ccw traffic stop

[tyrist]

Just notify the Officer you have a valid permit from whatever county and that you are armed. Keep your hands in plain view and do exactly what you are told and exhibit no behavior outside of the instructions. You will be disarmed and probably cuffed until everything is sorted out. It is very unlikely you will end up with a ticket unless you start mouthing off.

Some of the members here need to remember that LE off duty run into the exact same problems and more than a few of us have been hand cuffed in the back of patrol cars while awaiting confirmation.

[Ron-Solo]

I was hoping to just get a reply from a street cop that would tell me if handing my CCW with CDL good way to inform the officer. I think I should be clear that the stop could be for not doing anything wrong maybe just driving up to a DWI check point or a minor infraction. My second question was for if I was on my motorcycle. I was trying to get a feel for the tank bag with gun and ID together. I know how important it is never do anything that would make having a ccw permit look bad.

There was absolutely NOTHING WRONG with your original post.

Ron

[BigDogatPlay]

+1... it made perfect sense to me.

If your CDL and registration are in the tank bag, I would absolutely appreciate you letting me know that there is a firearm present in the same place as your CDL etc. before you go reaching in there for them and telling me that you have a CCW permit as well.

A lot of factors would play into how I handle the presence of the weapon, and the potential approaches are too numerous to cover here.

I was stopped a time or two over the years. I most often tossed my gun into the center console where my wallet and ID wallet were also stored as I hate sitting on a wallet. It ruins backs, ask me how I know. If I got stopped and I didn't already have my wallet and ID ready, I would say very clearly that I was an off duty LEO, where my gun was and that to get my badge and ID I would have to reach in to where the gun was to get them. Never had a problem. I've also been on the on duty side of that situation many times and every off duty guy I dealt with handled it about the same way.

While "non-disclosure" is certainly well within one's rights, permit or not if that tank bag comes open, I see the firearm and I wasn't made aware of it I can virtually guarantee that you would get to see what the wrong end of my gun looks like. Sounds harsh, I am sure, but the first rule is I go home at EOW.

[IOUNRA]

thanks for the reply Bigdog I'm glad to see it from your side. To all the LEOs out there thanks I would hate to see how it would be with you.

[DriftinG Z32]

+1... it made perfect sense to me.

If your CDL and registration are in the tank bag, I would absolutely appreciate you letting me know that there is a firearm present in the same place as your CDL etc. before you go reaching in there for them and telling me that you have a CCW permit as well.

A lot of factors would play into how I handle the presence of the weapon, and the potential approaches are too numerous to cover here.

I was stopped a time or two over the years. I most often tossed my gun into the center console where my wallet and ID wallet were also stored as I hate sitting on a wallet. It ruins backs, ask me how I know. If I got stopped and I didn't already have my wallet and ID ready, I would say very clearly that I was an off duty LEO, where my gun was and that to get my badge and ID I would have to reach in to where the gun was to get them. Never had a problem. I've also been on the on duty side of that situation many times and every off duty guy I dealt with handled it about the same way.

While "non-disclosure" is certainly well within one's rights, permit or not if that tank bag comes open, I see the firearm and I wasn't made aware of it I can virtually guarantee that you would get to see what the wrong end of my gun looks like. Sounds harsh, I am sure, but the first rule is I go home at EOW.

Best and most honest reply to this particular thread...

[Sailormilan2]

Just notify the Officer you have a valid permit from whatever county and that you are armed. Keep your hands in plain view and do exactly what you are told and exhibit no behavior outside of the instructions. You will be disarmed and probably cuffed until everything is sorted out. It is very unlikely you will end up with a ticket unless you start mouthing off.

Some of the members here need to remember that LE off duty run into the exact same problems and more than a few of us have been hand cuffed in the back of patrol cars while awaiting confirmation.

