Moving from MD to FL and will be transporting firearms and ammo. Need advice

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  • cyclelabs

    Member
    Dec 18, 2012
    62
    Gambrills, MD
    I will be moving from MD to FL (by car mostly I95). What is the protocol for having firearms (unloaded) and ammunition in your car? I assume as long nothing is loaded and the ammo is in a separate bag or box that is ok?

    If one were to get pulled over by law enforcement I assume you declare you are moving and have unloaded firearms and ammo in your vehicle?

    Thanks in advance for all your great advice!!!!

    ~ Mark S.
     

    rseymorejr

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 28, 2011
    26,015
    Harford County
    You should be fine. I'd put the ammunition seperate from the guns if possible and I wouldn't be blurting out any info about what you're transporting. If asked directly I wouldn't lie about it but I see no reason for you to bring it up.
     

    Blaster229

    God loves you, I don't.
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 14, 2010
    46,410
    Glen Burnie
    Stay with that. There's no need to answer yes or no to a question about weapons. There's no reasonable suspicion for him to ask that. Ancillary questions not related to the stop aren't required. Don't discuss your day.
    Fortunately, all states you're driving through don't consider FOPA a defense to prosecution. Meaning, in Jersey, they would arrest you, things would go to court because you were traveling under FOPA. You'd go to court and charges would be dropped because it's a defense to prosecution.
    Wacky things about laws. Is that you can be arrested, but not be charged.
    I'll just drop this here...
    This rings true in all 50 states.
    Do not give consent to a search!
    dcee04eb5608f471e8ffbbe6930c6dae.jpg
     

    rbird7282

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 6, 2012
    18,538
    Columbia
    First off, if you get pulled over never consent to a search of your vehicle.
    Second, FOPA applies, firearms and ammunition in separate containers, I believe at least one must be locked.
    If asked directly, don’t volunteer any more information than you have to.
    EDIT**
    What Blaster said above


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    Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    Most of the states between MD and FL you are fine with unloaded. Going north is the problem.

    FOPA requires the ammo and firearms to be in the trunk, unloaded obviously. If there is no separate trunk (SUV/minivan), either the ammo OR the firearm must be in a locked case.
     

    Matlack

    Scribe
    Dec 15, 2008
    8,555
    Nothing needs to be locked. Just keep ammo in ammo can and firearms in their cases. They should not be immediately accessible. Put the cased ammo and firearms in your trunk. Once you arrive, immediately get your FL resident ccw.
     

    Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    Nothing needs to be locked. Just keep ammo in ammo can and firearms in their cases. They should not be immediately accessible. Put the cased ammo and firearms in your trunk. Once you arrive, immediately get your FL resident ccw.

    What if your vehicle has no trunk?
     

    cstone

    Active Member
    Dec 12, 2018
    842
    Baltimore, MD
    You can fit all of your guns and ammo in a car?

    Last year I rented a Penske truck and drove from Colorado to Maryland. I did not exceed the speed limit. I provided no opportunity to any LE to detain me. If I had been pulled over, I would have provided them with my valid driver's license and the rental contract from Penske. I do not answer chit chatty questions. When asked where I am going, I usually do not answer but on occasion I have answered with the cardinal direction for the road that I am on, which last year would have been "east."

    Last time I checked, most K-9s employed by state and locals do not "hit" on gun solvent or ammunition. They are looking for drugs. Don't have any. If they walk their dog, they are 50/50 for hitting on your vehicle regardless whether you have drugs or not. There are no bad dogs, only bad handlers. If they search, they will find your firearms and hopefully you won't have any drugs. Worst case scenario, the police seize your firearms and hold them for "asset forfeiture." If that happens, you are screwed. Same would be true if you were innocently carrying large quantities of cash.

    Best advice is don't give anyone any reason to stop you. Get to your destination and don't draw any attention to yourself. There is zero reason to volunteer any information about what you have in your vehicle.

    Be safe.
     

    rseymorejr

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 28, 2011
    26,015
    Harford County
    You can fit all of your guns and ammo in a car?

    Last year I rented a Penske truck and drove from Colorado to Maryland. I did not exceed the speed limit. I provided no opportunity to any LE to detain me. If I had been pulled over, I would have provided them with my valid driver's license and the rental contract from Penske. I do not answer chit chatty questions. When asked where I am going, I usually do not answer but on occasion I have answered with the cardinal direction for the road that I am on, which last year would have been "east."

