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What Do You Do? Cops and CCW

Where I live we are required to notify the officer immediately. I have had several encounters and simply kept my hand in plain sight and informed the officer I had a concealed handgun and permit.

Everything went perfectly calm and well. One asked what I carry and we had a small short discussion of revolvers as ccw weapons.
 
I live in Maryland, with no requirement to disclose. That said, it is my understanding that a Wear and Carry permit does show up when they run your drivers license. I have done both - disclosed to the officer (both hands in view, "here's my license, and so you know, I do have a carry permit and I am wearing my handgun on my right hip"), and kept mum like the days before my permit (B.P.?). Neither incident resulted in anything unusual happening, nor did it change the outcome of the traffic stop. Courtesy and manners go a long way, permit or no, handgun or no...and both stops resulted in warnings. Well...kinda. One was a healthy speeding stop, but he wrote me for my missing front license plate instead. $35 and no points, instead of $350, with 3 points. I'll take it!

These days, I would be more likely to disclose. Just...because. Watch the news - LEOs are (rightfully) on edge these days, and anything I can do to put them at ease and cut back on surprising the (other) guy with the gun? I'm all for it. And if I'm out of state, where I don't 100% know the rules - I disclose. Better safe than sorry.
 
In MA, all firearms licenses are "may issue" by a licensing authority, (Chief of Police of his designee) With around 352 different municipalities in the commonwealth, you basically have 352 different interpretations of the law. Mine is scanned in with my drivers license so they would know that I can legally carry. That doesn't mean I wouldn't get wildly different responses from town to town. I find it best to drive as though you are taking a road test for your drivers license when carrying.

To answer the question of the post. I would notify them if pulled over.
 
Great article, short and sweet.
Yes I would always keep both hands in plain view, treat the officer with respect and like the article mentioned when the time is right notify the officer about my weapon and where it is.
As far as getting pulled over in the first place. Don’t break the law!
Come to a full stop at Stop Signs.
Don’t speed.
Use your turn signals.
Don’t drink and drive.
Simply put don’t draw attention to yourself.
 
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Good article. Here in Michigan you are required to inform if you come into contact with an officer. I have not been stopped since I retired. If I was stopped I would advise the officer officer that I was a retired officer with a CPL ( Concealed Pistol License) and that I was armed. The author advised correctly to have both hands on the steering wheel as you advised the officer. More good advice is to tell him where the weapon is. Do not try to show him!
 
RICKYs2 said:
One thing that I will add to all this good information is that at night to turn on your dome lights, so the officer can see inside the car.
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Hard to do when the top is down. :giggle:

Seriously, my license does not show up (LEOSA) with the plates, but my wife's permit does. I was stopped one day for driving while flashy (sports car) by a new officer with his training officer. The first thing he asked was if there were firearms in the car. I replied yes and was asked to tell him where. When I replied 10AM, 3:30 PM, one in a groin pouch, one on the right ankle, and one in my left sleeve, I thought he was going to faint so I didn't address what was in the trunk.

He did not ask me to get out of the car, but he did look at my retired ID and current qualification card. He told me I had been stopped because I was "too fast" on a stop sign but not even a written warning. The TO did come over to talk to me while the trainee ran the license and registration and tried to figure out why the registration and insurance didn't match the driver's license address. :cool:

All that said, all this advice is good for people who are going to carry. I always have my paperwork ready by the time they get to my car so my hands are always in plain sight.
 
I got pulled over a while back and informed the officer I had a gun in my center console and I had my CCW. He said no problem, can I see your registration and insurance. I said yes but they are in my center console. He said, your right brake light is out and have a nice day. I guess he would rather I not open the console. :cool:
 
Here in Missouri there is no permit requirement nor any requirement to notify LEO that you are armed. I work closely with a lot of police officers ( mostly St. Louis city) and I have asked them all if they would prefer to be notified. Most of them don't care, but suggest that you keep your hands in plain sight, avoid sudden movements and don't be a d**k, regardless of if you are armed or not. A Jefferson County cop told me I should probably not mention it, particularly if it's a city cop, because it could unnecessarily escalate tension.

