Stopped by LEO when carrying...

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It depends on where you are. In Texas you are required to inform the Officer you are carrying. Look into your state laws first.
 
1. Inform the officer that you're armed by yelling "I've got a gun!"
2. Show the officer where the gun is by immediately reaching for it.
3. Hand over the gun, but before doing so be sure to unload it. It helps to make a big show of working the action before presenting it.
4. Be careful not to cough blood onto the finish as you collapse to the pavement as this will cause rusting.



All kidding aside folks, I haven't brought it up to officers on my own during traffic stops and I don't believe we're required to in Indiana. When they've asked (once while I was alone and armed, once while I was with a friend who was stopped and we were both armed) I've been honest and their response has been a variant of "You leave yours in your holster and I'll leave mine in my holster, okay?" or similar. No problems.
 
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In PA there is no mandatory need to declare such. I do however, as a point of courtesy, consider that being up front about it is still a useful measure.

I try and place myself in the cop's shoes - and would not relish that job one bit when it comes to traffic stops.

I know I would relish knowing this information - particularly as it would mean almost all times - the owner would be a lawful carrier and an upright person.
 
That's the thing, P95Carry is right on with this one. In Texas as mentioned you are required to inform, and every time I have done so (unfortunately I have a bit of a lead foot) I have been given a smile and a nice warning to slow down.

I can see the sign of relief on the Troopers face when I present my Texas CHL. He knows at that moment that he is dealing with a Law Abiding Citizen and his stress level drops almost immediately.

Not once have I been disarmed, talked down to, etc after presenting that CHL. Heck, one state Trooper did fiber optic cable work on the side (as do I) and we wound up bidding a deal together after the conversation we had on the side of the road outside Amarillo.

In Texas at least, it's considered a "Good Guy Card".
 
I always keep both hand firmly on the wheel and in sight as the officer approaches. I then explain that I have a concealed weapon and permit for same. I ask permission to retrieve my wallet and documents. Using this methodI have never had a bad response form an officer. I also drive in such a manner that I don't get pulled over often! :neener:
 
Say nothing..if they ask you if your carrying tell em none of their business..dont give em ID or anyhting...continually repeat that you have a constituional right to be freee of their interference and that you intend to defend the constitution with your last dying breath..if they try to arrest you or take your gun, shoot em down like the slavering jack booted thugs they are....then immediately start the violent revolution that will take back America from the commieliberaldemonkrats who seek to deprive you of your right to carry whatever you want, whenever you want....

WildironyartironyAlaska
 
Defineately tell them up front. Keep your hands in view as they approach, and open with the statement that you are legally carrying a concealed weapon, where it's located on your person, and where your CHL is located on your person. This way the officer can, if they choose, verify that you are telling the truth about all of that. The majority of officers will respect that you are a law abiding citizen (thus why you were able to get a CHL, and why you told him upfront) exercising your rights.

Failure to at least let them know that your carrying can be a big problem. You reach over for your glove box and your shirt prints your weapon. You turn back around to find the barrel of the officers weapon pointed at you. You know have to explain that your carrying, very slowly and carefully get your CHL out, and most likely will have to wait for the officer to double check that it's legit. If you use a shoulder rig and keep your wallet in an inner jacket pocket, you'll probably be pulled out of the car and detained. The officer would have a decent reason to fear for his life if he suddenly see's a weapon where your hands headed towards.

Just tell the officer up front ahead of time, it'll save everyone a lot of hassle in the long run. If it's a really bad luck day for all invovled it just might save a life.

-Jenrick
 
I've been pulled over twice in the last year since I got my CHL. I just handed the officer my DL and CHL together and politely advised them I was armed. The first time, it was a female Deputy Sheriff whose response was; "COOL!". She didn't disarm me or even ask where I was carrying. The second time was an Albuquerque Police Officer. I did the same thing and he asked where my gun was, then had me step out of the vehicle and took charge of my pistol. He was very polite the whole time and wound up not giving me any citations. He told me he appreciated the way I had handled the situation and that I was the first person he had encountered with a CHL.

I carry my DL and CHL in my left front shirt pocket and keep my vehicle papers clipped to the sun visor. This allows me to have everything in my hand when the officer walks up without having to make an "furtive" movments.
 
I've gotten to know the local police where I live, mainly from them stopping in at my girlfriend's work to grab a cup of coffee and chat. Most of them know I CCW and have no problem whatsoever. Of the two times I've been approached by an officer, once while open carrying inside my friend's apartment, I've handed him my Driver's License, Change Of Address Card, and License To Carry Firearms at the same time. On the second occasion (while in the friend's apartment), he made the comment, "Your gun is kinda scarin' me there." I replied, "It doesn't do anything just sitting there in its holster with the thumb-break on!" He replied, "Good point. Just make sure it's covered up when you leave so you don't scare anyone."

I figure by handing them the CCW permit, I'm letting them know that I'm a law-abiding citizen who may have a gun on his person. If they want to know, they can ask and I'll answer honestly. If they want to secure the weapon while interviewing me, they may do that too, if that makes them more comfortable in doing their job. I'm not going to scream about my 2nd Amendment rights being infringed because he wants to keep himself safe while doing his job.

