Owning a gun in Florida.

[wulfmako]

Good afternoon guys, new to this forum and been reading through the web for information and came up more confused then anything else.

I bought a gun legally.
I want to use it for target practice at my local range.
I will be getting the CWFL, I have my appointment next week and I guess it takes about a week after that to get it.

For now, is it legal for me to have it in my car; in the box that it came in.
To clarify the box, I bought a glock 19 and no it doesn't lock it does securely close with two latches.

or must I leave it at home until I wish to drive to the range?
reason I have it in the car is, if I get out of work and pass a range on my way home, I want an option to stop by. Not that I will go daily, but I don't really put a date on shooting I just want to go when I want.

does it have to be in the case with out the magazine?
do the bullets need to be removed from the magazine?
must I find a lock for my case?
do I need to lock my glove compartment?

thanks.

 

[tyeo098]

Your vehicle is your private conveyance, and is treated just like your home fow Florida law. You can keep it loaded in your car so long as it is 'secured'.

This generally means a glove box, snap case, or holster.

Anyone who quotes some sort of '3 step rule' doesn't know what they're talking about

790.25

(3) LAWFUL USES.—The provisions of ss. 790.053 [Ban on Open Carry] and 790.06[The need for a CWP] do not apply in the following instances, and, despite such sections, it is lawful for the following persons to own, possess, and lawfully use firearms and other weapons, ammunition, and supplies for lawful purposes:
(l) A person traveling by private conveyance when the weapon is securely encased or in a public conveyance when the weapon is securely encased and not in the person’s manual possession;

From: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes...ing=&URL=0700-0799/0790/Sections/0790.25.html

and
790.01

(17) “Securely encased” means in a glove compartment, whether or not locked; snapped in a holster; in a gun case, whether or not locked; in a zippered gun case; or in a closed box or container which requires a lid or cover to be opened for access.

From: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes...ng=&URL=0700-0799/0790/Sections/0790.001.html

Was that so hard

 

[dprice3844444]

if you have a trunk,transport it in there to be safe until you get the ccw

 

[tyeo098]

if you have a trunk,transport it in there to be safe until you get the ccw

Why? Florida law has specific exceptions for carrying a firearm in your car.

Before I moved to VA I had lived my whole life in FL, this is how I carried from when I purchased my first handgun at 18 until I left when I turned 20.
And now my VA CHP is recognized by FL, so its a moot point

 

[oneounceload]

Put it in your car, and go shoot - FL is pretty cool about things like that

 

[RustyShackelford]

Florida resources.....

Id look into these useful resources for Florida gun & use of force issues....

www.nra.org www.floridafirearmslaw.com www.gunlawguide.com www.mylicensesite.com www.handgunlaw.us www.gunvideo.com www.froglube.com www.mpro7.com www.paladin-press.com www.galls.com www.brownells.com www.midwayusa.com www.shopcorbon.com www.magsafeonline.com www.stickyholsters.com www.usgalco.com www.blackhawk.com www.grafs.com .
Id suggest buying the latest editions of Florida Firearms Law & The Traveller's guide to gun laws. Joining the NRA is a good step too.
A great training & gun safety program is www.s2institute.com . They are in Largo Florida. The instructors & cadre are first rate. They often appear on media interviews & national cable news programs to discuss counter-terrorism, personal defense, security, safety, etc.
The website; www.handgunlaw.us is very helpful too. Check it often for changes or updates.
In Florida, you can keep a loaded handgun in a enclosed case(glove box, gun case, holster). It can't be in plain view or outside the vehicle laying in the open.
I use a gun case & sometimes add the factory red cable lock. Id suggest too a Bore-Store bag for extended storage. It's not meant for security or safety but will keep the gun from nicks, scuffs, rust/humidity, etc. I've used Bore-Store bags since the early 1990s.
Learn the gun & use of force laws. Consider a pre-paid CCW plan like the NRA offers or the website; www.CCWsafe.com . Some forum members dislike any legal services or insurance plans but unless you have a skilled lawyer or know a law firm that can assist you 24/07, Id pay the $99.00/year & get a little protection.
Florida's gun laws & use of force are mostly 2A+ and better than other areas but don't be naive & think you can "go it alone" or that "the police or law enforcement will understand me when I explain it".
Prosecutors & homicide investigators are not your friends. They want convictions or to clear cases ASAP.

