Need some legal info regarding PA pistol ownership

[Tman1753]

Hello all I am a new PA resident and I have a few questions.

I understand I will need a LTC permit to carry concealed and transport a pistol in a vehicle. Do I need a LTC permit if I only want a pistol to keep in my home?

What are the requirements if I wanted to buy a Pistol to keep in my home? Do I need an LTC to purchase or do i just show my Pennsylvania ID and the firearm dealer PICS check?

IS the PICS pretty much the same as a NICS check?
I pass a NICS check instantly, so i should pass a PICS check?

My friend I target shoot with has an LTC permit. Can he take my pistol from my home and transport it to and from the range for me when we go together?


Does PA allow open carry without an LTC permit?

I know you can't have a pistol in a vehicle period without an LTC.

You may get a laugh from this but... is a bicycle considered a vehicle?

Thanks for your time. -Tom

[EandGWZ]

Welcome to the forum. I've answered your questions in RED.

Hello all I am a new PA resident and I have a few questions.

I understand I will need a LTC permit to carry concealed and transport a pistol in a vehicle. Do I need a LTC permit if I only want a pistol to keep in my home? No, and you do not need a LTCF while transporting to/from one of the exceptions listed in the law (home to place of business, to the range, etc.). AMMO AND PISTOL NEED TO BE SEPARATE (trunk of car has pistol, glove compartment has ammo).

What are the requirements if I wanted to buy a Pistol to keep in my home? Do I need an LTC to purchase or do i just show my Pennsylvania ID and the firearm dealer does a standard NICS check? You need a PA driver's license, the requirements are universal (no felonies, etc.).

My friend I target shoot with has an LTC permit. Can he take my pistol from my home and transport it to and from the range for me when we go together? If unloaded, you can transport the weapon.


Does PA allow open carry without an LTC permit? Yes

I know you can't have a pistol in a vehicle period without an LTC.

You may get a laugh from this but... is a bicycle considered a vehicle? Yes

Thanks for your time. -Tom

Check up on the laws yourself http://www.pafoa.org/law prior to moving forward.

[Tman1753]

thanks for fast response, and the link. reading up on everything now.

[Steve in PA]

AMMO AND PISTOL NEED TO BE SEPARATE (trunk of car has pistol, glove compartment has ammo).

Not true. This is the definition of a "loaded" firearm. There is nothing requiring the pistol be in one part of the vehicle and the ammo in another part.

“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.

[Pilot321]

Just to clarify. The only place you DO need a PA LTCF to Open Carry is the City of Philadelphia, which is also its own County. If you OC in Philly without valid PA LTCF you are opening yourself up for arrest and legal issues.

[bob308]

why not just get your ltcf and be done with it ? then you have nothing to worry about. pa. is a very easy state to get it in.

[Xringshooter]

The NICS and the PICS are not the same, PA will do additional checks of data bases that the NICS won't. It is possible, abet unlikely, that you can pass the NICS but not the PICS.

Also, open carry with an LTCF is not allowed if the Govenor has declared a state of emergency, which he did when the hurricane hit last year. IIRC the SOE should expire sometime in late Jan.

[knight0334]

The NICS and the PICS are not the same, PA will do additional checks of data bases that the NICS won't. It is possible, abet unlikely, that you can pass the NICS but not the PICS.

Also, open carry with an LTCF is not allowed if the Govenor has declared a state of emergency, which he did when the hurricane hit last year. IIRC the SOE should expire sometime in late Jan.

I think it just got rescinded a day or so ago.

Someone will have to double check on that though. I'm presently unable to find out due to my connection method.

[filgun11]

Also... You can't be within 1000 ft of primary & secondary schools without LTCF. With or without LTCF, you can't be on school grounds.
So with LTCF, you can be as close as the street/curb where the school is.

[Tman1753]

Thanks for info guys, it seems it would just be easier to get a carry license. One more question. To buy a long gun in PA is it a nics check or pics check?