Alternate title: What to do if you get pulled over while carrying a gun (legally).
That right. I was pulled over for speeding and my CCW got me out of it. Here’s how it went.
Sunday night I decide there is nothing in the refrigerator worth eating and I should run to the store so I don’t have to do it during the week. It’s around 10:00 pm, its dark but the store is not that far and in a really safe area. I was on the fence about taking my gun, but I had a new Raven holster I wanted to try out, so I strapped it on and ran out the door.
There is a long very straight road that connects my house from to the store, I turn onto it and zip right up to 60, after all there is no one around and I am destination focused. Glancing behind me I see the signal change and a pair of headlights zoom toward me and ride my bumper. Now sometimes it’s ass hole kids but I flip over my mirror and see the cop’s light bars. At this point I am second guessing my speed. I waffle a bit before turning into the stores parking lot. The cop is still riding my bumper.
As soon as I pull into the parking lot, he turns on his lights. At this point I am thinking OK, this sucks. I have never had an encounter with a cop while packing. So I roll down my window and keep my hands on the wheel.
A young Clark County Sheriff with black hair and a tight cut, approaches me as asks for my licence. I say, “before we go any further I need to tell you I am a CCW guy and I have my gun.” He says ok. In retrospect he did not sound surprised.
He asks where is the gun. I say on my right side. He asks if I have a permit I say yes with with my drivers licence. He asks where thats at and I respond also under my right side.
He must have made a judgment that I was not a bad guy by that point. So he says, ‘I am going to have you reach for your wallet but I want you to hold it out so I can see what is in your had before bringing it back toward your body and me.’ Now I am paraphrasing because I had so much adrenaline going at the time I cannot remember exactly what he said. Anyway, I repeated the directions back to him, as I understood them, before moving my hands. He nodded and I did as he told me, slowly.
Once I had my wallet out, I had my licence and carry permit out in a snap. He looked over the permit and gave it back. He held onto my licence. He says that I was doing 60 in a 40 zone. He also comments about how I probably noticed him run up behind me. I stupidly say, “ya sometimes kids do that too.” Before he headed back to his car he asked what gun I was carrying. I said “Springfield XD.” Then I glance at his belt and immediately recognize the gun he has! I say, “thats what you have too.” He nods and heads back to his car. That relaxed me a bit.
I chill. A short while later he comes back and says, “obviously I am going to give you a warning, I also want to tell you, you handled the gun thing really well.” I thanked him and said that I was nervous about that happening for the first time. He also said that in cases like mine where the driver is not moving around the car, its a tip off that something like CCW is up.
With that he said good night and I re-parked and headed into the store. Later I called my wife to tell her how strangely carrying my gun just got me out of a ticket.
In talking to people after the fact it was suggested that the officer may have been looking for drunks and when it turned out that I was not, it helped my case. It was also suggested that he knew I had a permit when he ran my plates. I am going to ask the SAR coordinating officers about that on Wednesday, to settle my curiosity.
Basically I walked away with the following lessions:
- As a CCW you can have positive encounters with officers.
- When the officer stops you keep your hands on the wheel or make no threatining moves.
- Tell the officer you are carrying as soon as possible (I think this increased the trust level between us, further helping my case).
- Do exactly as they say. Repeat the instructions back so there is no communication problems.
- Move slow.
- Be polite and honest.
- Have your papers together.
I am left with a few questions though. What if I did not have my gun, should I still tell him that I have a permit but am not packing (See Update)? Also, what if I am in a friends car and they get pulled over, should we tell the officer then?
In summary I was happy to not get a ticket but happier to hear from the officer that I handled the situation correctly. Caleb (of Top Shot fame) says at the end of every Gun Nuts Media Podcast, “Carry Your Guns People.” This experience is likely to increase my carry time percentage.
Update: TriggerPullTactical.com weighed in. Take a look over at his blog. He also answered my “not armed” question. He says, “NO DO NOT BRING IT UP IF YOU”RE NOT CARRYING. The cop will think you’re stupid. haaa.” Well that answers that!
If it is dark and I get pulled over I also turn on the dome light and put my hands where they can be seen.
Thats a good idea. This guy had one of those 5.11 flashlights, which was pumping out an impressive amount of light.
One modification to your routine: Don’t say GUN. Say something like, “I have a PERMIT to CARRY.” Many, many officers will freak a little when they hear the word GUN. If you say permit to carry they’ll know WHAT is being carried.
I always have my license and my permit where I can get them without digging, just like the vehicle registration and insurance.
I have the DL and permit in my left hand and when the officers asks for documents I hand the dl and permit to him first while saying the above.
Works every time. I’ve been stopped quite a few times over the decade of having a permit and have never been cited.
It’s natural to be nervous. Heck, I’m still nervous when being stopped and I have four years as a peace officer on my resume. You can bet the officer is nervous. Almost all officers get a lot less nervous when they realize that the person they pulled over is a good guy, and the CCW tells them that.
Thanks for the comment. I will keep the vocabulary in mind.
Every state is different. In Virginia, there is no requirement to tell the officer that we’re armed, but our DL is flagged as a permit holder. So, if the car is registered to you, they know that the registered owner has a CHP when they pull you over. Even if you’re driving someone else’s car, as soon as they run your DL they know.
I usually tell them up front even though it’s not required here. I just consider it common courtesy.
The one time I didn’t was after a minor crash. In the excitement of the crash, It hadn’t occurred to me to tell him ahead of time and I was standing right next to him when he called in my DL and they responded with “Valid license, no wants or warrants, subject holds a concealed handgun permit.” To his credit, the cop never even blinked and never asked me about it or mentioned it to me; just finished his report, wished me a good day and went about his business.
The only time I may have gotten out of a ticket was only partially related to the CHP.
I was on my motorcycle, was riding hard on the interstate trying to outrun a storm and got pulled over.
I told the cop right up front that I had a CHP and was carrying, he thanked me, asked me what the hurry was, told me to slow down in the future, and then spent the next 10 minutes or so cordially talking about guns and motorcycles with me before sending me on my way without even so much as a written warning.
And I still beat the storm so I guess I hadn’t needed to ride so fast anyway.
In AZ a CCW permit holder is required to carry – the permit – at all times. If you’re pulled over, you’re legally required to advise the officer that you have a permit, regardless of whether you have a gun with you or not.
The first time I got pulled over after getting my ccp, I didn’t say anything because i was not carrying. After the officer ran everything and gave me a ticket he said he saw that i have ccp and then ask if I had a gun on me. I now tell any office that pulls me over that i have a permit and if I have a gun on me or not. They always tell me thank you for letting them know
In Ohio you are required by law to inform police officers that you have a Concealed Carry License even if you do not have your weapon.
It used to be that way here in Florida as well, but unfortunately that’s not the case any more. I’ve been pulled over twice in the last 3 months for a tag light being out (diff vehicles). Both times I politely told the officer I was licensed & carrying. Both times after following his orders to allow him to take possession of the weapon, I ended up standing on the side of road in front of the squad car, waiting for him to figure out how to unload it & then run its numbers. That said, unless asked, I’m not bringing up the subject any longer. I understand there has been a rash of shootings during traffic stops here but not by licensed individuals. So much for common sense.