I have my Wisconsin CWL but it does not have reciprocity with Minnesota where I travel to occasionally.
I have a Vaultek Lifepod that’s teathered with a steel cable to my drivers seat rail and I just store my gun in there when I need to.
According to the MN statute:
It looks like I can just unload my pistol and place it in the lifepod and slide it under the seat.
Am I correct in this?
Um… I’m not sure that’s the right way to read it. I’ll ask our reciprocity guru about that.
To me the section you sited is only if your transporting for the purposes of repair or target practice - not traveling in the state without a permit… I could be wrong.
Let me verify…
I completely trust the information here at USCCA, I also contact local state patrol offices with questions like this. They have always been very helpful and appreciate the due diligence. Some have even offered alternative solutions to help me stay within the law.
Here’s the response for the Guru! BTW - If you go to Expo, Bonnie, our Guru, will be next to the Community booth - stop and say Hi and Thanks to her!!
My take on this is that if he doesn’t have reciprocity, he cannot be “carrying”. FOPA states that a person can only transport a firearm through states in which he or she does not hold a valid permit, as long as he or she may lawfully carry (whether by permit, constitutional carry, etc.) in the state of origin as well as the destination. The owner of the firearm must be in transit and not stay in the state where possession would be illegal. Furthermore, the firearm must be unloaded and contained in a locked box or out of the driver’s reach, unless state law allows otherwise.
So if he’s just going from WI to MN, where he doesn’t have reciprocity, he should not be transporting any firearms.
This is reiterated by 18 USC 926A which says it a slightly different way. It is intended to protect the passage of travelers (who can legally possess a firearm) to transport a firearm for any lawful purpose from any place where he or she may lawfully possess and carry such firearm to any other place where he or she may lawfully possess and carry such firearm. The firearm must be unloaded, and neither the firearm nor any ammunition can be readily accessible from the passenger compartment. In the case of a vehicle without a compartment separate from the driver’s compartment, the firearm or ammunition shall be contained in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console.
I know that’s a lot! You can refer him to this link. https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/resources/federal-ccw-law/federal-firearms-transportation-laws/
You can carry it as long as it is unloaded, and either in the trunk, or in a case that is fastened.
The link below is from the State of Minnesota government.
18 USC 926A is the way I have been handling it. Stopping before crossing in to MN, unloading and storing my gun in an TSA approved gun lock box tethered to part of my cars frame in the trunk. Then storing the ammo/mags in the pouch of a storage tote I have mounted in there.
Everything I’ve be enable to find on MN state law pretty much reiterates what @Brett13 stated.
It looks to me like MN law would supersede federal in this case as it states: “Notwithstanding any other provision of any
law or any rule or regulation of a State or any
political subdivision thereof,”
My question is if this is the case and if so, if I had to adhere to (1), (2) and (3)? Or if just complying with (1) was good enough?
My destinations in MN is either my girlfriends parents house or a friends house, but always private property.
Eventually I will be getting a MN non-resident CCL but I don’t have to spare time right now for the class.
When are you going to have an expo in WI?
At least Minnesota is a a hard no. I’ll be passing through illinois and I dont know what to think about that whole bucket of sillyness.
@RocketPak I would want to consult with a Minnesota attorney to get a clear answer. Under federal law, the transportation must from and to a state where you can possess the firearm. I would want to see how the judiciary is interpreting their statute. I agree, it does not discuss interstate transport, just transporting. But I would err on the side of not being arrested.
@Brian1 believe it or not IL is not that bad for traveling through the state. You can carry in your vehicle with another state permit, even through there is no reciprocity. But, if you get out of the vehicle, it has to stay in the vehicle. See the reciprocity map at https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/resources/ccw_reciprocity_map/il-gun-laws/
@MikeBKY
Thank you for the response. I can’t help but think theres a catch to that. Like a catch 22 that isnt know to anyone, except the ones looking to make a name for themselves. Trying to avoid cook county jail…
The key is your travel cannot end in IL or even an overnight stay in IL. You have to begin and end is a state where you are legal.
So is there no answer if travelling to a state with no reciprocity? I also have my WI ccl, and have 2 week long driving trips planned this spring. The first is to FL, and the second to MA for a couple of days, then on to Maine for the rest of the trip.
For the FL trip, I understand the IL issue, i travel there for work often. The rest of the trip I am good until i reach FL. No options for locking my gun up in the trunk while there?
The Massachutes - Maine trip is much more problimatic. I will be driving thru NY, and staying in MA. My only option seems to be leaving my gun at home.
Any opinions?
FFL transfer.
Right now, as I type, I am entering illinois. It feels wrong on all levels…
Don’t type and drive! Be careful. Be diligent. Obey speed limits.
Being a law abiding citizen is a wonderful thing. It can also potentially put you in great danger.
Ask yourself why you own a firearm in the first place. Is it to protect yourself and/or loved ones from the bad guys? Well, if so, you can’t effectively do that if your gun is at home or locked away in the trunk of your car with the ammo in another location. A friend made a comment to me a while ago that I’d like to share. He said " If no one bothers me or my family they will never know I have a firearm. If my family or I are attacked in some way during my travels, I will do my best to protect us and I’ll happily take my chances in court if necessary."
Now that makes sense in it’s simplicity if protection is indeed your reason for owning a gun. You need commitment to the fact that protection is a 24/7/365 proposition. If your going to jump out of a plane you should wear a parachute EVERY TIME.
It’s okay for this to be uncomfortable and if you decide you don’t want to make that commitment simply consider your firearm " for home protection" and leave it locked away somewhere in your home where you can easily retrieve it in the unlikely event that it is needed.
As I said, not an easy decision but one that needs to be made with resolve.
Good luck in whatever you decide.
Thanks for bringing this subject up.
For maximum state CCL permit reciprocity out west, does an Arizona permit cover more states or have an advantage than does a Utah permit? Between these two states, which do you prefer to have a CCL permit in? Thank you.
Since I didn’t have any plans as yet to travel to an eastern state, I didn’t apply for a Florida permit. I chose Arizona over Utah. However, I wonder if that was the best choice; for when I’m due for renewal. I heard that for maximum reciprocity, Arizona or Utah, and Florida permits offer the most coverage, and if one does not yet have those permits, to apply now, so that once Spring and “April 2021” arrive, one has more coverage.
