Should it be MANDATORY to notify LE that you are carrying concealed with a permit?

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10 of the 48 states that have shall issue or may issue permit laws require you to notify the LEO during a traffic stop if you are carrying concealed with a permit.
Proponents contend this helps protect LE and is a minor infringement.
Opponents contend only law abiding citizens obey this law and its another infringement on our 2A rights.
Opinions?I was going to do a poll but did not know about the 20 minute time limit!
 
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It's not required in FL. However, given the number of police officers killed in the line of duty recently, YOU BET YOUR A$$ I'm telling!!! First thing I'll hand out my DL and CCW, then inform the officer where the gun is and ask how he/she would like he to proceed.
That does not mean I will agree to a search of my vehicle, just because he/she has a "reasonable" suspicion / assumption etc. just because I have a gun, legally, on my person.
 
It's not required in FL. However, given the number of police officers killed in the line of duty recently, YOU BET YOUR A$$ I'm telling!!! First thing I'll hand out my DL and CCW, then inform the officer where the gun is and ask how he/she would like he to proceed.
That does not mean I will agree to a search of my vehicle, just because he/she has a "reasonable" suspicion / assumption etc. just because I have a gun, legally, on my person.
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I'm with eric.cartman. I'm damned sure I want an officer to know up front that I'm carrying a weapon before I undo my seat belt and start digging for my wallet or whatever. Mistakes and or misunderstandings do happen!! Also I will not agree to a vehicle search!!
 
No, you should not have to inform them if you are carrying legally, since a legally carried weapon for the High Road reasons poses no threat to the officer. Would I? yes, most likely, because I don't want to have his gun pointed in my face should he accidentally see mine.

Granted, I don't have a CCW, and all of my guns are only in the truck to go to the range. That means they're in softy cases behind the seat, or the pistols are in a range bag on the floor of the passenger side. Either way, not visible nor accessible. (yes, that's a legal method for my locale.)
 
To me it's a courtesy for someone who has to do a very dangerous job with people that are rarely glad to see them. I keep my hands in plain sight, my dome light on at night, & give them my CCW with my drivers license. There is no gain from making an LEO nervous doing his normal duty. Now that only goes so far, I won't consent to a search or put up (long term) with too much nonsense.
 
here in NC its required, back home in FL it wasnt... either way, i told em... its just polite, and ive found that i get a lot nicer treatment when i tell things like that up front...
 
It's my understanding that in Wa. state, when LEO runs your license through their database CCW automatically shows up.
 
To me it's a courtesy for someone who has to do a very dangerous job with people that are rarely glad to see them. I keep my hands in plain sight, my dome light on at night, & give them my CCW with my drivers license. There is no gain from making an LEO nervous doing his normal duty. Now that only goes so far, I won't consent to a search or put up (long term) with too much nonsense.
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I agree with this. There are a lot of unknowns that an officer has to face when making a traffic stop, and letting them know that you have a weapon and that you are carrying it legally can only help both sides.
 
Mandatory? No.

If I were a police officer, would I appreciate being informed? Yes.

If I were a police officer, would I treat everyone I met in my professional duties as armed, regardless of circumstances? Yes.
 
I don't mind answering if they ask, but I don't like how it my responsibility to notify them. Usually I have quite a bit on my mind when I interact with police, and I have on occassion forgot that I am carrying. I always carry and it is not something I am always thinking about, especially where the situation is something more ambigious than a traffic stop. Not notifying the LEO is technically an infraction in Utah, which is not a big deal but two of those and I could lose my license.

For example, I was bow hunting with my boys last year and I encountered a couple of fish cops. After a little banter they asked to see my hunting license; I found my elk license quickly but had to root around in my wallet for a while to find my deer license. At the same time I was talking to the cops about hunting and trying to keep my kids quiet. It did not even cross my mind that I was carrying until after the cops had left. Was I even supposed to tell them in that circumstance? I'm not sure, but I think the onus should be on them to ask.

I also don't like how some (but certainly not all or even most) LEOs get absurdly jumpy when you tell them you are carrying at traffic stops. If they have a reason to be concerned, they should ask.
 
Should it be mandatory? naw,, don't think so.

Hard to answer really, I rarely get stopped.. The one time back in like 77 that I did get stopped by the Texas Highway patrol with my S&W 38 on the seat, I had both hands on the wheel when he walked up.. I told him I had a gun in the car and he stepped back and ask me where it was,, I told him and he ask me to step out.. I did and he leaned in and picked up the gun like it would bite him.. he ask usual questions, where was I going etc etc,, in the end he told me to be careful and slow down..


