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I am headed to Nebraska soon, and was just checking the laws on Concealed Carry there. I am a little confused on their law though, I read that you can not conceal carry in the vehicle but if it is in plain view that it is ok to have a pistol in your car.If anyone can clear this up 4 me I would appreciate it. As I see it now I can drive thru Oklahoma, Kansas with no problem but once I get to The state of Nebraska I can just toss my pistol on the front seat and continue on. I hope I am not mistaken, I may just toss the pistol in the trunk on hope I dont run into any Cornhuskers on Crack. You would think since Gov Perry lets the yanks carry here they would do the same for us.

Daltex1 wrote:I am headed to Nebraska soon, and was just checking the laws on Concealed Carry there. I am a little confused on their law though, I read that you can not conceal carry in the vehicle but if it is in plain view that it is ok to have a pistol in your car.If anyone can clear this up 4 me I would appreciate it. As I see it now I can drive thru Oklahoma, Kansas with no problem but once I get to The state of Nebraska I can just toss my pistol on the front seat and continue on. I hope I am not mistaken, I may just toss the pistol in the trunk on hope I dont run into any Cornhuskers on Crack. You would think since Gov Perry lets the yanks carry here they would do the same for us.

Nebraska does not honor any CHL from any states other than Nebraska, so with a TX license you could not carry anywhere. I do not know if they have similar "traveling laws" such as the protections afforded to TX drivers through the Motorist Protection Act. Safest bet would be locked up in the trunk, unless you can find out if they permit carry in a car while traveling.

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

Your best bet is to unload it, separate the ammo from the firearm and lock it up in the trunk. This puts you under the traveling law. I would fill-up in OK and not stop until you reach your destination. When you get where you are going, unload the locked, cased firearm and leave it on the private property or in you hotel room while there. When you leave, take it out to the vehicle in the locked case, put it back in the trunk and don't touch it until you reach OK. The way I understand things is that local governments control the law there and while having it showing in one city may be fine it may not be for the next town. That is my opinion.

I emailed three Nebraska state patrol officers and got their replys today. Guess I will go with #2 as that it is they way the officer would like to handle the situation. I just dont like the "plain view" option. Just seems to me that having my weapon out for the world to see is just asking for unwanted attention.

Mr. XXXXX,

Thank you for your e-mail inquiry. You are correct in your understanding that
Nebraska only recognizes Nebraska concealed carry permit holders. It would be
your decision on how you wish to transport your firearm if you choose to bring
it along. It can be transported in the passenger compartment of your vehicle as
long as it's not concealed. You can determine if it's
loaded or
unloaded. If you do carry it that way, it would be advisable to let a law
enforcement officer know immediately upon approach that you have a weapon in
your passenger compartment should you get stopped for some reason.

I certainly wouldn't see an issue with carrying your firearm loaded or
unloaded in the trunk of your vehicle. If you would happen to get stopped by a
law enforcement officer, it would probably just be prudent to give them a
preliminary "heads up" that you have a weapon in the trunk of your
vehicle.

Good luck on your trip and drive safely.

Sincerely,

Chris Kolb
Captain
Nebraska State Patrol Troop C


#2

Mr. XXX

Your firearm can not be concealed, it must be in plain view. You can lay the
firearm on the dash, seat, or anywhere that it can be seen by someone looking
into the vehicle while traveling in the State of Nebraska. We would prefer you
to carry the firearm unloaded and in the trunk.

Thanks
Sergeant
Mike Tobey
Headquarters Troop Area
Nebraska State Patrol

#3

Mr. XXX

Your firearm can not be concealed, it must be in plain view. You can lay the
firearm on the dash, seat, or anywhere that it can be seen by someone looking
into the vehicle while traveling in the State of Nebraska. We would prefer you
to carry the firearm unloaded and in the trunk.

Thanks
Sergeant
Mike Tobey
Headquarters Troop Area
Nebraska State Patrol

Interesting.

There is a lack of pre-emption in Nebraska firearms law, and I know that there are specific counties and localities that either severely restrict or wholesale prohibit the carrying of arms. I believe Omaha, Lincoln, and Kearney are in this group among several others, and the rules are quite a patchwork of different rules which vary by county or locality.

I believe there are CCW boards for Nebraska around, and I'd bet someone has a list of which localities have which rules, and how they apply to travel in a car.

I wonder if the open carry thing is for vehicles only, or if open carry is legal in general.

However you go about it, I'd recommend you make a concerted effort to keep below the speed limit and not invite an LEO stop. It would probably be a good idea to review Nebraska traffic law. Unlike Texas, most states I'm aware of frown upon U-turns and other commonly legal things we take for granted here.

And let us know what you decided on an how it went!

Well, The trip was a success, I stopped yards from the "welcome to Nebraska" sign and unloaded my weapon and cased it up in the little blue plastic case S&W provides you along with the lock that came with the case and placed it in the trunk. On the way back as soon as we left Nebraska, my wife said " Oh now you can get your pistol out of the trunk!" What a woman!!!! And by the way it was 8 degrees with the wind howling one night at 30-40 mph! I dont know how they put up with that weather there! God bless TEXAS.

Captains still outrank Sargents if I recall correctly...