Daughter coming to MSU soon...

My daughter will be attending MSU in Bozeman this fall. Therefore, I will be making frequent trips to the Great State of Montana. As an active OCer in Washington I wanted to know the in's and out's of OC in Montana. The forum here is slightly less active than in WA and with no FAQ section. I have read quite a bit about carry in Montana but hope some of you can fill in the blanks.

First, I have a CPL from Washington and a CHL from Oregon. So reciprocity seems to be covered concerning CC in Montana.

Where am I restricted OC? Where am I restricted CC? What is the deal about carrying in 'towns'? Carry where alcohol is served?

(Perhaps we can turn this into a FAQ for the state)

Lastly, I will be in Bozeman from July 18th-22nd roughly for freshman orientation if anyone wants to meet up for lunch, shooting or just general b.s..

gogodawgs said:

My daughter will be attending MSU in Bozeman this fall. Therefore, I will be making frequent trips to the Great State of Montana. As an active OCer in Washington I wanted to know the in's and out's of OC in Montana. The forum here is slightly less active than in WA and with no FAQ section. I have read quite a bit about carry in Montana but hope some of you can fill in the blanks.

First, I have a CPL from Washington and a CHL from Oregon. So reciprocity seems to be covered concerning CC in Montana.

Where am I restricted OC? Where am I restricted CC? What is the deal about carrying in 'towns'? Carry where alcohol is served?

(Perhaps we can turn this into a FAQ for the state)

Lastly, I will be in Bozeman from July 18th-22nd roughly for freshman orientation if anyone wants to meet up for lunch, shooting or just general b.s..

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Thank you for starting this thread.

I'm from Colorado but have family there in MT. It's about time for me to make a visit up there (I haven't since they moved up there). So, I would like some input there as well. Help us out a little?

I do not have a permit that is recognized by MT so OC may be my only option while I'm there. Honestly I don't know.

Is vehicle carry there OC or CC or either? While camping?

Look forward to responses. Thanks in advance.

Per MCA 45-8-351, you can OC except in a public assembly, publicly owned building, park under a city's jurisdiction, or school. You would need to confirm if Bozeman has any city ordnances against carry in a park. I don't know what Montana State University's rules are for the public on campus--students who reside in dormitories must check their weapons at the desk, and can't possess them in their dorm rooms.

You can CC without a permit in unincorporated towns or mining camps.
In most incorporated towns (like Bozeman), you can CC except in schools, public assemblies, public buildings, portions of a bank where financial transactions are conducted, and portions of buildings where alcohol is both served and consumed (you can CC in the restaurant side of Applebee's, but not the bar side) .

MT4Runner.... thanks for some insight.

PavePusher.... really? Look I have over 3400 posts, a tiny bit of research and you would of figured I know about handgunlaw and such. What I am after is some 'boots on the ground' interpretation of the local laws and ordinances. You are listed from AZ, save your time if you have nothing to add.

I haven't been to Bozeman yet but Helena is no problem. I don't know if Bozeman has banned carrying in parks or not. One thing to remember is open carry is required if you go into any place where alcoholic beverages are sold, dispensed and consumed. As MT4Runner said you may conceal without any paperwork if you are outside any incorporated city, town, mining or logging camp.

There are some towns and cities that have laws stating you must notify law enforcement if you are concealing upon contact. The laws in Helena, in my opinion, only apply to concealed carry. I will assume you are a grownup and can make your own decisions if you have any contact with law enforcement.

If you want to go shooting you can shoot on BLM land. It is where I usually go to get rid of my stockpile of ammunition. If you do go on BLM land please don't leave a mess and don't use live trees as back stops.

You will find that most people wont notice or not care that you are carrying. I have had a few people come up to me and ask if I was a cop, if my gun was real, or why I carry. Some were interested and a small few were less than friendly but none of my experiences have been negative. Have fun in Montana.

On campus v. off-campus?

Don't push it on-campus. The administration is firmly anti-carry on campus.

Off campus, different story - see the earlier posts on what is allowed.

For what it's worth, the Dean of Students is a gun guy - but toes the line on the administration's weapons policies.

