Road Trip Ready: Frontier Justice’s Tips for Traveling with a Firearm Across State Lines
Traveling with a firearm across state lines
Highway travel is a quintessential part of American culture. Whether you’re traveling for business, visiting family, or just taking a good old-fashioned road trip vacation, there are many reasons you might find yourself driving over state lines.
For many firearm owners, carrying your tool with you is also a part of daily life. But if you’re traveling with a firearm across state lines, there are lots of factors you need to consider so you stay within the law while traveling to your destination.
The firearms experts at Frontier Justice put together these helpful tips for traveling with a firearm across state lines. If you prefer to discuss these options in person, feel free to reach out to us or visit us in one of our three store locations in Lee’s Summit, Kansas City, or Omaha.
Know the laws
Our first tip for traveling with a firearm across state lines is to know the firearms laws of your destination state, as well as any other states you might travel through. According to the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action, a federal permit isn’t required to bring your firearm across state lines.
That doesn’t mean the state concealed carry laws are similar to your own, however. For instance, in our home states of Missouri and Kansas we have constitutional carry. That means Missouri and Kansas law doesn’t require a permit to carry a firearm for any person at least 19 years of age, or 18-years-old and a member of the United States Armed Forces.
But, Missouri’s constitutional carry only applies to citizens of Missouri. For citizens of other states, you must have a concealed carry license to legally carry your firearm on your person.
This also applies to how your firearm must be stored in your vehicle. Even if you just want to leave your firearm in your car, there are rules based around how “readily available” the firearm is, depending on what state you are in.
Reciprocity
Concealed carry reciprocity simply refers to the validity of your concealed carry permit or license beyond your issuing state (other states reciprocating the rights of yours). For example, if you have a Kansas concealed carry license and travel across state lines to Missouri, your license is still valid because Missouri has reciprocity with Kansas’ concealed carry laws.
View this map to check concealed carry reciprocity by state
When in other states that recognize your concealed carry license, you must follow the laws and limitations set forth by that state, not your own. You can learn more about concealed carry, including traveling with a firearm, by taking one of our concealed carry courses taught by your expert firearms instructors.
Invest in a lock box
Investing in a quality lock box is another important tip for traveling with a firearm across state lines. We carry a variety of great lock box options both in our stores and online. These range from affordable options that provide strong security, to higher-end storage solutions with built-in biometric locking for the ultimate protection.
If you plan to store your firearm in your car while traveling, we also carry lock boxes with cable locks so you can tether your case to your vehicle for an added layer of security.
Check with the experts at Frontier Justice before traveling with a firearm across state lines
If you’re still concerned about traveling with a firearm across state lines, need to get your concealed carry license before traveling, or want advice on the right lock box for your travels, our firearm experts are ready to help.
We are proud to serve our community through quality equipment and firearms education. Learn more about what makes Frontier Justice different by reaching out to us, signing up for our membership club, or scheduling a class. You can also always simply stop by to check out our store, boutique, and range for yourself!