Keep your CCW firearms and gear clean. Inspect it often and be aware of what you need to do re: storage or security if you have kids or untrained adults close by. The NRA includes $2500.00 of theft/loss protection for guns.
Always use factory ammunition too for carry or home protection. No reloads or hand loaded rounds. Some gun owners or reloaders say they are tops or know what works best(better than major shooting industry firms ) but Id stick with brands you can find & shoot with. Winchester, Corbon, Hornady, Speer Gold Dot, etc.
Some suggest frangible or pre fragmented rounds like TAP, Magsafe(made in a Florida) or Glaser Safety Slugs(silver). I think they have merit but work best in a home defense weapon not a regular CCW gun or duty sidearm. A back up or 2nd gun could make good use of a round like DRT, TAP, Glaser, MagSafe.

Rusty

 

[oneounceload]

One of my concealed guns sits in a pocket holster in the door/map pocket of my car. No issues, no locks running through it (how would you make it ready in an emergency like a road rage or similar?). Most cops. including the sheriffs are pretty pro-gun; several regularly sign off on friends' requests for Title II stuff without blinking an eye. If you live outside of major city areas things are better than in high-crime metro areas -but that is typically true of any state with a large population

 

[MedWheeler]

Regarding in-vehicle possession, Florida does indeed permit a loaded handgun in a vehicle (no carry license situation) provided that the handgun is "securely encased or otherwise not readily accessible." The phrase "securely encased" is defined in the statute as being in a container or compartment that requires a lid, door, or cover to be opened for access, or in a snapped holster or zippered gun case. Even a pizza box or shoe box (closed) on the passenger seat meets the standard. However, the container must not be on your person, or you run afoul of the general statute prohibiting concealed-carry by non-licensees.

Long guns may be carried pretty much anywhere in a vehicle, and there is no "securely-encased" requirement. But, if they are both "concealed" and "on one's person or otherwise readily accessible", you again run the risk of being in violation of that concealed-carry prohibition. If it's on your person and openly visible, you run afoul of the open-carry prohibition.

So, contain it (off-body), and go for a drive!

 

[HRnightmare]

You can carry it in your car with a few conditions. Open carrying in a car is still open carrying. NO.

It has to be secured / encased. So glovebox, center console etc.

 

[tyeo098]

If you are truly being too lazy to take it out of your car then you are asking for it to be stolen from your vehicle, IMO.

As long as he doesnt wave it around before putting in the glove box, how will anyone know?
People dont regularly break into my car to check for things? If they did, they'd probably take the whole car to a chop shop for parts..

 

[oneounceload]

If you are truly being too lazy to take it out of your car then you are asking for it to be stolen from your vehicle, IMO.

I disagree - why would that be? Mine sits in the driver's side door map pocket. You can't even see it when you get into the driver's side door. Car is locked in parking lots, I have zero stickers or decals indicating anything at all, let alone gun-related and I do not leave cell phones or laptops in the car or on the seat to tempt someone for a smash and grab.

 

[MedWheeler]

Tyeo098 writes:

Your vehicle is your private conveyance, and is treated just like your home fow Florida law. You can keep it loaded in your car so long as it is 'secured'.

Your vehicle is NOT considered an extension of your home in Florida. In Florida, it is legal to carry a firearm, concealed or openly, in one's home or on one's private property, without a carry license. There is no "securely-encased" requirement.

This does NOT apply to within one's motor vehicle.

 

[lemaymiami]

The info provided on the legal aspects of weapons in vehicles here in Florida is accurate, but the advice to keep a weapon in the trunk of your car is the point that everyone should remember.... Any gun left in the passenger compartment is all too easily stolen, period. More than one gangbanger got his first weapon by breaking into a vehicle (or working at your local carwash or valet service... you get the idea).

Licensed or not, permitted or not -my advice has always been to think long and hard before keeping a firearm within your ready reach in your car... I know I'm in the definite minority with this stand -but it's served me well in the years since I retired out of police work and I live by it -even though I've had a permit since the day I retired out back in 1995. Just because something is "legal" doesn't necessarily mean it's a good idea....

 

[vamo]

People dont regularly break into my car to check for things? If they did, they'd probably take the whole car to a chop shop for parts..

Actually petty criminals breaking into cars to check for valuables is a fairly common occurrence. I can say this from personal experience. Fortunately only a very cheap item was taken (the damage to my drivers door was far more irritating).

It kinda depends on where the OP lives as to how common such activity would be, but do realize your car is more likely to get raided for purses/mp3 players/phones/weapons etc than actually stolen and taken to a chop shop.

 

[MedWheeler]

leymaymiami, this thread is about the legality of having a firearm within one's vehicle in Florida. That's all the OP asked (and he did so in the "Legal" section.)

Issues concerning secure storage outside the requirements of the law are certainly valid, but they're for a different thread (perhaps in the "Strategies and Tactics" section.)

 

[lemaymiami]

I stand corrected...