As was mentioned a time or two already, it is legal to CC without a permit in the state here as long as you're outside the geographical confines of an incorporated city, town, mining camp, logging camp, etc. but must have a permit to do so inside the confines of such places. It is generally suggested that you NOT carry in anyplace where alcohol is served to avoid the possible hassle. It is true that you can carry concealed in a restaurant unless alcohol is sold, dispensed and consumed in the same room.
Some cities do have different restrictions on where you can and can't carry, but as a general rule you cannot carry in a school, government building or (concealed) in a financial institution. If you have any in-depth questions, contact a gentleman by the name of C. Mark Fowler with the Montana Attorney General's office. He's a very knowledgeable guy and if he has the time, will be more than happy to answer any questions you might have.
State statutes generally pertain to Concealed Carry and say nothing about Open Carry. As Mr. Fowler has pointed out to me in the past, you pretty much have to be able to interpret for yourself what the laws mean and say. It says you can't carry concealed into a financial institution, so that would lead one to believe it is legal to carry openly in such a place. This is true, unless someone in that facility (ie. bank, bar, restaurant, etc.) asks you to leave. Don't argue with them, just take your business elsewhere. If enough people do this, they will get the idea, or that's the hope at least.
Just remember too, there are those who are against the carry of a firearm by anyone but military and law enforcement. They are the ones who are coming to a battle of wits unarmed. They are ignorant and choose to stay that way. Allow them a chance to express their opinion and then walk away... Or you can do like I do: "Sir/Ma'am, I respect your opinion that Military and Law Enforcement should be the only ones allowed to carry a firearm, so when the s*** hits the fan I will respect your wishes and not use my firearm to protect you!!"

Good luck, you picked a great state and school to bleed you dry, I mean, spend your money on/in!! You'll love the visits. Look some of us up if we happen to be in your area or you in ours. I'd love to hook up with a CC'er from another state.

40s-and-wfan said:

Good luck, you picked a great state and school to bleed you dry, I mean, spend your money on/in!! You'll love the visits. Look some of us up if we happen to be in your area or you in ours. I'd love to hook up with a CC'er from another state.

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Thank you. I have always loved MT, as a kid my family made frequent trips to and through the great state. I will be in Bozeman the week of 7/18-23, if you are nearby I will look you up.

I have two permits, WA and OR and they both are recognized by MT, so OC/CC is not an issue. The only issue that remains is the GFSZ. I will be writing the local LEO in Bozeman and trying to get written permission. (There is a clause in Bozeman code allowing).

Ya could have just asked me, gogo, but I'm glad to see you got all the info you need here.

See you in July. I thought you were coming on the 17th...? Either way, the spare room will be ready for ya. I've already arranged some sessions for us at the local range.

Montana Hugs!
TWG

TWG2A said:

Ya could have just asked me, gogo, but I'm glad to see you got all the info you need here.

See you in July. I thought you were coming on the 17th...? Either way, the spare room will be ready for ya. I've already arranged some sessions for us at the local range.

Montana Hugs!
TWG

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Yes, we will be driving over on the 17th. Expect us that night. Great, I need some Montana range time. What am I getting you at Pike's Place Market?

HALIBUT, TUNA AND CRAB! I'll send you a list.

We'll be shooting with a group of Marines. I'll send you range info.

Anyone else here wants to meet up at Logan range, let me know. Maybe we can have a little OCDO get together!

Here's the site for the range in Logan: http://www.manhattanwildlifeassociation.com/

All we need to figure out is which date you want to go shooting, gogo. I have no idea what your schedule is going to be like while here, so I'll let you tell me when you're free.

One week....

We will be leaving next Sunday... looking forward to the trip. I appreciate the responses by everyone.

The most concerning thing is the GFSZ Act. I understand that MT has worded their laws in such that because the recognize my 2 CHL from OR and WA that I am therefore 'licensed' by the state of MT. However, that appears to have no case law in favor of that approach. In addition the feds to not deem that sufficient.

I think my approach, since my daughter will be there for 4 or 5 years, is to personally write the Bozeman PD and seek written authority to carry within the city limits of Bozeman. If denied then a lawsuit will follow. I assume this will be the direction since MT does not issue non-resident permits.

It is to bad they dont have a FAQ or pamphlet together like here in WA. http://forum.opencarry.org/forums/showthread.php?78380-Washington-Gun-Rights-Pamphlet I feel privledged to see our guys have spent the time to put this together. Can someone enlighten me on age restrictions. My son has decided to go to Great Falls for College. He has completed his first year and will be moving out of the dorms, into an apartment. I thought I read somewhere that your age limit is 18 for carry. I am looking for a link to your law on this.

Montana Gun Laws

Courtesy The Montana Shooting Sports Association and Gary Marbut

Montana Gun laws. It appears the age limit is 14 yrs. but I haven't read through this part of the law.

http://www.mtssa.org/mtlaws.phtml