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?

31 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

91 comments sorted by

View all comments

34

u/Geralt-of-Rivai 20d ago

Nope. And I wouldn't recommend it, you're just opening yourself up to more trouble, a cop that could be set out to nail you with something and cause you grief. Now if they ask if you have any weapons, firearms in the vehicle don't lie. You can say I have a valid PAL and I have my non restricted firearms in my vehicle. Do not offer to show them or let them see them. If they want to you can say they can follow you to a gun store/range where it's safe to open them up but never volunteer to handle firearms at the roadside. If they want you to step out and do a search of your vehicle themselves they need to have just cause, they don't have an automatic right to search your vehicle just because you are a PAL owner during a routine traffic stop. Keep it out of plain view and keep your right to remain silent

2

u/MrWrock 20d ago

I wonder if the rules are different for conservation officers or if I was overly cooperative, but I've been pulled over a few times and they asked to inspect the action and chamber of each firearm in the vehicle to make sure they were unloaded. 

This was while I was hunting 

3

u/Geralt-of-Rivai 20d ago

Yeah Conservation Authorities have different powers , they are able to inspect a vehicle and inspect firearms for compliance with game laws. They can open trunks, containers, coolers etc. to make sure your not hiding a moose or a bear anywhere