r/canadaguns • u/shaunderford • 20d ago

Application / Regulation advice Traffic stop

Hello just wondering if I’m legally transporting a firearm (non restricted) and I am pulled over by a police officer am i under obligation to inform the officer i have a firearm in the vehicle?

33 Upvotes

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153

u/boozefiend3000 20d ago

If they ask you should tell the truth. Don’t ever voluntarily give them information though 

47

u/VirtualBridge7 20d ago

If they ask you, you should not answer that question as you have every right not to. All you have to do is to provide insurance, registration, driving license, breath sample if ordered. You are not obligated to provide any of these either: where you are coming from, where you are going, what you are doing here, what speed were you going, who is with you in the vehicle, what you do for work, none of that stuff, i.e. nothing for the cop to write about in his report. Just say calmly and politely that you prefer to remain silent or such. People need to stop talking themselves into trouble. You might think you can talk yourself out of a ticket, but it is an illusion. Understand that all this chit-chat is simply gathering the evidence and gaining reasonable grounds for further investigation. Know your rights, use them.

11

u/wyenotry 19d ago

Thanks for the info! There’s a lot of US YouTube shorts etc that might be misleading for Canadians when they are stopped. I honestly don’t know if everything you said is 100% accurate but it’s my job to verify.

2

u/Luciferwannab 19d ago

Do you have to take a breath test? Or is it like the states where you can deny field sobriety tests?
P:S - I’m not glorifying the states, i just watch a lot of body cam footage and was wondering.

8

u/ItchYouCannotReach 19d ago

You have to provide a breath sample, roadside to an approved screening device and to an approved instrument later if a criminal impaired investigation is started. If you say no you will be arrested and charged with refusal. Refusal carries the same penalty as blowing over but it's way easier to convict you on refusal than it is on blowing over. 

7

u/escv_69420 19d ago

It's the same. You can say no, then get arrested on vibes and exonerated (or not) based on blood work taken at the station.

Source: My crippled, lung cancer having father had this happen to him the other day. Pigs blocked his truck in at the beer store, hassled him, physically dragged him out of the vehicle causing injury, and forced him to blow. He physically couldn't because he's got like 16% lung capacity and they thought he was lying in spite of showing them his massive hoard of meds and prescriptions. He has a little backpack O2 generator thing too and they wouldn't let him keep using during the stop. They dragged him down to the station and did blood work. Came out 0.00 I had to drive 90min to come get him. I've never been that angry in my life.

7

u/PatsNeg-CH 19d ago

Failure to provide a sample is its own criminal offence in Canada, so an unequivocal refusal just means no breath sample/blood sample and carries the same punishment as being impaired.

A demand for a sample using an approved roadside screening device can be made with no grounds/suspicion required, police can ask literally every single driver they pull over to blow if they are so inclined. The mandatory demand has already been upheld by the Supreme Court, so theres no exoneration in court if you are refusing to provide a sample.

6

u/escv_69420 19d ago

That's cool, I stand corrected.

TIL abhorrent pigs can use our bullshit laws to beat up 77 year old, broke, cancer ridden, disabled citizens for fun. ACAB.

3

u/i-Hermit 19d ago

Sounds like you got some really green cops or bad apples. Thought about a formal complaint, with a sincere letter to their supervisor shaming their humanity and apparent lack of common sense and critical thinking skills?

9

u/h3IIfir3pho3nix N E R F G U N S 19d ago

You are not under any obligation to answer questions during a traffic stop.

All you have to do is tell them who you are and provide identification/insurance. And in some provinces you need to take a breathalyzer test.

For anything else the response is "I'm sorry officer, I don't answer questions on the side of the road."

21

u/Outside_Musician_865 20d ago

This is the way

1

u/ThrowRA_That_Owl_25 19d ago

No, dont need to lie, just refuse to answer as that is not a reason for the stop.