Traveling from state to state is fairly easy, especially in the Northeast where states are just a few hours’ drive from one another. While interstate traveling is great for vacations and for exploring the region, if you plan to do so with a firearm, you may want to consider a few things.
Massachusetts Gun Laws
Massachusetts has some of the strictest gun laws in the country. The Bay State is one of the only in the nation that mandates secure storage for any firearm not in the owner’s immediate control and requires safety training for anyone looking to obtain a firearms license for the first time.
Additionally, Massachusetts has a “red flag” law, passed in 2018, that allows for the temporary suspension of gun owners’ licenses if a judge finds they pose a risk to their own or others’ safety.
According to a report on WGBH, these laws have resulted in Massachusetts having “the nation’s lowest rate of deaths due to firearms, according to federal data. Out of every 100,000 people, 3.4 died due to firearms in Massachusetts in 2021. In contrast, in Mississippi — where the rate is the highest — 33.9 died for every 100,000 people.”
In Massachusetts, a resident must apply for and be granted a Firearm Identification (FID) Card to purchase and own a firearm. To obtain an FID card, a person must apply with the local police department in the town or city where they reside. A formal application must be submitted and the issuance (or denial) of the FID card is within the discretion of the department.
Traveling With A Firearm
Since the potential is there to travel from a state with strict gun laws to one with looser gun laws, travelers should understand how the rules for carrying change depending on their location.
Each gun owner should know the rules regarding the purchase, possession and ownership of firearms and ammunition within the states that they own the gun as well as states through which they travel frequently.
Firearms can be carried in a couple of different ways during travel. A concealed weapon is one that the owner is licensed to carry concealed meaning not in view of the public. Open carry means that the weapon is in the view of the public.
According to the Giffords Law Center To Prevent Gun Violence, “Massachusetts law criminalizes the knowing possession of a firearm, or the knowing control of a firearm in a vehicle, whether loaded or unloaded unless the possessor is at his or her residence or place of business or possesses the proper card or license for the firearm possessed.”
For more information on gun laws and gun violations, talk to our team of legal professionals at the Law Offices of Patrick Conway.