Driving through Valley Forge Park?

[ArchAngelCD]

It's my understanding if you can legally carry a firearm in your home state you can also do so while in your vehicle in all 50 states. I'm fairly sure if you keep the firearm in your vehicle and DO NOT exit the vehicle while carrying the firearm it won't matter if you are on State or Federal land. (but as always, I could be wrong) In any event, remember, concealed means concealed...

[GunLawyer001]

It's my understanding if you can legally carry a firearm in your home state you can also do so while in your vehicle in all 50 states. I'm fairly sure if you keep the firearm in your vehicle and DO NOT exit the vehicle while carrying the firearm it won't matter if you are on State or Federal land. (but as always, I could be wrong) In any event, remember, concealed means concealed...

It would be a worthwhile activity for you to research the 1986 Firearm Owners Protection Act, and look specifically for the provisions on interstate transportation. There are several hoops that you MUST jump through before you can safely ignore local laws, especially if you drive a motorcycle, pickup, or SUV without a lockable trunk. If you don't meet EVERY requirement, then you're in violation of local laws, and in PA you'd be at least committing a Misdemeanor 1, with a lifetime prohibition on firearms ownership.

[Fraggle09027]

I agree it is a disgrace that we have come to the point where we have to think about the road we are driving on when we have a firearm in the car. I live at the edge of the park and my understanding is that if you get a flat, and have a gun in the car, it would be a violation of the law to pull over in one of the lots to fix it.

Thats another reason for national recognition of LTCF or CCW. One wrong turn and end up in NY or NJ, or just about any boarder state and your in trouble.

It would be a worthwhile activity for you to research the 1986 Firearm Owners Protection Act, and look specifically for the provisions on interstate transportation. There are several hoops that you MUST jump through before you can safely ignore local laws, especially if you drive a motorcycle, pickup, or SUV without a lockable trunk. If you don't meet EVERY requirement, then you're in violation of local laws, and in PA you'd be at least committing a Misdemeanor 1, with a lifetime prohibition on firearms ownership.

So what your saying is in order to drive through a state park I have to stop at the boundry, unload and lock my Glock in the trunk before continuing?

[GunLawyer001]

......
So what your saying is in order to drive through a state park I have to stop at the boundry, unload and lock my Glock in the trunk before continuing?

No. What I said is that everyone should read the federal statute before they ignore local laws.

As a side note, it seems like almost every time someone prefaces a statement with a variant of "so what you're saying is...", what follows isn't what I said at all. Not just this time, it seems like almost every time. I could post "clean your gun after using corrosive ammo" and someone could reply "so you're saying I should shoot myself in the head?"

I don't get it.

As for whether you'd need to stop at the boundary of a state park and stash the unloaded gun before proceeding through on the public road, that's more a question of state law than federal preemption. The 1986 FOPA was intended to apply to interstate travel (although a fair reading might apply it to intrastate travel, despite the non-binding paragraph header.) It clearly applies to travel through New Jersey on the way to New England, but may not apply to travel from Norristown to Harrisburg through the Valley Forge national park or a state park.

[TheWolff]

Necro-ing this thread b/c I was pulled over while carrying in FC last week. I'd noticed earlier in the drive that I had a headlight out, and when I drove through the park toward Phoenixville on 23, there was a ranger in the jogging trail parking lot. I had a weapon in the center console and had already passed the little church when he pulled behind me and lit up the sky.

I pulled into that turnoff to Washington's quarters and stayed just off the road. I turned on my internal lights, rolled down the window, and put my hands on the wheel. The ranger paused behind my vehicle for a second and I assumed he was reading my USMC sticker and looking in the rear window. At this point I remembered my blue S&W M&P case (empty) was on the back seat.

The ranger said "good evening" and immediately asked if there were any weapons in the vehicle. I told him yes* and that it was located in the center console. He asked me if I had a permit to carry, and I said I did. He asked if I'll need to access the console to retrieve any paperwork. I told him "no, but I'll have to reach near it to access my wallet in my right rear pocket" and asked him how he'd like me to proceed. He shined his light on my console and told me to retrieve my wallet slowly.

He told me he pulled me over because my headlight was out, and took my driver's license, registration, insurance back to his car. He returned a short while later and said that he was giving me a warning b/c I was honest about the gun and handled the stop well by putting my hands on the wheel and turning on the lights. He told me to get the light fixed or he'd keep pulling me over, and told me to have a good night.

I think it went well, and I don't feel particularly violated. I was nervous about how it might go, since I was technically off the road and on Park property, but at least to this ranger, on this night, that was a non-issue.



*I believed he was justified in asking since I was engaged in unlawful activity (driving with the light out), and the gun box in the back was within reach and not obviously empty. Had he attempted to relieve me of the weapon, I would have made it clear that I did not consent to his search or its seizure.

[donm]

Carry in National Parks has been legal (to the extent that it's legal in the state in which it's located) since February, 2010. Buildings where Federal employees normally work (e.g., the visitor center) are still off-limits and posted.

[gnbrotz]

*I believed he was justified in asking since I was engaged in unlawful activity (driving with the light out), and the gun box in the back was within reach and not obviously empty. Had he attempted to relieve me of the weapon, I would have made it clear that I did not consent to his search or its seizure.

Police can "ask" anything they want, any time they want. That implies no legal obligation on the part of the person being asked to provide an answer.

[TheWolff]

Carry in National Parks has been legal (to the extent that it's legal in the state in which it's located) since February, 2010. Buildings where Federal employees normally work (e.g., the visitor center) are still off-limits and posted.

Wasn't there an issue a while back about carrying on structures and lands that are maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers? Wouldn't that apply to VF?

[tl_3237]

Wasn't there an issue a while back about carrying on structures and lands that are maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers? Wouldn't that apply to VF?

ACE 'properties' are still restricted by Federal regulation though there are proposed bills to toll those ACE regs.

All National Parks comply with their host state's carry laws.

16 USC 1a-7b: Protecting Americans from violent crime

(b) Protecting the right of individuals to bear arms in units of the National Park System and the National Wildlife Refuge System
The Secretary of the Interior shall not promulgate or enforce any regulation that prohibits an individual from possessing a firearm including an assembled or functional firearm in any unit of the National Park System or the National Wildlife Refuge System if—

(1) the individual is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing the firearm; and

(2) the possession of the firearm is in compliance with the law of the State in which the unit of the National Park System or the National Wildlife Refuge System is located.

(Pub. L. 111–24, title V, §512, May 22, 2009, 123 Stat. 1764.)

[TheWolff]

Thanks! +1