ccwI’m not asking for a legal opinion here. Obviously different jurisdictions may have different minimum requirements, but assume for the purposes of this question you have no legal obligation without a search warrant. What I’m wondering is what is the best time and way to inform a law enforcement officer during a routine stop that you are carrying concealed so as not to end up face down with your hands behind your back and/or shot. I want to be respectful, but at the same time we’ve all heard horror stories about law abiding citizens being mistreated. What’s the best way to avoid that?
To inform or not inform comes down to two practical purposes:
My rule of thumb to inform or not comes down to personal preference (if not compelled by law) and a question, “How likely is it that the officer will discover that I am carrying concealed?” On the circumstances that I have been pulled over for a traffic stop and informed, I used my permit to quietly inform the officer that I was carrying; giving them my DL, registration and insurance under the permit. Very discreet way of saying that I have a gun without saying, “I have a gun.”
For circumstances where you have no permit where allowed by law or you cannot exercise the technique above and you must verbalize your notification, be very careful with your words. Telling an officer that you, “have a gun,” will be a surefire way to see that they have one, as well. A clear, non threatening manner to inform would be something along the lines of, “Officer, I want you to know that I have a concealed carry permit and there are firearms on my person/in my car. How would you like me to proceed?”
I have informed a number of times and none went badly. Twice, I was asked to relinquish my firearm during the stop and the rest of the times, I was told not to touch or reach toward the firearm during the stop. Pretty common sense, if you ask me.
If you are stopped, it is always a good practice to keep both hands on the steering wheel in plain sight. Tell the officer right up front that you have a weapon and a permit to carry one. Let him take it from there. If the stop is at night, turn on your interior light so that it illuminates the inside of your car prior to the officer’s approach. Remember to keep your hands on the steering wheel.
Obviously this depends on state law. In my state I am required to disclose that I am carrying a concealed weapon when approached by law enforcement, so I do so.
In the area I live I have been treated by law enforcement and exactly the same when I was armed as when I wasn’t. However, attitudes toward armed citizens may vary by area.
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