Questions about carrying in Nevada and California

[Mountaingoat61]

I live in North Idaho and have a Utah non-resident ccw. I know I'm ok going thru Montana and Utah but will be going to Vegas then on to LA (I'm gonna Disneyland!!). Here's what I understand the laws to be so if anyone knows for a fact to the contrary, please inform. NV: conceal is ok in the car but not on person. Visible in the car is also ok although I personally wouldn't. CA: Unload the gun, melt it down (just kidding, kinda) lock it in a box, keep separate from the ammo. (Ironic that LA would be the place I'm most concerned about actually needing it and can't have access to it.) Anything else? Thanks in advance. :-)

[NDS]

Details aren't totally correct, but you won't have any problems following what you posted.

FYI -- you don't have to store the ammo and gun separately. You can put the unloaded handgun and magazines or loose ammo in a case and lock it. You can put the key in your pocket or have it hanging from your keyring.
CHP site:
CHP-Frequently Asked Questions of the Highway Patrol

I will be traveling to California and want to carry my weapon. I currently have a concealed weapon permit. How can I legally transport my weapon while driving through the state?
California law does not recognize concealed weapon permits from other states; therefore, they would not be held valid. If you wish to transport a handgun during your California visit, it should be carried unloaded in a locked container. In the absence of a suitable container, you may secure the unloaded handgun in the locked trunk of a passenger car. Ammunition may be kept in the same container or trunk, but the handgun must remain unloaded with no rounds in the cylinder and no loaded magazines in the magazine well.

If you have additional questions, contact the California Department of Justice at 916-227-3703.

[Midnight]

Ummmmm, I would really recommend that you find somewhere to stash your gun in Nevada before you go to California. The federal transportation law only applies if you're "passing through." It even states that it only applies if you're driving through and only stop to eat, gas up, and sleep. Going to Disneyland doesn't fall under this.

Plus there are many handguns that are outright banned in California, and magazines over 10 rounds are also illegal. California is an absolute nightmare for a gun owner and Paradise City for the Brady Campaign.

Nevada isn't as backwards in its firearms laws, though.

[NDS]

Why do you post unhelpful FUD? The OP wanted to deal with a worrysome situation in a legal manner. Your post serves no purpose except to demonstrate your smug sense of superiority. Do you have anything helpful to post that's on-topic?

Ummmmm, I would really recommend that you find somewhere to stash your gun in Nevada before you go to California. The federal transportation law only applies if you're "passing through." It even states that it only applies if you're driving through and only stop to eat, gas up, and sleep. Going to Disneyland doesn't fall under this.

Did you even bother to read the quote from the California Highway Patrol?

Plus there are many handguns that are outright banned in California, and magazines over 10 rounds are also illegal. California is an absolute nightmare for a gun owner and Paradise City for the Brady Campaign.

No handguns are 'outright banned' -- there are features that are banned, such as handguns with threaded barrels and some other problems. Importing magazines of greater than 10 round capacity is a crime but the OP didn't ask about that. There are also more gun owners in California than the entire population of most other individual states.

Nevada isn't as backwards in its firearms laws, though.

No it isn't, but we've got problems to deal with here too.

[Stiofan]

Ummmmm, I would really recommend that you find somewhere to stash your gun in Nevada before you go to California. The federal transportation law only applies if you're "passing through." It even states that it only applies if you're driving through and only stop to eat, gas up, and sleep. Going to Disneyland doesn't fall under this.

Plus there are many handguns that are outright banned in California, and magazines over 10 rounds are also illegal. California is an absolute nightmare for a gun owner and Paradise City for the Brady Campaign.

Nevada isn't as backwards in its firearms laws, though.

I lived for over 4 decades in California and transported guns all the time there. It's legal and no one will hassle the OP if he stores it as he says, NDS is totally correct.

To the OP, I spent most of my time in Los Angeles and neighboring communities, I never needed a firearm in all that time. While anything can happen anywhere, I would not worry about not carrying, just enjoy your visit and return safe to Idaho.

[spud83672]

I am from Midwestern Idaho on the Oregon border. This site has helped me in my travels for a long time.

