Questions on Driving thru States that don't honor TXCHL

[martywj]

My wife and I are planning on taking a driving trip west to Seattle, WA this summer. Both of us have CHL and will be carrying weapons. We will be in the Seattle area for 4 or 5 days before heading back to Texas.
My question is what do we do we get to Oregon and Washington? I know we will have to disarm and probably lock our weapons away until we are once again in a free state? Are we allowed to transport in our vehicle? Are we allowed to have a loaded weapon in our vehicle in either of these states? Inquiring minds want to know. I have searched and cannot find any information on this except the Washington and Oregon do not honor our Texas CHL. Washington honors Utah and Florida?
All of the western states except Washington, Oregon, California, and Neveda allow us to carry as we do here in Texas.

Marty

[Glockster]

You might find this useful: http://www.handgunlaw.us/documents/USRVCarCarry.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

From the Oregon Firearms Federation:
OREGON has no STATE law against carrying a loaded handgun in your car as long as it is: (a) Not concealed or
(b) “Not readily accessible.”

Washington requires a permit for loaded carry.

[Oldgringo]

Lock 'em up and put 'em in the trunk. Should you get stopped for a broken tail light or whatever, your unreachable and unloaded CC's won't come into question and no, you do not have to show your CHL to the police.

IANAL, this is just what we did.

Good luck.

PS:

We never got stopped except by the fruit police when entering Kalifornia.

[powerboatr]

You might find this useful: http://www.handgunlaw.us/documents/USRVCarCarry.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

From the Oregon Firearms Federation:
OREGON has no STATE law against carrying a loaded handgun in your car as long as it is: (a) Not concealed or
(b) “Not readily accessible.”

Washington requires a permit for loaded carry.

did anyone find the wording odd?

NOT CONCEALED or Not readily accessible? isnt not readily accessible pretty much equals the weapon is concealed?

thought is was funny

[saltydog452]

Since you are in Burleson, you might want to check in with an outfit called 'Crossfire' who offers (or did) CHL qualification for Utah. My class was somewhere aroun the Alliance, I35 W area. The Utah plastic opens more doors than Tx.

salty

[C-dub]

You might find this useful: http://www.handgunlaw.us/documents/USRVCarCarry.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

From the Oregon Firearms Federation:
OREGON has no STATE law against carrying a loaded handgun in your car as long as it is: (a) Not concealed or
(b) “Not readily accessible.”

Washington requires a permit for loaded carry.

did anyone find the wording odd?

NOT CONCEALED or Not readily accessible? isnt not readily accessible pretty much equals the weapon is concealed?

thought is was funny

It does seem contradictory and I can't say for sure, but it sounds like they don't want it hidden where it can be easily reached to surprise an officer with.

[mr1337]

Since you are in Burleson, you might want to check in with an outfit called 'Crossfire' who offers (or did) CHL qualification for Utah. My class was somewhere aroun the Alliance, I35 W area. The Utah plastic opens more doors than Tx.

salty

The only state that Utah gives a TX CHL holder now is Washington, which may deem beneficial since marty is going to Washington.

However, Oregon doesn't honor any other state's CCW license.

Looking at Oregon and Washington on handgunlaw.us...

http://www.handgunlaw.us/states/oregon.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Oregon has no State law against carrying a loaded handgun in your car as long as it’s :
(a) Not concealed or
(b) “Not readily accessible.” (If Concealed)
“Not readily accessible" (for now) means:
(4)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, a handgun is readily accessible within the
meaning of this section if the handgun is within the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
(b) If a vehicle has no storage location that is outside the passenger compartment of the vehicle, a handgun is
not readily accessible within the meaning of this section if:
(A) The handgun is stored in a closed and locked glove compartment, center console or other container; and
(B) The key is not inserted into the lock, if the glove compartment, center console or other container unlocks
with a key.

So, traveling through Oregon, I would disarm, unload it, and store it in the trunk with the ammunition separate. This goes beyond Oregon law (as it can be stored loaded if it's not accessible), but it doesn't take much effort to take the magazine out and clear the chamber.

Now Washington...

http://www.handgunlaw.us/states/washington.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It is illegal to carry a loaded firearm in any vehicle without a valid Permit/License.

RCW 9.41.050 Carrying Firearms.
(1)(a) Except in the person's place of abode or fixed place of business, a person shall not carry a pistol
concealed on his or her person without a license to carry a concealed pistol.
(b) Every licensee shall have his or her concealed pistol license in his or her immediate possession at all
times that he or she is required by this section to have a concealed pistol license and shall display the
same upon demand to any police officer or to any other person when and if required by law to do so.
Any violation of this subsection (1)(b) shall be a class 1 civil infraction under chapter 7.80 RCW and
shall be punished accordingly pursuant to chapter 7.80 RCW and the infraction rules for courts of
limited jurisdiction.
(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.

