California. How do you transport .

Was wondering. Where do you guys place the locked gun container when going to the gun range here in California since taco doesn’t have a trunk .
Edit
Just bought my first handgun. Still waiting for the 10 day waiting period to clear.

 

Yeah, this makes me miss Vermont. CA is utter dogshit when it comes to being a law abiding gun owner. Truly a patchwork of extreme retardation in the laws here. Utterly embarrassing.

Lock the case and put it in the back, or under a seat. If you put it in the back and don't have a topper, keep a close eye on the bed at stop lights. Separate the ammo and keep all mags unloaded. Don't forget to have zero fun too. lol CA makes you pay a lot extra to enjoy yourself with a firearm.

 

The key is always going to be “accessibility within arm’s reach”. Unloaded gun in a locked case and a separate locked case for your ammo. It’s annoying for sure but that allows you to articulate that you’re transporting responsibly and the firearm and/or ammo isn’t readily accessible to you or a passenger in the vehicle.
Secondly, I’d advise to drive like a senior citizen when you are transporting and do everything you can to avoid being pulled over in the first place. That way you never put yourself in a position to have to answer questions about what’s in your car.

I’m not a lawyer so this is just a suggestion and not legal advice.

 

Thanks a lot.

 

Just take apart the action on your firearm...there for it is not a firearm when disassembled...

 

I put my carrying cases in the bed which has a diamondback cover on it and make sure it's all locked up. If I do need to put a case with a handgun in the cab, I put a lock on the lockable zipper of the case itself and put it in the back seat and just double check that there's no ammo in the weapon. For my CCW handgun I have a separate bag or holster that I will wear on my person or keep in a concealed spot under / near the front seat.

 

When I didn't have a topper, I would keep the guns in the cab and the ammo in the bed. Sucks if ammo gets stolen, but that's easily replaceable and not a legal liability to you.

Guns would be in a locked case, by themselves. Magazines would be in their own case/bag or with the ammo, and also unloaded. Never had any problems, even being stopped a couple times with friends. Now I have a GFC so I just throw it all in the back and lock that up.

 

You’d think this would be overkill but even a lower for an AR by itself “is a firearm” because it has the serial number. Again, extreme retardation that shouldn’t be in existence. Because you know, criminals still do their thing and lunatics still shoot up schools. Let’s smother and annoy the good guys in law after law after garbage law anyways.

 

I’ve driven across country and back a few times with all my wares, going through very unfriendly gun states. I called ahead to each highway patrol outpost and explained my intent to disassemble for transport. NY was the worst. It’s just so excessive what we must do to have peace of mind we won’t wind up on the wrong side of the law for some BS technicality.

 

I no longer visit or travel through states with onerous laws. No need at this stage of life.

 

Wait...what???? Are you obligated to talk to the cops regarding what's in your vehicle? They can just search your vehicle any time they want?

 

I am new on this as well and holy shit it is confusing just trying to do the right thing.
I have found this website invaluable to just verify what the law says. Not necessarily knocking everyone else's extra precaution but it is helpful to know what is what.
https://www.shouselaw.com/ca/defense/gun-laws/

 

Being a noob, I was very concerned about this as well. I know this is a slightly older post but I figured I'd chime in - mainly because the answers given here parallel the answers I've gotten elsewhere (confusing and inconsistent) and none of them actually seem to stem from the actual penal code.

https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/media/cfl2021.pdf

Penal Code 25610, according to the CA Attorney General, states "...may transport by motor vehicle any handgun provided it is unloaded and locked in the vehicle's trunk or in a locked container. Furthermore, the handgun must be carried directly to or from any motor vehicle for any lawful purpose and while being carried must be contained with a locked container."

The lack of specificity for some parts of this I think is where confusion stems from. And I think many of us (myself included) do not only want to follow the letter of the law but also do so in such a way that removes ANY and ALL suspicion of anything nefarious.

Best I can tell, it'd be legal to have an unloaded handgun in a locked gun safe/vault/carrier on your passenger seat with a box of ammo laying right next to it. Of course, that could look very sketchy to a cop if you were pulled over. So why risk it? Additionally, it would be legal to have an unloaded handgun AND ammo (including loaded mags) in the same locked container provided there is no ammo actually in or attached to the gun itself.

I don't regularly have mine in my car but when I do I typically use a lockable range bag or gun vault. Guns are always unloaded. Ammo may or may not be in the same, locked container (but almost always in a locked container - just depends on what container I'm using, how much ammo I'm carrying). The container with the handgun is always locked AND I always lock it TO my vehicle - for example, a security cable attached to the locked container which is looped around the seat mounts or other secure part of the vehicle. It's a little redundant and a little overkill. But I'd prefer there to be no question in my motives and, probably more importantly, I don't want a random smash and grab theft to result in my gun being out on the street and possibly being used in a crime.

 

Good video that explains the giant pain in the ass it is to travel with guns through California.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWtkI0Y5KM0

 

That seems to jive with the written penal code (unlike a lot of what I've seen/read both on the internet and even from friends who have longer term experience with guns).

Maybe I'm just a California lefty but these hoops for legal transportation don't bother me. How confusing it can be to understand the nitty gritty, yeah, that's a pain, especially when so much is potentially riding on your interpretation of those details. But the actual rules themselves don't bother me. If you need more access then you can apply for a CCW. Contrary to popular belief they're not as difficult to obtain as people like to espouse on the internet. Many counties here hand them out quite liberally and more recently it seems even the more difficult counties/cities have relaxed quite a bit and the main issue is just long wait/processing times due to lack of staff to process applications.

 

Nope, the serialized part or frame is still a firearm and would still need to be locked up. Stupid but legal.

 

California allows guns?

 

Hardly… just bought my 1st. Waited 18 days to clear a clean background. Definitely not getting any easier.

 

you poor California and ny folks haha. I didnt even know what the laws are in wyoming were, ive always just thrown it in the back seat...i looked up the laws out of curiosity and this is the extent of them haha

 

California is a miserably failed state. Rampant crime and corruption. Won’t set foot there again.