Transporting

**dbertram** · September 1st, 2012, 10:40 PM

My son is 20 and I would like to buy him a hand gun for Christmas. Can he put the gun in the trunk of a car and take it to a place to shoot it.

**Curmudgeon** · September 1st, 2012, 10:50 PM

Yes. At 18 and over he can legally own it and have it in his possession.

Not everyone knows it though. Some think the age is 21, so you should both expect the possibility of a little friction.

Edit: Here is the specific statute:

18 Pa.C.S. § 6110.1: Possession of firearm by minor

(a) Firearm.--Except as provided in subsection (b), a person under 18 years of age shall not possess or transport a firearm anywhere in this Commonwealth. (b) Exception.--Subsection (a) shall not apply to a person under 18 years of age: (1) who is under the supervision of a parent, grandparent, legal guardian or an adult acting with the expressed consent of the minor's custodial parent or legal guardian and the minor is engaged in lawful activity, including safety training, lawful target shooting, engaging in an organized competition involving the use of a firearm or the firearm is unloaded and the minor is transporting it for a lawful purpose; or (2) who is lawfully hunting or trapping in accordance with 34 Pa.C.S. (relating to game). (c) Responsibility of adult.--Any person who knowingly and intentionally delivers or provides to the minor a firearm in violation of subsection (a) commits a felony of the third degree. (d) Forfeiture.--Any firearm in the possession of a person under 18 years of age in violation of this section shall be promptly seized by the arresting law enforcement officer and upon conviction or adjudication of delinquency shall be forfeited or, if stolen, returned to the lawful owner.

**ungawa** · September 1st, 2012, 10:53 PM

Originally Posted by dbertram

My son is 20 and I would like to buy him a hand gun for Christmas. Can he put the gun in the trunk of a car and take it to a place to shoot it.

In the trunk of a car, he can take it to a range or other exempted locations. He cannot take it to his sister's house. He can not take it to a diner on the way back from the range to eat lunch with his range buddies.

That is the simple answer.

When he turns 21 he should get his LTCF and then he can transport it anywhere by car or even carry it in a car or concealed.

It is probably also possible for him to get an out of state carry license from one of the very few states that issue to under 21 and also have reciprocity with PA.

**StonewallRabbitry** · September 1st, 2012, 11:02 PM

I transported a handgun to the shooting range often when I wa sunder 21 without any trouble but police never had a reason to search the car. I think there would be a better chance of a game warden would giving him a hard time than a police officer. To me it seemed that game wardens gave younger guys a harder time than older poople, In a three year year period (18-21) I was fined on two different occasions by a game warden and both fines got thrown out in court, after I was 21 I have been checked by a game wardens but luckily have not had a problem

**QuackXP** · September 2nd, 2012, 09:05 AM

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Not everyone knows it though. Some think the age is 21, so you should both expect the possibility of a little friction.

Including LEO and a "little friction" I could easily see being and arrest and having to force the court to give back the firearm.

However it is perfectly legal. But without a LTCF that he cannot get until he is 21 he can only transport it from his residence, business, place of purchase, place or repair, range or place of assembly. There is non stops allowed in-between.

He can get a Main permit that is recreprical with PA but I could see you running into the same trouble of LEO not knowing the specifics of the law.

Me personally I would get it for his 21st birthday and save the potential hassle.