I would again, store it in the trunk, unloaded with the ammunition separate unless you get the UT CCW license.

[Oldgringo]

Doesn't Oregon still honor the concealed licenses of contiguous states?

[Glockster]

You might find this useful: http://www.handgunlaw.us/documents/USRVCarCarry.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

From the Oregon Firearms Federation:
OREGON has no STATE law against carrying a loaded handgun in your car as long as it is: (a) Not concealed or
(b) “Not readily accessible.”

Washington requires a permit for loaded carry.

did anyone find the wording odd?

NOT CONCEALED or Not readily accessible? isnt not readily accessible pretty much equals the weapon is concealed?

thought is was funny

It does seem contradictory and I can't say for sure, but it sounds like they don't want it hidden where it can be easily reached to surprise an officer with.

That was the way that I read it as well. Plain view but not within reach. Reminds me of having a long gun in a gun rack - plain view but can't dislocate my shoulder to remove it while driving.

[mr1337]

Doesn't Oregon still honor the concealed licenses of contiguous states?

No, Oregon doesn't honor any other state's license. However, if you are a resident of a bordering state, you can get an Oregon CCW license.

[C-dub]

You might find this useful: http://www.handgunlaw.us/documents/USRVCarCarry.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

From the Oregon Firearms Federation:
OREGON has no STATE law against carrying a loaded handgun in your car as long as it is: (a) Not concealed or
(b) “Not readily accessible.”

Washington requires a permit for loaded carry.

did anyone find the wording odd?

NOT CONCEALED or Not readily accessible? isnt not readily accessible pretty much equals the weapon is concealed?

thought is was funny

It does seem contradictory and I can't say for sure, but it sounds like they don't want it hidden where it can be easily reached to surprise an officer with.

That was the way that I read it as well. Plain view but not within reach. Reminds me of having a long gun in a gun rack - plain view but can't dislocate my shoulder to remove it while driving.

It's plain view OR not readily accessible. So, either it's out where I can see it or put away where you can't get to it.

[chuck j]

I find traveling out of state to be extremely perplexing as far as all the different state concealed (where permitted) laws .I have resigned myself to not even carrying in any state except Texas and Oklahoma . Living 15 miles from the Oklahoma line and having a lot of family there I have studied the gun laws and feel confident carrying there .

I have been thinking of taking my 16 year old daughter on a trip west but the west coast is off bounds for us , I would just as soon take her on a road trip across old Mexico . I will take her to Carlsbad Cavern , Grand Canyon and a few other national parks . If I travel now I leave the gun at home , It doesn't do you any good in the trunk with no mag in my opinion . I just take my chances unarmed . It's a sad situation .

[TomsTXCHL]

I find traveling out of state to be extremely perplexing as far as all the different state concealed (where permitted) laws... It's a sad situation .

Yeah I've had occasion to drive through Illinois recently and didn't even bother to bring a handgun for the trip--would have to have stopped in advance of that state line and placed any weapon(s) in the trunk, which was hard to access given how my vehicle was rigged.

[RonW956]

I travel often between Texas & illinois and although a Texas CHL is good for OK & MO but not illinois. What I've done was to purchase a "nano Vault" and unload my pistol and lock it up in the vault that is tethered with a steel cable to the trunk, the ammo is locked up in a sepparate box.

I would suggest buying one of the "Nano vault's" as they come in different sizes, they do come in handy as I use mine on occasion when going out & if there is a 30.06 sign I just go back to the car & lock it up.

[jerry_r60]

I find traveling out of state to be extremely perplexing as far as all the different state concealed (where permitted) laws .I have resigned myself to not even carrying in any state except Texas and Oklahoma . Living 15 miles from the Oklahoma line and having a lot of family there I have studied the gun laws and feel confident carrying there .

I have been thinking of taking my 16 year old daughter on a trip west but the west coast is off bounds for us , I would just as soon take her on a road trip across old Mexico . I will take her to Carlsbad Cavern , Grand Canyon and a few other national parks . If I travel now I leave the gun at home , It doesn't do you any good in the trunk with no mag in my opinion . I just take my chances unarmed . It's a sad situation .

What I did on a cross country trip a couple years ago was to use: http://www.handgunlaw.us/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; as pointed out by several others

and then I built a spreadsheet (ok, I admit I'm a bit nerdy), with a row for each state I would be traveling in. I put in columns for if I had to notify if stopped and what/if any signs applied and a few of the restricted places (that might apply to me). I kept this folded up and within reach in the car so if I was stopped or when ready to get out for gas etc., I could look quickly to remember.