Driving through Maryland.

[fnp9usp]

The vehicle I will be driving is a small SUV with no trunk.

....what should I do.

any and all info needed.

My destination is Virginia.

any info on Virginia carry laws.

[cigarmanpa]

for va laws VCDL or the state cops site

[ReconLdr]

I recently made a very similar journey. I was driving to Tennesse. I stopped just short of the Mason-Dixon line and un-holstered and unloaded my pistol. Placed each into different lockable boxes and locked them up. I drove the 10 minutes or so through "enemy territory" and stopped just south of the border to load up and continue on my trip.

Va is an Open Carry state, as is WV. I would recommend you visit www.opencarry.org and print out each states laws. Study them and keep the print outs where you can get them very quickly if you are stopped. Having a printed copy of the Va carry laws from one of the state sponsored/run websites would be a good idea as well.

When I traveled through Va (OCing) I stopped and got some lunch at a McDonalds and met some Va OCers. When I walked into the place I heard a kid say "Mommy, that guy has a gun like yours." That sparked a very pleasant conversation.

[WVneighbor]

Traveling through Maryland:
18 USC § 926A. Interstate transportation of firearms
Notwithstanding any other provision of any law or any rule or regulation of a State or any political subdivision thereof, any person who is not otherwise prohibited by this chapter from transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm shall be entitled to transport a firearm for any lawful purpose from any place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm to any other place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm if, during such transportation the firearm is unloaded, and neither the firearm nor any ammunition being transported is readily accessible or is directly accessible from the passenger compartment of such transporting vehicle: Provided, That in the case of a vehicle without a compartment separate from the driver’s compartment the firearm or ammunition shall be contained in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console.

So in your SUV situation, you should lock your firearm in a case or container and stow it in the rear compartment. I would also stow the ammo in the back in a different container or case than the firearm.

The only difference in VA and PA carry laws that come to mind and I'm 100% sure about are the restriction on places serving alcohol. You may NOT conceal carry in places which serve alcohol. Open Carry is not prohibited.

I think signs prohibiting carry on private property carry weight. Meaning if you go to a store and there is a sign saying "No Firearms" you can be charged with trespassing. I'm not 100% sure about this.

You may want to do further research on OpenCarry.org's Virginia Forum

[JCWohlschlag]

The vehicle I will be driving is a small SUV with no trunk.

....what should I do.

any and all info needed.

While passing through Maryland, do this.

My destination is Virginia.

any info on Virginia carry laws.

While in Virginia, do this (Handgunlaw.us: Virginia). (Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) and the Virginia State Police: Firearms/Concealed Weapons are also good links, as suggested above.)

[fingers80002]

Wasn't this just covered a day or two ago?????????????

[TinGLOCK]

Wasn't this just covered a day or two ago?????????????

It's covered about once every two weeks. I read in The National Enquirer that the PAFOA forum search has been kidnapped.

[fnp9usp]

I realize that this subject has been covered in length. My main concern is that I have talked to some MD residence and they tell me that Federal Law is often IGNORED by local LEO's concerning the transportation of fire arms through the state.

Urban myth?? I don't know..

Does anyone have an actual encounter with MD LEO's during the transportation of fire arms??????????

The letter of the law is clear but as you and I both know that can have little to do with how LEO's act...........

[cigarmanpa]

i'm sure the law is ignored in MD just like it's ignored in PA. So here's what you do, don't give them a reason to pull you over. I just drove through maryland to get to fairfax and to my surprize the box of WWB9mm I had in my bag didn't just jump up and start going off randomly.

[TinGLOCK]

Whether it's followed by the police or not, if you must drive through Maryland, what more can you do than follow the law yourself?