How To Move Across The Country With Guns

Aaron Spuler is a firearms enthusiast and recreational shooter. Follow more or his work at The Weapon Blog

Buying a gun to ensure your personal safety is easy enough in many states. What if you’re relocating or going on an extended vacation? It’s hard to give up your gun if you’ve been a long-time carrier.

While you might be tempted to take your gun with you, remember that carry licenses are state-specific. Even though some states have reciprocity processes in place to grant temporary licenses to already registered owners, this still doesn’t mean moving with your gun across the country is easy.

It can be done, but must be handled with care, and doing your due diligence is imperative to avoid serious trouble ranging from huge fines to jail time to altercations with law enforcement.

Transporting Guns With Your Personal Vehicle

Are you relocating to a new state or planning a vacation? Taking your guns with you in your personal vehicle might not be that difficult if you meet certain requirements.

The requirements for legally transporting firearms in personal vehicles across state lines are simple.

You must lawfully possess the guns in your state of residence and be allowed to carry in the destination state.

During transport, even though you’re allowed to carry firearms, the guns must be stored safely in your vehicle and out of reach.

This last part is vital to keep in mind as the center console, glove compartment, or back seat are considered within reach.

Keeping your gun and ammo separate and in locked boxes is a good idea, and should reduce your chances of getting fined.

Remember that the laws governing the transportation of guns across state lines using personal vehicles mainly consider the state of origin and the destination. Therefore, while you are allowed to travel through various states, according to 18 USC 926A, you might not be allowed to stop if they have different carry laws.

Before going on your trip, you should look up the concealed carry laws in each state you will drive through to figure out the best way to store your guns to avoid fines or an arrest. You might also want to research cross-country moving rates to determine if personal vehicle transport is worth the trouble.

You must have your unexpired carry license with you for every type of gun you might be transporting. If you’re relocating and will be applying for a permit in the destination state, an expired license might not help you get a new one faster in your destination state, even if the two states practice reciprocity.

How to Exit the Country With Hunting Rifles

You can actually drive all across the country and straight into Canada while taking your hunting rifle with you. Guns intended for sporting and hunting purposes are subject to different regulations than those permitted for self-defense.

You should still have a valid license to carry and use your long gun. When you reach the border, you’ll also have to sign a Non-Resident Firearm Declaration Form in the presence of a customs officer.

However, you can’t take handguns and ammunition across the country if you’re planning to cross the border into Canada.

Using Professional Movers

There are plenty of restrictions when it comes to carrying guns across state lines. For example, if you’re under indictment, have been dishonorably discharged from the armed services, aren’t a citizen, or you’ve been charged with various misdemeanor crimes, you might not be able to transport your guns.

That’s even if your state laws still allow you to obtain a carry license.

In these situations, shipping your guns with professional movers could be the only option to keep your guns.

Another reason to use shippers is air travel restrictions. You’re not allowed to take guns with you on a plane. And if you must board a plane to go wherever you need to go, shipping your guns separately is the only option.

Restrictions for Movers

A licensed moving company should typically be allowed to transport personal firearms for their clients, as long as they adhere to federal regulations.

That said, you won’t be able to ship your ammo with your guns. Firearms must always be transported unloaded, properly secured, and inaccessible.

While you might be able to get across state lines with a box of ammo stored separately in the trunk, moving companies can’t.

The majority of shippers aren’t allowed to transport anything considered combustible, like ammunition, certain chemicals, propane tanks, etc. This is due to concerns regarding exposure to high temperatures and other dangerous environmental or transport conditions.

How to Approach Movers

Just because many movers are allowed to transport licensed personal firearms doesn’t mean they’ll agree to do it. This is why being upfront with your request is very important.

Packing your firearms and hiding them in furniture or among belongings can land the shipping company in trouble. Undeclared firearms in your cargo can also get you in trouble, especially when moving across multiple state lines.

Normally, movers will help you with the proper packing protocols. They can even inform you of specific state laws, especially if the company has a history of honoring these requests.

You may have to pay a higher fee, but at least you know you can’t mess up the transport process if you’re using movers. It can be a small price to pay to avoid fines or having your carry license lifted or denied in the destination state.

Be prepared to give the movers copies of your license, purchase records, and anything else they ask for in order to deal with any issues during a random cargo check.

Plan Your Trip Carefully

Shipping an antique gun collection is pretty much as easy as transporting furniture across state lines. But if you plan on going on a long trip or relocating and bringing regulated firearms with you, more planning is necessary. Learning the different carry laws governing each state you’ll pass through is essential to ensure compliance.

Working with a moving company could help you speed up the planning stage and avoid some of the common mistakes people make when crossing state lines with guns.

If you want to stay updated on more firearm-related politics, legislation, and personal security ideas, feel free to stay tuned here.