Carrying a firearm in a vehicle…
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Loading ...By Doug Little on Oct 25, 2007 in AZ CCW Questions, Defensive Tactics, Firearms Safety, Firearms Training
Many students are curiousabout the laws concerning carrying a firearm in a vehicle. Since Arizonapermits “open carry” of a firearm, you can legally carry a firearm inany permitted location, as long as the firearm is in plain view.
This includes your vehicle.As long as a casual observer can see you have an unconcealed firearm, you arenot violating any the law.
If you want to conceal thefirearm in your vehicle, the easiest way is to get your AZ CCW permit. Then youcan legally conceal your firearm in your vehicle.
If you don’t have an AZ CCWpermit, your firearm can still be concealed, but it must be at least two stepsremoved from your immediate access. What this means is that you cannot have’immediate’ access to the firearm.
For example, if you put yourfirearm in the glove box, it is only one step removed from immediateaccess…you can open the glove box and grab your gun. If you have your gun ina case or holster and then put it in the glove box, it is two steps removed(you have to open the glove box and remove it from the holster or case).
If you wish to conceal afirearm in your vehicle, my recommendation is to get your Arizona CCWpermit…then you will not have any issues. Otherwise, you may be subject tothe court’s interpretation of whether or not you had ‘immediate access’.
Some have also asked aboutways to safely have immediate access to your firearm without having to put itin the glove box, console or map pocket of your car. There are at least twoholster manufacturers that I know of that sell holster systems that allow youto mount a holster in your vehicle.
Generally this is done bybolting the mount under the dashboard or in some other appropriate location. When you get into your vehicle, you canplace your gun in the mounted holster giving you easier access to it.
Believe me when I say thatthis can be a real issue for a lot of people. Depending on where you wear yourholster, you might have difficultly reaching it quickly when seated in thevehicle with your seat belt fastened. You can draw from a seated position inthe car, but it is difficult and requires practice to do quickly.
Without proper training,drawing from a seated position in a vehicle can be dangerous to both yourselfand other occupants of the vehicle. Holster mounts eliminate this as an issue. If you want to get more information about holster mounts youcan visit http://www.sidearmor.net or http://www.fobusholster.com
John Blalock | Feb 11, 2008 | Reply
Thanks for sending me the article on Carrying a Firearm in a Vehicle, Doug. I say the article in your list, but thought it was a litte short. I tried to click on the [..] but nothing happened, so I sssumed there was not more to the article. I just went back to the article listing, clicked on the title, and (magically!) I got to see the entire article! If you mentioned somewhere that users should click on the title to see the full article, I missed that. I’ll have to go back and look at the other articles I was interested in reading!
Another question, Doug. Are you going to offer your Personal Protection in the Home coure sometime this spring or fall? I took your CCW course last July and although the course was great and I did get my CCW permit, I have to admit that my timing was off. July in Arizona is not when I need to spend time in the sun!
Thanks again,
-john
-Mike- | Mar 4, 2008 | Reply
Great website.
Can you point me to either the ARS (Arizona Revised Statute) or AZ court precedent where this “2 step” rule is? Or even in the AZ DPS 8-hour class agenda that is listed on the AZ DPS website. I am having a hard time finding any mention of it regarding AZ. Thanks for your help.
You stated…
“If you don’t have an AZ CCWpermit, your firearm can still be concealed, but it must be at least two stepsremoved from your immediate access. What this means is that you cannot have’immediate’ access to the firearm. For example, if you put yourfirearm in the glove box, it is only one step removed from immediate access…you can open the glove box and grab your gun. If you have your gun ina case or holster and then put it in the glove box, it is two steps removed(you have to open the glove box and remove it from the holster or case).”
AJ Card | Mar 6, 2008 | Reply
Sir,
I have an AZ CCW, but still have questions concerning carrying a gun in a vehicle concealed or open carry.
Can a pistol be carried in a vehicle if it is loaded, holstered and placed between the seats next to the hand brake or in a map pocket on the door or the center console IF only the butt of the gun is showing?
Does the gun have to be 100% out of view if you carry concealed in a vehicle or 100% visable if carried openly? Is there any inbetween as I described above?
Thank you for your time and knowledge.
tony | Oct 30, 2008 | Reply
I have a CCW and carry a loaded pistol under my seat. If I am carrying a passenger (who has no CCW) and I have to leave the car momentarily, would my passenger be potentially charged with possesion of a concealed weapon?