Which is exactly why many of us do not want to mention that we are carrying. If one is stopped for a simple traffic violation, there is really no need to inform the officer. 5 min, maybe 10 and you are on your way. You won't have to get out of your car, in fact, most officers will tell you not to get out of your car for both your safety and their safety.
If you are law abiding there is no threat to the officer.
However, if the officer asks you to step out of the car for what ever reason, now it has escalated beyond a simple traffic stop. At that point, I would inform the officer that I had a CCW permit, and was armed.
The officer can then take whatever steps are necessary.
Otherwise, if you tell the officer that you are armed wtih a CCW permit, there is a good chance you will be handcuffed, as a previous poster mentioned. Placed in the back seat of his patrol car for "his protection", and your car will probably get searched. So, you have turned a simple 5 - 10 minute traffic ticket into a 20 - 30, maybe 45 minute tragedy. With possibly the offcier's supervisor showing up and taking more time. You are now late for that important meeting you were on the way to, that caused you to speed a bit or blow a traffic light.
I have heard stories of officers asking the person why they have the CCW permit. That goes beyond their responsibility. That is the perview of the issuing agency, not the offcer.
If you have a CCW permit, you are most likely a law abiding citizen anyway, and the officer has nothing to fear from you. The bad guys are going to be carrying and they won't volunteer that information.
What it comes down to is a matter of control. The officer wants to be in total control of the situation, because that is what he is used to doing for his safety.
But as that old saying goes, "What he doesn't know, won't hurt him or you." If it is a normal traffic stop, and the officer doesn't know that you are armed (legal or otherwise), his stress level will be no higher than normal. But, once you tell him you are armed(legal or otherwise), his stress level will go up and anything is possible from that point. A lot will depend on how aggressive the officer tends to be.

Before some of you start busting my chops, I am a retired LEO myself. I have worked the streets, the jail, and the courts.

[BigDogatPlay]

You are quite correct that I always believed that I never had anything to fear from a law abiding citizen. I would point out....

** If you are getting stopped, you've broken some law or another.
** There is a process to determing just who is and is not "law abiding".

The OPs original question involved a motorcycle, and having his weapon and his id/permit in the tank bag together. That is a very narrow set of circumstances. I would maintain that in my own street experience, I would much prefer to know that firearm is in there, along with his permit, before he goes opening the bag and I see it.

If, in that situation, the OP is being cool I would have no reason to hook him up and car place him for my safety. I might well seperate him from the weapon.... ie, ask him to get off the bike and come back to my car with me, leaving the weapon in the bag, but if his permit is in good order he's going to go on his way with at most a ticket for what I stopped him for in the first place and nothing more. I stopped more than a couple folks over the years with CCW, both off duty LEO and non, and those contacts all went pretty much as above.

If the gun pops up out of the bag while he is reaching in it for his ID, without having told me about it first, it's a whole different game and set of rules. I think we could agree on that, no?

In a car would be a completely different deal. If it's not where the officer can see it during the course of the stop, then there is no real reason to disclose.

My bottom line, if on a stop and there is any chance the officer will see the weapon at some point, it's far better to say something. Not saying anything and having it just pop up guarantees that 30-60 minute treatment you mentioned.

At least that's how I feel about it.

[Ron-Solo]

You are quite correct that I always believed that I never had anything to fear from a law abiding citizen. I would point out....

** If you are getting stopped, you've broken some law or another.
** There is a process to determing just who is and is not "law abiding".

The OPs original question involved a motorcycle, and having his weapon and his id/permit in the tank bag together. That is a very narrow set of circumstances. I would maintain that in my own street experience, I would much prefer to know that firearm is in there, along with his permit, before he goes opening the bag and I see it.

If, in that situation, the OP is being cool I would have no reason to hook him up and car place him for my safety. I might well seperate him from the weapon.... ie, ask him to get off the bike and come back to my car with me, leaving the weapon in the bag, but if his permit is in good order he's going to go on his way with at most a ticket for what I stopped him for in the first place and nothing more. I stopped more than a couple folks over the years with CCW, both off duty LEO and non, and those contacts all went pretty much as above.

If the gun pops up out of the bag while he is reaching in it for his ID, without having told me about it first, it's a whole different game and set of rules. I think we could agree on that, no?

In a car would be a completely different deal. If it's not where the officer can see it during the course of the stop, then there is no real reason to disclose.

My bottom line, if on a stop and there is any chance the officer will see the weapon at some point, it's far better to say something. Not saying anything and having it just pop up guarantees that 30-60 minute treatment you mentioned.

At least that's how I feel about it.

As a 31 year veteran of law enforcement, I concur with Big Dogs assessment.

[BigDogatPlay]

As a 19 plus year veteran, I thank you sir.

[Sailormilan2]

I also ride and use a tank bag to carry my 9mm. I do not carry my ID, driver's license, wallet or anything else that might be needed in a traffic stop in the bag. That way, there is no reason for me to have to open the bag during a traffic stop and have the officer see the weapon. All my personal ID is on my person, where it can get at it easliy. The bike's registration and insurance papers are also not carried in the bag.