    Last time I checked, most K-9s employed by state and locals do not "hit" on gun solvent or ammunition. They are looking for drugs. Don't have any. If they walk their dog, they are 50/50 for hitting on your vehicle regardless whether you have drugs or not. There are no bad dogs, only bad handlers. If they search, they will find your firearms and hopefully you won't have any drugs. Worst case scenario, the police seize your firearms and hold them for "asset forfeiture." If that happens, you are screwed. Same would be true if you were innocently carrying large quantities of cash.

    Best advice is don't give anyone any reason to stop you. Get to your destination and don't draw any attention to yourself. There is zero reason to volunteer any information about what you have in your vehicle.

    Be safe.

    LOL!
    How in the Wide World of Sports would the police ever confiscate your personal property out of a moving van? That seems like a severe case of BGOS with underlying Marylanditis!
     

    cstone

    Active Member
    Dec 12, 2018
    842
    Baltimore, MD
    Asset forfeiture is a weird area of law and some of the worst abuses of government authority are found in the numerous cases where it has been used around the country.

    I did say it would be a "worst case scenario," and never intended to infer that it was likely to happen. Honestly, I think you would be safer travelling with hundreds of guns in a truck over hundreds of thousands of dollars in your car. Cash is an awfully alluring bait for all types of unsavory characters. Cops really only seize guns to get the "arsenal of guns" photographs on the news and help someone get a promotion or win an election, IMO.
     

    delaware_export

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 10, 2018
    3,144
    All my guns were in the trunk of the car, under lots of other stuff.

    One move, the car was on a trailer behind my PU. Other move, I was driving.

    If you stop for sleep along the way, just park close to room. Don’t draw attention to car or trunk.
     

    Matlack

    Scribe
    Dec 15, 2008
    8,555
    What if your vehicle has no trunk?

    in the storage area of the vehicle, typically in the rear of it.

    I have always put them at the bottom so they are not immediately accessible and area not immediately visible. It is still perfectly legal to take them in an a vehicle whose storage area is not separate from the cabin of the vehicle. IANAL
     

    Matlack

    Scribe
    Dec 15, 2008
    8,555
    Also, if you plan on stopping for a night, pick the location carefully. Check out the area near the hotel and how the hotel looks. Do a quick search of the crime stats of the area. I look for hotels away from major cities, but still near the interstate.

    Where you moving in Florida?

    I dont like leaving anything in the car, but I dont want the hotel to know i have firearms with me. I have a nice rolling case that I custom cut foam with non firearms related stickers on it. It is pelican case. I should probably get a hard case golf travel bag and modify it for long guns. Now i am thinking, hmmmm.
     

    PowPow

    Where's the beef?
    Nov 22, 2012
    4,712
    Howard County

    FMD

    Active Member
    When we moved south a couple years ago, I had all the firearms in their cases under a blanket in the crew seat of my pickup. All the ammo was in cans under a tarp in the bed with a lot of the contents of my shed laying on top. Shovels, rakes, leaf blower, gas cans made great camo.
     

    ehall

    Banned
    BANNED!!!
    Mar 19, 2020
    40
    I dont like leaving anything in the car, but I dont want the hotel to know i have firearms with me. I have a nice rolling case that I custom cut foam with non firearms related stickers on it. It is pelican case. I should probably get a hard case golf travel bag and modify it for long guns. Now i am thinking, hmmmm.

    A friend of mine uses guitar cases (the rectangular kind not the old acoustic kind) with a guitar in the top one.
     

    miles71

    Ultimate Member
    Industry Partner
    Jul 19, 2009
    2,522
    Belcamp, Md.
    Don't take advice from a forum on legal issues......... well except for this advice about not taking advice...........

    Some states have a duty to inform, some states give the po po the ability to search if they have a reasonable suspicion you have a gun on your person.

    Read the law, contact a lawyer with questions.

    TD
     

    rbird7282

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 6, 2012
    18,538
    Columbia
    Don't take advice from a forum on legal issues......... well except for this advice about not taking advice...........

    Some states have a duty to inform, some states give the po po the ability to search if they have a reasonable suspicion you have a gun on your person.

    Read the law, contact a lawyer with questions.

    TD


    We are talking about traveling with them, not carrying one. I don’t believe there is any duty to inform in any state in this case. Never consent to a search, don’t give any more information than your drivers license


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