How a Concealed Carry Holder Should Act if

Pulled Over

Let’s say you are driving and are a registered concealed carry permit holder in Florida and are pulled over with firearm on person. It is obvious that police officers don’t want to be startled by the sight of a firearm and furthermore don’t want to be surprised to see it without you telling them first. Although you may have gotten pulled over for speeding, coasting through a stop sign or some other moving violation, it still is best practice to notify the officer of your firearm in the event you are pulled over.

Recommended CCW Practice

So you are pulled over on the median or side of the road and see the police officer approaching your car. Because you are about to inform the officer about your firearm, it is best to have both hands on the steering wheel in plain sight as the officer approaches your window. As soon as he/she nears your car, you should say something like “Officer just so you know I have a Florida concealed carry permit and I am carrying at this time.”

In most situations you can expect the officer to become more alert and demand that you keep your hands on the steering wheel. Given that Florida has over one million CCW holders many police officers may be more accustomed to this type of interaction but it doesn’t mean that they are going to be any more lackadaisical. If the officer asks you to give him your license and registration as well as your Florida CCW ask him first if it is ok if you remove your hands from the wheel to reach for your belongings to show that you are an abiding citizen and respect his concern for your firearm. The last thing you want is to make the officer feel more uncomfortable and increase your risk of getting a higher fine when your respect level might actually see you get away with a warning!

Routine Traffic Stop?

No matter where you live in Florida, most cops will tell you that there are no routine traffic stops. Even if you are in the most rural country area of the state where everybody carries guns you should still keep your hands on the wheel and inform the officer of your firearm. If you don’t and the officer ends up finding out about it without you notifying him/her first, you could end up on their bad side.