Anybody that carries their weapon or stores their weapon in the same place as their ID, registration, insurance, etc. is just asking for trouble. Whether it be in a car, truck, SUV, or motorcycle.

[Ron-Solo]

I also ride and use a tank bag to carry my 9mm. I do not carry my ID, driver's license, wallet or anything else that might be needed in a traffic stop in the bag. That way, there is no reason for me to have to open the bag during a traffic stop and have the officer see the weapon. All my personal ID is on my person, where it can get at it easliy. The bike's registration and insurance papers are also not carried in the bag.

Anybody that carries their weapon or stores their weapon in the same place as their ID, registration, insurance, etc. is just asking for trouble. Whether it be in a car, truck, SUV, or motorcycle.

No argument there.....

[demnogis]

It happens every day Jak. People who are lawfully carrying firearms are detained, searched and disarmed for "officer safety". From there it comes to the officers' decision to make it a long-drawn out detainment or just give you your ticket and send you on your way.

I believe one of the reasons Pullnshoot would not disclose (and neither would I unless asked directly [assuming I had a CCWP]) is because it's not the officer's business until they ask directly. If you're concealed carrying with a permit, it's not visible (at all) and you're one of the privileged few whom which the state has found honorable and trustworthy enough to carry a loaded gun in public. How will the officer know unless you tell them?

Also, it's best to keep from being in situations that would warrant being pulled over or stopped to begin with. But, life happens.

... As far as rights go, I didn't know LEOs had the right to detain, hassle, cuff, etc. people who are following the law. I have no problem doing what I can to make an LEO feel more comfortable in a situation. That should not include being degraded or my life put in danger for no reason (Sorry, I don't trust anyone pointing a loaded gun at me, regardless of their job or training).
...

[bigcasino]

I know from experence I do not tell a LEO first thing that I am armed!! I do not have a CA CCW and do not carry here but when I lived in the Midwest I did. I was stoped 2 times while I was carrying. The first time I was driving with 2 friend both that had CCWs and were carrying so 3 guys and 3 guns in the car. I had not done anything wrong, was not speeding no traffic vilations at all. when the officer came up to my car he said that there was a report of a white car pulling a gun on a lady less than 1 mile away and 30 mins ago. If I would have told him that we were carrying we would still be trying to make bail!! It turns out it was a shotgun.

The 2nd time my car broke down when I was with a GF and her friend and we were walking to a walmart at 2am on a cold night with no jacket when a LEO stoped us to ask where we were going and what not. He felt sorry for us and gave us a ride so before I got in the car I told him I have a CCW and am carrying he ask for my gun and not the CCW then returned my gun after we got to walmart. you should see the look on the faces as a cop hands me a gun before I go into walmart.

just goes to show you you have to be careful who and when you tell that you are carring

[Navyguy0023]

Quick question along the same lines for California LEO's:

During a traffic stop if you run someone's ID and they have a CCW does it show up?

Reason I ask is when I was stationed in Washington State, I had a CCW and carried. But I have been stopped going to and from work (can't carry on base) and I didn't disclose because I wasn't carrying. Only to have a nervous officer return and ask "Sir, you have a concealed weapons permit, do you have any weapons on you?" Only happened once, just curious how it is here in California.

One that note, I have had a permit and carried concealed for almost 10 years. I absolutely will inform the officer if it is anything other than "Hey how ya doing." A big factor was I carried a full sized 1911 that could print if anyone knew what they were looking for.

Oh and to all you LEO's here in california, thank you!

[Fire in the Hole]

Quick question along the same lines for California LEO's:

During a traffic stop if you run someone's ID and they have a CCW does it show up?

Reason I ask is when I was stationed in Washington State, I had a CCW and carried. But I have been stopped going to and from work (can't carry on base) and I didn't disclose because I wasn't carrying. Only to have a nervous officer return and ask "Sir, you have a concealed weapons permit, do you have any weapons on you?" Only happened once, just curious how it is here in California.

One that note, I have had a permit and carried concealed for almost 10 years. I absolutely will inform the officer if it is anything other than "Hey how ya doing." A big factor was I carried a full sized 1911 that could print if anyone knew what they were looking for.

Oh and to all you LEO's here in california, thank you!

No.