Is a trunk always a locked container?

[TheKommissar]

What if you drive a truck? Is a locked gun case under the back seat ok?

[taperxz]

What if you drive a truck? Is a locked gun case under the back seat ok?

It could be on your lap.

[mdimeo]

That's not so clear. Unless you have very long arms and can reach into the trunk, it's not accessible from inside the passenger compartment.

The law doesn't say anything about accessible from inside the compartment. It says locked. If you can open it without unlocking it, it's not locked.

[Cali-Shooter]

What if you drive a truck? Is a locked gun case under the back seat ok?

It could be on your lap.

To the Original Poster, do what I do, I keep a plastic pistol box locked with a padlock under the seat with the key nearby, and the contents are an unloaded handgun with several loaded mags next to it in the box.

[dantodd]

The problem with many of these discussions is that you cannot open your trunk anywhere if you are using it as your "locked container" for a handgun. Loading groceries in the trunk, opening the trunk to change a flat, ANY other time you open the trunk is a violation of the law. If your gun is in an unlocked rug in the trunk it is an illegally concealed weapon as soon as you open trunk. If you have your handgun in a rack or in some other clearly visible manner it is illegal open carry.

[A-J]

Does this mean that the trunk is a no-go for any car that has folding rear seats?

Which is pretty much every car made in the last 20+ years, and is yet another example of the stupidity of a LOT of the legal requirements surrounding guns here in CA.

The law doesn't say anything about accessible from inside the compartment. It says locked. If you can open it without unlocking it, it's not locked.

Again, proving that 90% or more of passenger cars nowadays probably wouldn't meet the letter of the law as written.

[Vetteodyssey]

How about a biometric/combo safe inside the trunk that is accessible via a fold down arm rest or folding rear seat. That way there is no visible weapon in the passenger compartment. If you need it reach back pull down the arm rest, swipe your finger/enter your code. Pop in your mag and rack it.

[eighteenninetytwo]

This is obviously a handgun oriented discussionbut I have to ask. What are the requirements for my long guns when driving. Do they have to be locked also? I usually have them in a soft case on the passenger seat.

[Ctwo]

This is obviously a handgun oriented discussionbut I have to ask. What are the requirements for my long guns when driving. Do they have to be locked also? I usually have them in a soft case on the passenger seat.

I think when driving within 1000 feet of a K-12 school, long guns must be locked in a case.

[Librarian]

This is obviously a handgun oriented discussionbut I have to ask. What are the requirements for my long guns when driving. Do they have to be locked also? I usually have them in a soft case on the passenger seat.

I think when driving within 1000 feet of a K-12 school, long guns must be locked in a case.

Yes, Federal law requires long guns to be locked; California law doesn't care. See the wiki -- http://wiki.calgunsfoundation.org/Gun_Free_School_Zones

[dantodd]

I think when driving within 1000 feet of a K-12 school, long guns must be locked in a case.

A locking rack also qualifies for the federal GFSZ act so locking your long guns into a window rack in your pickup or using a vertical rack like the PD (or roof mounted) is just as good as a locking case.

[chiselchst]

(I'll preface this by saying I always transport firearms in a locked container, period. I am NOT seeking to be a test case here).

It looks like a few things have been established from the many discussions on this matter. Correct me if I'm wrong...

A lockable vehicle "trunk" can serve as a *locked container*, if the following prerequisites are met:
* Access from the passenger compartment TO the trunk can be locked (requiring a key or combination to unlock).
* There is NOT a remote trunk opening button in the vehicle (accessible to anyone).
* The trunk could NOT be legally opened in an unauthorized location.

But have we concluded if a key FOB accessible trunk release disqualifies all of this? The key FOB is like a key IMHO - normally kept in the possession of the owner of the vehicle, just like a key. If a car did not have a remote trunk opener, the *key*, in the possession of the responsible party would satisfy that component, correct? But what about the key FOB?

My personal "guess" is that it would treated like a *key* to the trunk...

Thoughts?

[Decoligny]

(I'll preface this by saying I always transport firearms in a locked container, period. I am NOT seeking to be a test case here).

It looks like a few things have been established from the many discussions on this matter. Correct me if I'm wrong...

A lockable vehicle "trunk" can serve as a *locked container*, if the following prerequisites are met:
* Access from the passenger compartment TO the trunk can be locked (requiring a key or combination to unlock).
* There is NOT a remote trunk opening button in the vehicle (accessible to anyone).
* The trunk could NOT be legally opened in an unauthorized location.

But have we concluded if a key FOB accessible trunk release disqualifies all of this? The key FOB is like a key IMHO - normally kept in the possession of the owner of the vehicle, just like a key. If a car did not have a remote trunk opener, the *key*, in the possession of the responsible party would satisfy that component, correct? But what about the key FOB?

My personal "guess" is that it would treated like a *key* to the trunk...

Thoughts?

My car doors do not even have a key. They unlock with the fob. When I leave my car I lock it. My trunk doesn't have a key. When I close it, it is locked. I unlock it with the fob. It is an electronic key.

[dantodd]

My car doors do not even have a key. They unlock with the fob. When I leave my car I lock it. My trunk doesn't have a key. When I close it, it is locked. I unlock it with the fob. It is an electronic key.

This is my understanding as well. Remember, while all of this has been hashed out a number of times it is based on many years of experience handling guns and dealing with police, reading court cases etc. however; it is just a series of "guesses" because there is no case law on exactly how locked a trunk has to be.

[Munk]

relevant part of the PC you yourself cited.

(c) As used in this section, “locked container” means a secure container which is fully enclosed and locked by a padlock, key lock, combination lock, or similar locking device.

Secure container, fully enclosed, and locked.

If your house has a front door and a back door, but you only lock the front, then your house is not entirely locked. If the front door is locked, and the backdoor is swinging open, then it's not enclosed either.

For a trunk to qualify with all the requirements: it must be secure. generally this means stronger than a paper bag, which is why pretty much all gun-cases and bags can qualify as a "secure" container; it must be FULLY enclosed, so the backseats cannot be in a folded down position, or have the hatch open or some other opening; and locked, so the closed hatches must all be locked in place (my car has a toggle on the back of the seats to keep them from being foldable), some cars have a key-lock above or behind the seats that keeps them from folding, and the trunk lid itself must be closed and locked.

Your key counts as an obvious key. Keyfobs are generally accepted as electronic keys. The button or lever up front in your car can usually be disabled by a key-lock or a switch or toggle ( mine has a switch in the trunk that disables the keyfob AND the button). The status of the button is seriously grey. I'm of the opinion that access to the button is determined by whoever has key-access to the car, which makes it as good as a key to a locking device. Arguing about breaking windows to access the button is about as solid as arguing that a plastic gun-case can be broken which makes it insecure (hint: the case is still a secure container for purposes of locked storage).

The ultimate answer to the OP's question is that, no, it's not always a locked container, it depends heavily on the configuration of your car, and whether or not it can be fully enclosed and locked, and IF you have it currently in a configuration that meets the criteria.

If you wish to have a quick-access setup that still meets locking requirements, then gut a cheap thumbprint or quickaccess handgun box, mount the hinge behind your little access hole with the access buttons or scanner easily available. It might require you to install an extra bit of plate around the door for strength, stability, and for a place for the lock to engage, but it's doable relatively cheaply and can still be hidden behind the armrest or whatever.