The only time I have had this situation come up my truck was broke down and I was in the cab waiting for a tow truck. A Jefferson County sheriff's deputy pulled over. When he came to the window my hands were on the wheel and I told him I was waiting on a tow truck and that I had a pistol right over there in the cubby on the dashboard. He smiled and said " Cool, you don't shoot me and I won't shoot you."
 
Keystone19250 said:
Great article, short and sweet.
Yes I would always keep both hands in plain view, treat the officer with respect and like the article mentioned when the time is right notify the officer about my weapon and where it is.
As far as getting pulled over in the first place. Don’t break the law!
Come to a full stop at Stop Signs.
Don’t speed.
Use your turn signals.
Don’t drink and drive.
Simply put don’t draw attention to yourself.
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Whats the fun in that !
California slides required at stop signs, whats a turn signal, and speed limits signs are suggestions, except for school zones. Drink while in the uber
 
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KillerFord1977 said:
Whats the fun in that !
California slides required at stop signs, whats a turn signal, and speed limits signs are suggestions, except for school zones. Drink while in the uber
Click to expand...


You should drive around a little bit in North St. Louis. Stop signs are ignored, 70 on city streets is normal and they pass you on the shoulder so they can run the stoplight you're sitting at.. I literally have been almost run off the road by school bus drivers. And I drive a Freightliner M2 pulling a 20' float with a trackhoe on it. Cops ignore it completely for reasons I won't really go into here.
 
Bassbob said:
You should drive around a little bit in North St. Louis. Stop signs are ignored, 70 on city streets is normal and they pass you on the shoulder so they can run the stoplight you're sitting at.. I literally have been almost run off the road by school bus drivers. And I drive a Freightliner M2 pulling a 20' float with a trackhoe on it. Cops ignore it completely for reasons I won't really go into here.
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North Texas is the same way. Add in lots of folks that come from between Iran and Japan, and driving here is like the derby.
 
ChanceMcCall said:
Hard to do when the top is down. :giggle:

Seriously, my license does not show up (LEOSA) with the plates, but my wife's permit does. I was stopped one day for driving while flashy (sports car) by a new officer with his training officer. The first thing he asked was if there were firearms in the car. I replied yes and was asked to tell him where. When I replied 10AM, 3:30 PM, one in a groin pouch, one on the right ankle, and one in my left sleeve, I thought he was going to faint so I didn't address what was in the trunk.

He did not ask me to get out of the car, but he did look at my retired ID and current qualification card. He told me I had been stopped because I was "too fast" on a stop sign but not even a written warning. The TO did come over to talk to me while the trainee ran the license and registration and tried to figure out why the registration and insurance didn't match the driver's license address. :cool:

All that said, all this advice is good for people who are going to carry. I always have my paperwork ready by the time they get to my car so my hands are always in plain sight.
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I think I understand your last paragraph on having paperwork ready but digging around in your vehicle while officers are approaching could make them extremely nervous,
I remember once back in the 80’s I had bought a new C10 pickup and my wife and and I were running errands. It started to rain, and I’m talking blinding down pours, I was driving slow “city street” when I got pulled over, I heard the officer over his PA request I exit the truck and walk back to the police car, I didn’t, a second request and I still sat in my truck, remember it was a torrential rain, about 5 minutes went by and the officer knocked on my window, I rolled it down, he was soaking wet and was really upset....
Why didn’t you come back to my police car when I asked you to????
My calm response.
Because I would be putting myself in danger of being hit by another car.
He wrote me a ticket for no tail lights.
Although I had my lights on it was found that I had a short in the wiring and the rain had shut them off, I contested the ticket and won. The bottom line is during a traffic stop you need to stay calm and respectful but you DON’T have to get out of your vehicle.
 
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