Traveler's Guide to the Firearm Laws of the Fifty States

The wide variety of firearm laws facing the gun owner of the early twenty-first century can be especially intimidating when traveling outside one's own state. Many a horror story exists in which the unwary, nonresident traveler is arrested on a firearm felony charge for a violation that wouldn't qualify as a misdemeanor in the traveler's home state. A routine traffic stop suddenly degenerates into a nightmare journey through the criminal justice system. The unsuspecting traveler is hauled off to jail and forced to await the intervention of an attorney while his vehicle is searched and later impounded. This guide provides travelers with a general statement of the legal pitfalls one may encounter while transporting or carrying firearms from state to state. Beginning with Alabama and continuing though Wyoming, each state is afforded one page of explanation pertaining to the firearms laws most relevant to the traveler. The District of Columbia, Canada, and Mexico are also comprehensively covered. Each state features a graphic illustration of how it is rated for its treatment of firearms, providing the reader with a quick reference for use when time is of the essence. Vehicle carry and transport of firearms, concealed carry and reciprocity for non-resident licensees, and laws governing possession of various types of firearms such as machine guns and semi-automatic 'assault weapons' are covered in a user friendly format designed to inform the traveler of what he can expect in each state. This is an invaluable reference guide for all gun owners who travel. About the author: J. Scott Kappas, Esq. is an attorney in private practice in Covington, KY. He has written several academic studies on the Second Amendment, including 'The Right Most Valued by Freemen: The Origins and Historical Development of the Citizen's Right to Keep and Bear Arms' which was a winner in a legal writing contest sponsored by the National Rifle Association. Along with his law practice, he operates a Class III firearms business and is active in the political fight to preserve the citizens right to keep and bear arms. The 'Traveler's Guide' was inspired by the author's own need to have a concise, yet accurate, summation of state transport and carry laws to reference during his vacation travels across America. 67pp.