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?

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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/chaoz2001 19d ago

He is not giving great advice. They don't need to follow you to a store. It is not safer to play with guns outside a gun shop/range then where ever the police officer with his flashing blue/red lights decides to.

If they want to check chambers of a non restricted, ask them how to proceed and handle to guns the least amount possible. I show them where the gun is. Ask permission for ever step. If they push back tell them you don't feel comfortable with a firearm in your hand during a police stop.

If it is restricted I tell them that it is illegal for me to open the case anywhere except home/residence or a range or place listed on a ATT. Then offer them the keys/combo to check themselves. If I get any push back I just follow their directions. Asking permission for each step.

Just wait until you are flying with firearms and the check in agent asks you to open the pistol case and pick up a handgun in the center of the airport check in line and show them its unloaded. They have no idea what a unloaded handgun looks like. Or the airline policy is asking someone to violate federal law. After that when you go to oversize bag drop if the x ray machine has issues they will ask you to open your case again. There they at least will call a RCMP officer to watch you open it.

Its a shitty situation but these situations were not considered when making the firearms laws. You just have to navigate them the best you can.

2

u/Goliad1990 19d ago

If they want to check chambers of a non restricted

If they insist on chamber checking my gun, they can do it themselves. I'm not handling a firearm in front of a cop, I don't have a death wish.

2

u/MrWrock 19d ago

The COs insisted on handling it themselves, but allowed me to give them a hand with the bolt release

4

u/Goliad1990 19d ago

A CO is different. They're going out into the bush expecting to encounter people legally carrying loaded guns every day. A beat cop in the city is not, and I don't need one ripping me a new 9mm asshole because he got startled by the slide lock or something 

1

u/Geralt-of-Rivai 19d ago

Yeah that was my point, I'm not handling a firearm in front of an officer unless I'm on a gun range