Questions regarding travel from PA to DE and DE to PA

[Bell X-1]

Does anyone know the laws regarding traveling from PA to DE and DE to PA with a pistol? I'm from PA and have a friend in DE close to the border. We are both new shooters and neither of us have carry permits.

I know that in PA I'm ok traveling with unloaded pistol in trunk with ammo inside car. If I meet him at a range in PA can he legally travel to the PA range from DE with his unloaded pistol in trunk with ammo inside car? And could I leave the PA range and legally go to DE to a restaurant or movie, etc. with my unloaded pistol in the trunk and ammo in car? What about if we went to a PA restaurant after range; would my friend be alright doing that?

I hate that we even need to worry to this degree about these types of questions but I would like to make sure we're doing the correct thing here. Feel free to direct me to another thread or site if there is info to be found there. I did do a search here but didn't find anything for people without carry permits.

Thanks!

[HiredGoon]

Since PA and DE do not share handgun carry reciprocity, it would be in both your best interests to get permits/licenses that will allow you to carry in both states.

You can get certain out of state ones that DE will recognize.

[knight0334]

While in PA, without a LTCF, you're only legal to transport a handgun in a vehicle directly to/from a range(and a couple other locations). You cannot make other stops.

Delaware isn't as restrictive as PA is when it comes to transporting handguns. Loaded OPEN carry of a handgun is legal in DE without a permit, except in Dover which requires a permit. The gun must be in plain sight - like on the dash, on the passenger seat, in a gun rack, etc, etc. Just think of Dover as the Philly of Delaware.

Your friend can transport his guns directly to a range in PA, but he would have to leave and head directly home from the range if he doesn't have a permit from any state. Permits/licenses from ANY state are valid within a vehicle in PA. He(or you) shouldn't have any issues within Delaware so long as any handguns are clearly visible.

As mentioned above though, a PA LTCF will help you out while in PA. And a license from a state that DE has reciprocity with will help you in DE.

[Bell X-1]

Since PA and DE do not share handgun carry reciprocity, it would be in both your best interests to get permits/licenses that will allow you to carry in both states.
You can get certain out of state ones that DE will recognize.

Thanks for the suggestions I will definitely look into doing that.

While in PA, without a LTCF, you're only legal to transport a handgun in a vehicle directly to/from a range(and a couple other locations). You cannot make other stops.

Delaware isn't as restrictive as PA is when it comes to transporting handguns. Loaded OPEN carry of a handgun is legal in DE without a permit, except in Dover which requires a permit. The gun must be in plain sight - like on the dash, on the passenger seat, in a gun rack, etc, etc. Just think of Dover as the Philly of Delaware.

Your friend can transport his guns directly to a range in PA, but he would have to leave and head directly home from the range if he doesn't have a permit from any state. Permits/licenses from ANY state are valid within a vehicle in PA. He(or you) shouldn't have any issues within Delaware so long as any handguns are clearly visible.

As mentioned above though, a PA LTCF will help you out while in PA. And a license from a state that DE has reciprocity with will help you in DE.

Thank you for all the info. I was hoping it was going to be simpler. I really think I will look into LTCF for PA and possibly another state that would work in DE as well. Do you know if PA resident can get a DE LTCF? Or is it just easier to get it in a different state that would work in DE?

And as far as going from DE to PA it sounds like my friend would have to open carry in the car on the front passenger seat and then once he crosses the state line he'd have to put the pistol into the trunk unloaded with ammo in car? And then reverse that to go home.

Just to be clear, if I had a LTCF in PA and in a state that worked in DE I could keep my pistol in my trunk if so desired and travel freely between the states? In this case could I make stops (restaurant, movie, etc) and leave the pistol in the car?

Thanks again!

[tl_3237]

Thanks for the suggestions I will definitely look into doing that.



