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PPL Motorhomes: Do You Know State Gun Transportation Laws

There is no doubt that RVers are outdoors type people. We bask in all of the glory that Nature can bestow upon us. In doing so, there are those of us who hike, fish, bird watch, explore and, of course, hunt.

Now this is an odd, but important post for RV Nana and your consignment RV center, PPL Motorhomes. It is certainly a far cry from a RV cooking tips, that’s for sure.

Transporting firearms. One of the things that I have been realized, in idle conversation with my fellow RVers, is that there are quite a few RVers out their who transport firearms in their RV for either either hunting, or personal safety reasons. While this information might not apply to my family as much, it does apply to many, including full time RVers. Transporting a firearm across state lines in the U.S. is normally not a problem as long as you follow the gun transport laws laid out by the Gun Control Act which is enforced by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Federal gun transport laws provide that any individual (except convicted felons, persons under indictment for felonies, mental defectives or incompetents, illegal users of controlled drugs, illegal aliens, veterans dishonorably discharged, those who have renounced their U.S. citizenship, fugitives from justice, persons convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, and persons subject to domestic violence restraining orders) may transport a firearm from one location where the individual is lawfully allowed to posses and carry a firearm to another location the individual is lawfully allowed the firearm, as long as it is unloaded and not in the passenger compartment of your car, which normally means in the trunk.

But, what about in your RV, where you have no trunk? Use a little common sense. Gun transporting in your RV across states lines is basically the same; the gun should be unloaded and stored in the back of the RV in a locked compartment. It should never be in the glove box or console. The rule of thumb for transporting a firearm is that it should never be where you or anyone else can get to it easily and it must be unloaded.

Know the State you are in and their laws.

State and local gun transport laws vary from place to place and it is your responsibility as the gun owner to research the laws of the area you are visiting or passing through. A good case in point is Chicago. The City of Chicago, Illinois requires every firearm possessed in the city to be registered. Chicago does not register handguns that were not previously registered there. There are places that do not allow possession of any handgun. California has strict regulations that may require a California permit and registration for specific semi-automatic rifles, semi-automatic pistols, shotguns and any other firearm that is considered an “assault weapon” before you enter the state.

If you just use a little commonsense, transporting a firearm in your RV shouldn’t be a problem. Cooperate with local authorities, police, DPS Park Rangers (you shouldn’t bringing a firearm to state campgrounds) and Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

This is a very informative article.

Can anyone else offer a little more insight into this issue? Who has any additional recommendations to suggest to PPL Motorhome customers?

1 Comment

  1. Rick Danos

    CHL laws apply, You can carry your firearm on your person or the cab as long as it is not in plain sight of the public.

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