Open Carry Inside a Vehicle – Again…
Question: A local city PD said it is illegal to carry a handgun in a holster visible on your side while in a car without a CCW. DPS said it is legal to do this. I was also told this is open to interpretation. Who is right?
Answer: You have discovered one of the ‘interpretive’ areas of the law relative to carrying a firearm in a vehicle. I recently wrote an article about this topic which you can read at the link below. The short version is that it depends on how the person in question defines the term “wholly or partially visible”. As you can see, there is a difference of opinion between your local PD and DPS. I would say that opinions could vary widely. Until the statute is clarified or tested in court, it is unclear.
The easiest way to solve the problem is to get a CCW permit. Then the whole issue goes away…
http://arizonaccwpermit.com/2009/12/29/holstered-open-carry-in-a-vehicle/
Open Carry Inside a Vehicle - Again...,