Did not get a ticket for the 80+ mph I was going and went on my way.

My bud, a biker, carrys and he said the carry permit has gotten him out of tickets more than once, and he looks like a bad news biker, but is a pussy cat vet,, never a problem for him.
 
In Colorado I am not required to inform unless asked, so I don't. If I get pulled over I have my wallet in my hand on the steering wheel ( dome light on after dark). so I don't have to worry about the cop seeing my weapon while I'm getting my license. Also Colorado law forbids 1 registration of guns. Keeping records of gun sales ( by the state, doesn't apply to dealers) or gun owner databases my county Sherrif interprets that as not putting his permitees on a CHP data base so my name wouldn't come back if they ran it. That said it's been my experience that most cops don't care for armed citizens ( legal or otherwise) so I would simply be adding to my hassels should I volunteer the information. I don't start conversations W/ cops and I don't answer questions that they aren't asking PS In high stress situations ( & traffic stops rate right up there among the highest) most people aren't actually listening to you they're scanning your words for threats . you may say W/ the best of intentions " officer I'm a permit holder and I am carrying a firearm W/me " & the cop may only hear " I've got a gun" guess how your nights gonna go from there?
 
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because I don't want to have his gun pointed in my face should he accidentally see mine.
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That's one of the reasons I do it. Take a potential issue and make it a non-issue. To date the officers I've notified have thanked me for informing them.

Just my $.02

Take care,
DFW1911
 
No. When pulled over for a traffic ticket a person should not have to put the LEO on alert and create a more tense atmosphere by alerting them to a weapon unncessarily.

If however a person is asked to step out of the vehicle or is otherwise likely to be patted down or the firearm going to be found it would be smart to calmly alert the LEO VERBALY that it is present, and you have a permit.

In situation A someone is merely stopped and about to recieve a citation and then drive away, and alerting them to it creates unnecessary tension.
In situation B it helps to keep the situation from rapidly escalating.

For that reason I do not think it should be mandatory. It however should be done on a voluntary basis if the situation is appropriate.

It in no way protects LEOs, since the people most likely to shoot them are not legaly carrying, and if they were would be unlikely to care about such a law if willing to commit a much more serious crime. So it really offers no extra protection to LEOs, and is merely an additional infringement that could cause unnecessary tension or problems.
It can put a citizen at more risk of being shot by increasing the tension during a routine stop, and less risk of being shot if the officer is going to be made aware of the firearm in the course of thier duties or the stop anyways. So whether it makes the citizen safer or less safe is dependent on the situation and is therefore best left discretionary.
 
No, disclosure shouldn't be mandatory, nor is it in PA.

There are many circumstances under which the police simply don't have any "need to know", and disclosure would be bizarre.

As a matter of courtesy, I'll hand over my LTCF along with my license, if we're having the sort of encounter where the policeman asks for ID.

In informal encounters where a disclosure would have needlessly queered the interaction, I have excercised my judgement, and my option to omit disclosure.
 
IMO If a cop is asking me to get out of the car the situation is already escalated, and I'd still be a little cautious about saying anything that sounds like "I have a gun" the best advice I've heard is tell the cop " certainly I 'll step out officer may I hand you my CHP first hand it to him and let him read it ( that gets him thinking instead of reacting) then let him ask you if you're carrying & follow his instructions from that point
 
orb is correct, in WA St. if you're a WA St Resident the CPL will show up when the officer runs your license for any outstanding warrants, etc. so
just tell the nice officer you have one, and whether you're carrying being
cooperative - dome light on, hands in plain sight. Heck they usually forget
about moving violations and you get off with a verbal warning - if
nothing else shows up on your DL record - I guess they realize with passing
the background check you're not part of the problem but a good
citizen - but no yah can't search my vehicle.
 
No, it shouldn't be mandatory. But then one shouldn't need a permit either. Given the circumstances, I would inform the officer voluntarily in any case, unless my "phony LEO sense" (which is a fairly unlikely occurrence) was pegging the meter.
 
the texas leg thinks so. You are supposed to show drivers license and handgun license if an officer asks for ID. It is usually a no sweat procedure. A couple of wees ago, I got pulled over for doing 73 in the night time with speed limit 65. I turned on the internal light and had all the paper ready when the trooper arrived. He asked me if I was carrying my gun and where it was. I told him and said- "These two have 'em too." The guy in the passengers seat said " Well, I'm not wearing mine right now and the trooper said " Really!? Whats wrong with you??"
 
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