Carrying your handgun
By MARJ LAW
Now that my kids are well over the teen stage, or even the low twenties age, I thought that boring time of listening to bickering was over.
Not.
I was at the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office range last Wednesday with Joe. We usually plan to be there around 10 a.m. in case a person requires a bit of help. Well, this Wednesday, two young people had a difference of opinion on how to transport their handguns to the range and to other places in Florida.
Ellen is 18, Harry is 21.
“Things are different in Florida now,” says Harry importantly. “I can carry my gun in Florida. I can carry it on my hip, on my back, or in front using ‘appendix’ carry. One way to carry is IWB. That means inside the waistband. I can carry OWB, too, and that means outside the waistband.”
“I know that,” retorted Ellen. “But even if you can carry your gun, you can’t display it. You need a shirt or sweatshirt to drape over it, so no one guesses you are carrying. I’m glad of that, because I think showing that you have a gun makes you look like an aggressive person. If I saw someone showing off a gun, I’d be scared.”
“I wouldn’t do that,” said Harry. “Another way I’ve been carrying is in my car.”
“Maybe you can carry it in your car, but you can’t wear it in your car,” argues Ellen. “If you’re in your car and you don’t have your concealed weapon and firearm license from Florida, then you must have it ‘securely encased.’ This means storing it in a place that is: ‘not readily accessible for immediate use, and you cannot carry it on your body,’ says LegalClarityFlorida in the article: Carrying a Handgun Without a License.”
“Saying it more simply, LegalClarityFlorida goes on to say: “The key limit is that the handgun must stay concealed. Florida bans open carry of firearms, so a handgun sitting on your dashboard in plain view creates a separate problem…”
“That sounds kinda complicated. Those lawyers make everything difficult.”
“Oh, Harry. When they say that the handgun must be concealed, it just means to put your gun in a place that is enclosed. My girlfriend made a zippered pouch for her subcompact gun. It’s a padded floral fabric. Who would think a handgun would be inside? It’s too girly. Enclosed places also means any gun case or in the glove compartment, for example. Even the console, if it is closed. But not where it can be seen. You don’t want it seen if you open the door, either.”
“So” maintains Harry. “You don’t need one of those concealed carry licenses anymore in Florida.”
“That may be true, but then you can’t wear your loaded Glock in the car.”
“Darn,” complains Harry. “I’d like my Glock beside me because I’m tired of crummy drivers. Imagine, waving my Glock in the window the next time some idiot cut me off. I’d show him!”
“Just as well you have to keep your gun concealed in the car. Brandishing a gun is never permitted in or out of the car. You’d end up in trouble yourself for doing it. Now, it would be different if your gun was revealed by accident. Like if you were at Walmart, and you lifted your arm to pick Spam on a high shelf and your shirt rode up. That would be flashing, not brandishing. It would be very temporary and totally unintentional.”
“Oh yeah. I know that. I can’t brandish, but if I do get a CWFL, then I am permitted to carry in my car. I can even carry my Glock loaded,” adds Harry smugly.
“But it still has to be concealed,” continues Ellen. She’s a bit miffed because she’s too young to have a CWFL herself. “And since you don’t have your CWFL yet, you can’t carry it loaded on your person in your car.”
Hearing them bicker, I’m thinking that transporting your firearm in your car does require careful thought. Not all states have the same rules as Florida. If you are traveling to a different state, you’ll need to look up the regulations of that state. And since other states have different rules, how can you best protect yourself?
First, you can put your handgun in one locked container and place your ammunition in another locked container. Make sure your handgun is not loaded. Then, place both containers in an unoccupied location in your car.
Next, check to see what states you’ll be passing through. In some states, your firearm might not be legal at all. If you’re still determined to carry your gun, you may need to plan another route.
Will you need to spend the night on the way to your destination? If so, choose a place in a firearms-friendly state. Remember, even if you are just passing through, not knowing other state’s laws is not a legal defense should you be stopped.
According to U.S.LawShield, you’ll need to: “Research the state gun laws of every place you intend to visit. The best practice when traveling to other states is to do your homework. Research the firearm laws of each state you plan on visiting before you leave home. Even if your travels will only carry you across a small corner of a state that is not gun-friendly, it can go badly if you carry guns or are transporting guns in ways that state doesn’t allow. Never assume a brief stop or short visit will keep you legally safe. Not only could that ruin your vacation, but it could also have far-reaching implications for you as a gun owner.”
Well, Harry and Ellen are squabbling about how to carry their guns on their bodies and in the car. This kind of bickering is good because it helps them to learn the legal way to carry their guns.
Bickering? At least this time, bickering is useful.
Marj Law is the former director of Keep Wakulla County Beautiful who has become an avid shooter in retirement.