So far, no LEO has asked to see and/or secure my weapon, as I keep a serious, professional, and polite demeanor when speaking with those in a position of legal authority. No harm, no foul.

-Snub
 
Virginia doesn't require us to inform. If it's a traffic stop, I don't inform. Other situations.....depends. Maybe.
 
Depends on the State where you are stopped. In NC, you are required to tell the officer upon first contact and show them your ID and CCW. That means, by law, if you ask a policeman for directions you need to tell him you have a Concealed Weapons Permit and are (or are not) carrying. I start with, "Before we go any farther I have a concealed carry permit and am (am not) armed at this time." To which I have always gotten. "Thank you for telling me, please slow it down from now on."

Mark
 
if they don't ask you, tell them.. you wouldn't want the backup cop to spot it and yell 'gun' and then all else breaks loose, especially if you were in an animated discussion (disagreement) with the police..
 
This was a discussion topic in a lethal weapns class I took recently. The answers were about the same as here. There is no right answer, just some that make more sense to me.

I live in Pa. where as stated above there is no obligation to inform. However I don't need a law to require good manners, my mother and wife require it. Good manners say that in that situation you give the officer some courtesy. In Pa., having a weapons permit identifies you as a good guy and that always eases the tension of the officer and may as some have noted get you a warning instead of a ticket.
 
Its not required here in Maine so I don't mention it during a typical traffic stop. If I was asked to step out of the car or asked if there was a weapon in the car (hasnt happened yet) then I would inform them to avoid the sticky situation of them finding it.
 
Michigan requires that I inform the officer if I'm carrying. But since he is going to know that I have a CHL when he runs my DL it would seem to make sense to offer the info iimmediately upon contact regardless.

For those who live in states that don't require notice at first contact I think that you should still do it out of common courtesy. If you don't agree with that idea then I would hope that you would definitely inform the LEO if asked to step out of your car. That could help avoid an ugly situation.
 
CCW/LEO contact

Good thread. The only thing I would add is if the LEO asks for your weapon. I would tell where it is and if it is to be removed the LEO is to remove it preferably in the presence of a second officer or supervisor.
Thoughts on this?
 
Here in NC we're requried to inform, its a good idea to inform them when your NOT armed, at least if your in your own vehicle. CHP permits are linked to the DMV, so they know if you have a CHP when they run the tag of your car. I'm a pretty good guesser of when I'm going to get stopped, so I normally have my papers ready when they get to the window. I inform them then. Its only happened once or twice though, I dont remember it being an issue.

Outside of the car, I've been approached a few times. After I inform him/her/them, some ask for my permission slip, some just ask if I have it, and some just say "So what?" (most recent - last Friday or Saturday, not a traffic stop, but almost an impound!).

I cant remember ever being disarmed. Then again, I'm in the mountains of NC.
 
I've only been stopped once since I got my LTC here in PA, almost five years ago. (Need to renew this summer.) It was a traffic stop; I turned right on red when there was a sign that said 'no turn on red.'

I did not inform him I was carrying. Had he asked me to step out of the car, I would have advised him at that time and asked how he would like me to proceed.

I did have an encounter with a PA State Trooper just this past weekend, on a Friday afternoon. I was at the range firing, so there was no need to inform, it was already obvious. :) It was just me up there, and yeah, at first I thought: "Oh crap, did the range warden call the troopers on me for firing too fast?"

Nah, he was just there to get some trigger time on his AR. I cleared my pistol, went over, said hey, and advised that I would wait until he had his ear protection on before I resumed.
 
My 2 cents...

While I agree with the gentlemen from PA about being upfront and mannerly, I myself don't see any reason to add unwanted stress to the situation during a routine traffic stop by declaring a CCW...as I usually have the weapon concealed enough to not have it be discovered unless I'm pulled out of my vehicle and patted down. The last time I was stopped by a LEO was at a DUI checkpoint, where they were stopping every car, sticking their head in your window to visually check your eyes and smell for alcohol...and other than that, I have never been stopped for a moving traffic violation, but if I was pulled over for speeding or rollin' thru a stop sign...I don't think the officer would be strip searching me. :evil:
 
I don't verbally tell them.

I do simply hand over my CPL at the same time I give them my DL.

When the lights go on behind me (happened twice in the five years I've been carrying, and darnit, I do try to stay under the speed limit...), I immediately pull over, put the car in park, turn on the interior light, roll down the window, get my DL & CPL out of my pocket, and have my hands on the wheel when the officer walks toward my window.

I don't offer any extraneous conversation other than an initial, "I'm sorry, officer, I knew I was over the limit and I do know better..." or some such. I wait for the officer to tell me to get out registration & insurance, because I have to dig through a glove box for those.

Here in Washington, we are not required by law to inform a LEO when we're carrying, but I've never had a trouble with doing so. In the rural areas, the CPL is almost a Get Out of Trouble Free card and so I'm glad to show them I've got a CPL. I suspect that if I lived in a heavily populated urban area, both my experience and my opinion about informing them would change.

pax
 
Michigan requires that you inform the LEO "immediately" when stopped. While I assume "immediately" means ASAP, that is open to debate.
 
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