Thank you for all the info. I was hoping it was going to be simpler. I really think I will look into LTCF for PA and possibly another state that would work in DE as well. Do you know if PA resident can get a DE LTCF? Or is it just easier to get it in a different state that would work in DE?

And as far as going from DE to PA it sounds like my friend would have to open carry in the car on the front passenger seat and then once he crosses the state line he'd have to put the pistol into the trunk unloaded with ammo in car? And then reverse that to go home.

Assuming your friend is traveling directly to/from a Pa range from/back to DE he can carry the handgun in Pa anywhere in the vehicle or even on his person provided the handgun is NOT LOADED (ref 18 Pa CSA 6106(b)(4); 'loaded' definition below).

Just to be clear, if I had a LTCF in PA and in a state that worked in DE I could keep my pistol in my trunk if so desired and travel freely between the states? In this case could I make stops (restaurant, movie, etc) and leave the pistol in the car?

Yes. You could also carry the handgun loaded on your person if you had license(s) recognized in PA and DE except in areas prohibited under the host state's and Federal laws.


Thanks again!

Red inserts mine. We're assuming here that the travel is directly between Pa and De with no intervening states. If you traverse another state, like MD, during the trip then there are other issues that will change the answers you have received thus far.

18 Pa CSA 6102 ..."Loaded." A firearm is loaded if the firing chamber, the nondetachable magazine or, in the case of a revolver, any of the chambers of the cylinder contain ammunition capable of being fired. In the case of a firearm which utilizes a detachable magazine, the term shall mean a magazine suitable for use in said firearm which magazine contains such ammunition and has been inserted in the firearm or is in the same container or, where the container has multiple compartments, the same compartment thereof as the firearm. If the magazine is inserted into a pouch, holder, holster or other protective device that provides for a complete and secure enclosure of the ammunition, then the pouch, holder, holster or other protective device shall be deemed to be a separate compartment.

[Bell X-1]

Red inserts mine. We're assuming here that the travel is directly between Pa and De with no intervening states. If you traverse another state, like MD, during the trip then there are other issues that will change the answers you have received thus far.

18 Pa CSA 6102 ..."Loaded." A firearm is loaded if the firing chamber, the nondetachable magazine or, in the case of a revolver, any of the chambers of the cylinder contain ammunition capable of being fired. In the case of a firearm which utilizes a detachable magazine, the term shall mean a magazine suitable for use in said firearm which magazine contains such ammunition and has been inserted in the firearm or is in the same container or, where the container has multiple compartments, the same compartment thereof as the firearm. If the magazine is inserted into a pouch, holder, holster or other protective device that provides for a complete and secure enclosure of the ammunition, then the pouch, holder, holster or other protective device shall be deemed to be a separate compartment.

Thanks for the additional info. I kind of thought that we'd be able to carry on our bodies if we had a LTCF but right now I'll be using a MKIII so it wouldn't be very concealable or comfortable. And I don't have much interest in OC at this time so that's why I had more of an interest in where it could / should go in a car. But I do appreciate spelling it out for me.

Where's the best place for me to read up on all of the travel restrictions w/o a LTCF and with one as well?
edit: just found this area: http://www.pafoa.org/law/carrying-fi...oncealed-carry

[tl_3237]

Thanks for the additional info. I kind of thought that we'd be able to carry on our bodies if we had a LTCF but right now I'll be using a MKIII so it wouldn't be very concealable or comfortable. And I don't have much interest in OC at this time so that's why I had more of an interest in where it could / should go in a car. But I do appreciate spelling it out for me.

Where's the best place for me to read up on all of the travel restrictions w/o a LTCF and with one as well?edit: just found this area: http://www.pafoa.org/law/carrying-fi...oncealed-carry

For Pa, two sources that you should start with:

http://forum.pafoa.org/concealed-ope...nsylvania.html

and for unlicensed carry in a vehicle or CC:

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI...1.006.000..HTM

[mrjam2jab]

and if going to a range in DE the OP would have to go directly from home to range then directly back again.