Driving through Maryland with a non-resident Concealed Carry Permit

[danemayer]

For those who have a Concealed Carry Permit and are traveling to the North American rally in Virginia, be aware of the following information about Maryland.

It is illegal to carry any loaded firearm in any vehicle in Maryland without a valid permit/license to carry.
Notice:
Maryland has a unit called, “Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center.”

They have license plate reader cameras around the state that read license plates of vehicles. Some are connected to Criminal Background Check programs and Permit/License Holder lists from the different states that will supply them with that information. Do use caution when even driving through Maryland. They can know if you have a firearms permit/license without even stopping you. Other States most likely have a similar system.

There was a recent news story about a Florida man and his family driving through Maryland. He had a CHL from Florida but deliberately did not carry his firearm. He was pulled over and interrogated about where his firearm was. His wife was interrogated separately and said she didn't know where the gun was; maybe in the glove compartment. The police used that as probable cause to search them, the car, unwrap Christmas gifts, and detain them for 3 hours. They had not violated any traffic laws. The stop was based on the license plate check showing an associated CHL and the presumption that he was illegally carrying the firearm through Maryland.

If you have a CHL, you might want to avoid driving through Maryland and certainly want to avoid stopping in Maryland as that would remove any protection under Federal Law.

Here's a link to RV/Car Carry Info.

 

[jmgratz]

Most states now have the CHL registration connected to the Driver's License records and some extend that to the license plate. Keep in mind (I just found this out) that many license plate reading software is linked together and it will give the officer a list of where cameras have read the license plates (time date locations). So they (Police) can easily track where you have been via the license plate reader cameras. Texas has these cameras linked to some of the freeway cameras as well. Remember Big Brother is Watching you. (and so is the NSA).

And by the way the NSA is nothing new. When I was in the Army (1966-1970) all of the intelligence we gathered went straight to the NSA office down the hall from us. Don't know what they did with it but ....

 

[kowAlski631]

We plan to treat MD as a pass-thru quickly state now. We certainly will not stay there overnight - & we lived in the state for 15+ years.


Paul & Martha

Life's too short. Live so you can say "Remember when" not "I wish I had".

 

[jbeletti]

Related to this, if you are attending the rally in Urbanna and joining a contingent of us traveling to the Ontario Canada rally afterwards, be aware that it's not advisable to take a hand-gun into Canada. Perhaps leave it at home or with a friend for this trip.

 

[JohnDar]

Related to this, if you are attending the rally in Urbanna and joining a contingent of us traveling to the Ontario Canada rally afterwards, be aware that it's not advisable to take a hand-gun into Canada. Perhaps leave it at home or with a friend for this trip.

And don't be too surprised if the guy at the Canadian border tries to grill you about what weapons you own, even if you declare you don't have any with you. BTDT.

 

[Lynn1130]

Danemayer, and what was the PC for the stop in the first place? Simply having a CC permit on file is not PC for making a traffic stop. There may be some states that have a clause that you are subject to a check at any time but most of those are only good if stopped for a violation of another kind. I would have been on the phone with the local FBI office reporting a civil rights violation right after being turned loose by the police. And "presumption" is not PC for a stop.

And, sorry but I had to add this. If you are ignorant enough to try to carry a gun (or ammunition) in to Canada or Mexico you deserve what follows.

 

[danemayer]

Danemayer, and what was the PC for the stop in the first place? Simply having a CC permit on file is not PC for making a traffic stop. There may be some states that have a clause that you are subject to a check at any time but most of those are only good if stopped for a violation of another kind. I would have been on the phone with the local FBI office reporting a civil rights violation right after being turned loose by the police. And "presumption" is not PC for a stop.

And, sorry but I had to add this. If you are ignorant enough to try to carry a gun (or ammunition) in to Canada or Mexico you deserve what follows.

According to the news report, there was no probable cause for the stop. The police shadowed the vehicle for an extended period of time before stopping it. It was entirely about a presumption that a firearm was being illegally transported.

The police were wrong and later apologized. Nevertheless, the 3 hour interrogation and search took place. I'm sure if he had been carrying a firearm, he would have gone to jail, and would have had to argue about Federal Law trumping state law.

We already know that New Jersey and New York flout Federal Law that allows you to transport firearms. It's looking like Maryland may join that club soon.

Just raising awareness.

 

[Lynn1130]

Thanks.
Flouting Federal Law generally causes the Justice Department to take a very close look at civil rights violations among other things.

 

[JohnDar]

Maybe some states just aren't worth visiting or traveling through, much less living in.

 

[mdamerell]

So my NRA vanity plate might be a clue?

Even a bullet or a spent shell can case issues at the Canadian Border. Some knives depending upon blade length and crossbows are also "weapon issues" at the border. Traveling in the east coast is just a pain.

 

[kowAlski631]

Yep. Our NRA sticker draws attention too. Calif is a pain also. Between the produce checks & the wacky gun laws,.....


Paul & Martha

Life's too short. Live so you can say "Remember when" not "I wish I had".

 

[TomSt]

advertising that you belong to the NRA is asking for trouble both from LE and criminals
Life Patron NRA member but never let the public know

 

[kowAlski631]

We are also longtime members. As long as we are not breaking laws, no problems with LE (BTW, many relatives in LE). As for the bad guys, you truly don't want to mess with either of us.


Paul & Martha

Life's too short. Live so you can say "Remember when" not "I wish I had".

 

[Lynn1130]

Why would a NRA sticker be a problem with LE? A very high number of us are members. And the fact that I have a NRA sticker on my truck would seem to let the criminals know that causing a problem for me could be a mistake. I have a "Glock Perfection" sticker right next to the NRA sticker.

 

[JanAndBill]

For the legal experts out there. Can LE (in this country) do a search of your attached locked trailer on a probable cause or would it require a search warrant? And, if they can or if they do obtain a search warrant could that search extend to a locked safe within the trailer?

 

[Lynn1130]

A vehicle is a different animal from your home but with an RV a LEO should obtain a warrant UNLESS there is something that leads him/her to believe evidence will be destroyed before the warrant is obtained or there is a need to enter to save a life, or check welfare. Then the evidence can be secured or the injured person treated but further searching should be done with a warrant. Anything in plain sight is fair game while in the RV. A safe, locked or not needs a warrant.

Unless there is a reasonable belief that evidence will be destroyed it is almost always best to get a warrant. It gives the courts less opportunity to throw out charges.

Keep in mind that search warrants must be specific about what items are being searched for. You can't open a safe if you are looking for something that would never fit into that safe. If I have a warrant for a handgun and there is a locked safe, I can reasonable assume that the weapon could be secured there (if I have not found it yet and if I have, the search is over).

 

[JanAndBill]

Keep in mind that search warrants must be specific about what items are being searched for. You can't open a safe if you are looking for something that would never fit into that safe. If I have a warrant for a handgun and there is a locked safe, I can reasonable assume that the weapon could be secured there

I guess this is kind of what my earlier question was leading up to. I would think it would be a stretch to convince a judge that an average RV'er traveling down the road would have any probable cause to issue a search warrant. Now if you were sitting in a parking lot and cars were coming and going around you, it might be a different story. Still I guess in the case of a handgun you should have a permit, regrdless of if it was locked in a safe or not. I've always been told to refuse consent for a search.

 

[JohnDar]

Then you better know how to crack it cuz I ain't opening mine for a witch hunt .

 

[Lynn1130]

You won't have to. If it is portable they will take it. If not they will bring someone in to drill it. Goodbye safe.

 

[TedS]

If the gun is secured in a safe, isn't the gun adequately stored to satisfy Maryland?