistol is locked within the vehicle and concealed from view from outside the vehicle. "

Has anyone determined if this part means the pistol must be locked, the vehicle must be locked, or both? The way it reads makes it sound like the pistol must be locked, like with a trigger lock.

1) The pistol must be concealed from view. i.e. in the glove box, or under a towel
2) The vehicle must be locked. i.e. the doors locked OR in a locked box (or trigger lock)

not both, just one, no matter how you meet the requirement
 

therealcombat

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Aug 24, 2010
Messages
160
Location
Lolo, MT
1) The pistol must be concealed from view. i.e. in the glove box, or under a towel
2) The vehicle must be locked. i.e. the doors locked OR in a locked box (or trigger lock)

not both, just one, no matter how you meet the requirement

I disagree. Seems pretty clear to me that if you're not in the vehicle, the pistol must be concealed from view AND the doors locked or in a lock box.

RCW 9.41.050 said:
(iii) the licensee is away from the vehicle and the pistol is locked within the vehicle and concealed from view from outside the vehicle.

Says nothing about a trigger lock. Just that the pistol must be locked within the vehicle.
 

gogodawgs

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Oct 25, 2009
Messages
5,669
Location
Federal Way, Washington, USA
...

1) The pistol must be concealed from view. i.e. in the glove box, or under a towel
2) The vehicle must be locked. i.e. the doors locked OR in a locked box (or trigger lock).

not both, just one, no matter how you meet the requirement

I disagree. Seems pretty clear to me that if you're not in the vehicle, the pistol must be concealed from view AND the doors locked or in a lock box..

Says nothing about a trigger lock. Just that the pistol must be locked within the vehicle.

Sorry, my last statement is in regards to #2 not the complete RCW.
Therefore, we agree that both conditions must be met as that is common sense.
 

Jeep Guy

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Mar 25, 2011
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washington
good to know. I've only heard you cant till recently talking to a employee at a local gun shop that is mainly all about self defence and has alot of police contracts and he was telling me how as far as he knew you could and he does carry loaded in his car with a cpl. I figured know better place to really find out than on here
 

Jeep Guy

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Mar 25, 2011
Messages
7
Location
washington
I don't know.... could locked within the vehicle be referring to 1/2 of cocked and locked, meaning the bolt or slide of the gun must simply be in battery? :banana:

cant be bolt since the Washington cpl is a concealed pistol licence and doesn't cover rifles. I know that it is illegal to have a loaded magazine in a rifle period. think i magazine in a rifle period actually loaded or unloaded
 
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therealcombat

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Aug 24, 2010
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Location
Lolo, MT
cant be bolt since the Washington cpl is a concealed pistol licence and doesn't cover rifles. I know that it is illegal to have a loaded magazine in a rifle period. think i magazine in a rifle period actually loaded or unloaded

Having a bolt has nothing to do with whether it's a pistol or rifle.
 

Jeep Guy

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Mar 25, 2011
Messages
7
Location
washington
I was thinkin more typical pistols and rifles for people that might not know, then read this and get the wrong idea. sorry
 

amlevin

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Joined
Feb 16, 2007
Messages
5,937
Location
North of Seattle, Washington, USA
cant be bolt since the Washington cpl is a concealed pistol licence and doesn't cover rifles. I know that it is illegal to have a loaded magazine in a rifle period. think i magazine in a rifle period actually loaded or unloaded

While you may view pistols as not having a "bolt" can you explain why the part of the slide that contacts the head of the cartridge case is called a "Bolt Face"??????

Also, the maker of a very popular pistol, the Ruger Mark III refers to their "slide" as a "Bolt".
 
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