OpenCarry.org - A Right Unexercised is a Right Lost!

Hopefully it will help you answer some of your questions. If all else fails, and I can't find exactly what I'm looking for, I'll call the local police/sheriff's office in that area to ask the question.

[danfordman]

Go to:
http:/www.lvmpd.com/permits/firearms_concealed.html
The answer to your question is YES in Las Vgeas, NV
NO in CA
hope this helps

[Alaska444]

I live in California and have been taught for years that the ammo must be stored in a separate container from the gun. I saw the link above stating it can be in the same locked container but not loaded in the gun itself. That is interesting news to me, but I will still carry the gun and the ammo separate. Old habits die hard.

As far as the magazine capacity issue, don't bring anything into the state with more than a 10 round capacity. I have been informed that is a felony in CA.

Large Capacity Magazines

With limited exceptions, California law prohibits any person from manufacturing, importing into the state,
keeping for sale, offering or exposing for sale, giving, or lending any large capacity magazine. Cal. Penal
Code § 12020(a)(2), (b). A "large capacity magazine" is defined as any ammunition feeding device with the
capacity to accept more than ten rounds, but does not include any .22 caliber tube ammunition feeding
device, any feeding device that has been permanently altered so that it cannot accommodate more than ten
rounds, or any tubular magazine that is contained in a lever-action firearm. Section 12020(c)(25). California
does not ban the possession of large capacity magazines.

Handgunlaw.us

Other than those two issues, you are allowed to transport legal weapons in CA. Here is link to the firearms laws of CA and you can look at the specific section on transport of weapons in CA.

http://caag.state.ca.us/firearms/forms/pdf/cfl.pdf

If you can get to a class for CCW in Nevada, the application process is actually quite simple and quick once you have the qualifying class that must be attending in the county you are applying. I am only about 3.5 hours from Vegas so I got my Nevada CCW a couple of months ago. You need to be very aware that local towns and cities in Nevada have specific laws such as Mesquite that denies CCW without specific permission from the city even if you already have a Nevada CCW. Boulder City Nevada also has very different regulations that you would need to be aware of as well but in general OC in Nevada in the car is not an issue. As with all issues, check the state for any updates of the laws that do change more frequently than is always easy to keep up with.

[DarrellM5]

As far as the magazine capacity issue, don't bring anything into the state with more than a 10 round capacity. I have been informed that is a felony in CA.

Actually, unless there is more to it than what you quoted under the above statement, it looks like it would be okay to have a magazine with a 10+ capacity. You just can't import it, sell it, lend it, etc.... Carrying it with no intention of parting with it doesn't appear to be a crime.

I may be wrong on this. I also believed, before reading this post, that the firearm and ammo had to be stored separately.

[NDS]

Actually, unless there is more to it than what you quoted under the above statement, it looks like it would be okay to have a magazine with a 10+ capacity. You just can't import it, sell it, lend it, etc.... Carrying it with no intention of parting with it doesn't appear to be a crime.

I may be wrong on this. I also believed, before reading this post, that the firearm and ammo had to be stored separately.

Alaska444 is justifiably cautious. And, just as many cops don't know the law regarding transport and continue the lie that ammo must be separate from the firearm (I guess LEO don't communicate with each other and the CHP website is unread by other agencies) there are problems with magazines too.

The word 'import' is interpreted by some cops as 'stay in California' and they will tell you this if you ask. Unfortunately, others see bringing any magazine over 10 rounds capacity to CA, even for a second or two, as importing. People have been arrested for passing through California with hi capacity magazines -- it seems that the Federal protection for transporting firearms doesn't specifically mention high capacity magazines. There's also the problem with stopping over night, where the Federal protedction may not apply. The most recent case I've read of was in the Sacramento area where a resident of another state had a high capacity magazine in his hotel room. This one was within the last couple of months and I don't know the status of this case.

No case on this has made it to a court decision -- it would appear the practice of piling on charges and bargaining them away to get a guilty plea works well for CA district attorneys. Another dishonest practice most 'lawnorder' types applaud.

I don't want to be a test case -- I always leave magazines of greater than 10 round capacity behind when going to California.

You are all free to make your own choices.