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I was just on the Washington County Police Department's website looking at their CHL information, because I'm transferring my license to that county. I found this:
O) Even with a concealed handgun license, where can I not carry a firearm?
(one of the responses) • Private property where the owner prohibits firearms possession

Does anyone else find this strange and vague? It has always been my understanding that those "no guns allowed" signs pose no legal obligation to people coming in and that it would only be illegal if you were asked to leave and did not do so. I've heard that kind of question asked many times...

What do you all think? Is that what Washington County is implying, or are they just plain wrong in their listing of the current law?

LINK: http://www.co.washington.or.us/Sheriff/OtherServices/ConcealedHandguns/faq.cfm
 
Of course you are prevented from carrying on private property if the owner of said property doesn't want you to carry.

If you walk past a NO GUN SIGN in to a building, hangin on a fence or stuck on a stake in the ground while carrying you are Trespassing. If you don't leave said property THEN You can ALSO be CHARGED with Trespassing.
 
No, they have it 100% right. Private means private.

You also have to realize that there is a bit of a difference legally between private property and private property open the the pubic. In the later they have many legal rules they have to follow that "closed" private property does not.
 
Storefronts are considered "private property," but have an open door to those that want to enter for obvious purposes. Obviously entering someone's house would be a bit different.

As for no gun signs, this thread came up with the opposite of what you're saying: http://www.northwestfirearms.com/threads/armed-trespass.167488/#post-1089046
http://www.handgunlaw.us/states/oregon.pdf
No guns allowed signs do not have the force of law in Oregon. So no, it is not trespassing unless you are told to leave and refuse. This is different in many states though... By that same logic, entering a store that says "no outside food or drink" would be grounds to get you arrested for trespassing as well, and I doubt that's happened.
 
As for no gun signs, this thread came up with the opposite of what you're saying: http://www.northwestfirearms.com/threads/armed-trespass.167488/#post-1089046
http://www.handgunlaw.us/states/oregon.pdf
No guns allowed signs do not have the force of law in Oregon. So no, it is not trespassing unless you are told to leave and refuse. This is different in many states though... By that same logic, entering a store that says "no outside food or drink" would be grounds to get you arrested for trespassing as well, and I doubt that's happened.

Yes, I recently got http://www.handgunlaw.us to clarify their analysis and it's definitely as described in Cascadian's last paragraph above.

No guns allowed signs do not have the force of law in Oregon. So no, it is not trespassing unless you are told to leave and refuse.
 
Yes, I recently got http://www.handgunlaw.us to clarify their analysis and it's definitely as described in Cascadian's last paragraph above.

I also checked Clackamas County's page and they differentiate between private property such as homes and others like businesses in their explanation. They say that under "specific circumstances" one could be charged with trespassing for having a gun in a business that doesn't permit it. I think clearly those "circumstances" are what we've discussed, like refusing to leave when asked.
 
Here is the answer from www.handgunlaw.us:

Just wanted to say Thank You and tell you the Oregon page at www.handgunlaw.us will be updated to show that No Gun Signs on property not specifically mentioned in law as off limits do not have the force of law and they must ask you to leave first. I was surprised at the two returned phone calls I got on a Saturday from people who are in a position to know. Thank you again for asking Why I had what I had. It made me look much harder and made me think more highly of certain officials.
 
I have never been to a house with a no guns allowed sign posted. I don't think I have ever seen one.

Can I get a "No Liberals" sign and have them arrested for trespassing?
 
If nobody knows you're armed but you, then nobody knows and doesn't need to know. "Problem" solved.
This is chiefly a matter of perception. If, in the extreme unlikelihood you have to save some lives by shooting an attacker, you can deal with the survivor's lack of gratitude later.
 
FPNI.

You can CC on private property with public access (stores/restaurants generally) which as posted "no guns allowed".
If asked to LEAVE and you DON'T, then you're TRESPASSING.

If asked to leave and you do, no problems even though you initially walked past the sign while CC.

Of course my question is how did the person get caught because concealed is concealed!!! :)
 
I have never been to a house with a no guns allowed sign posted. I don't think I have ever seen one.

Can I get a "No Liberals" sign and have them arrested for trespassing?

I've seen a few of these signs:

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...A731D1B17526710E9F96A9E061FA&selectedIndex=29

And a few of these:

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...A7E73B424A700273130769F608E96&selectedIndex=4

But only on the internet. Nobody on that side actually believes their own rhetoric enough to announce to criminals that they are unarmed.
 
What you can control are your choices and attitude.
A certain jeweler near me has a sign posted- not prominently, but I saw it. I respected their wishes and did not spend any money there.

I see some more vague area in the modern 'public square' - that is the mall. Indoor or outdoor. Since the public is welcomed to the space, shouldn't it be treated as if it were owned by the public? Could a private mall enforce a no breast-feeding rule? This space seems a little less cut and dry. (not the individual store in the mall, just the open space itself.

Anyways, my standard is to respect their wishes and not spend my money there. If possible, I would tell the owner why.
 
I was just on the Washington County Police Department's website looking at their CHL information, because I'm transferring my license to that county. I found this:
O) Even with a concealed handgun license, where can I not carry a firearm?
(one of the responses) • Private property where the owner prohibits firearms possession

Does anyone else find this strange and vague? It has always been my understanding that those "no guns allowed" signs pose no legal obligation to people coming in and that it would only be illegal if you were asked to leave and did not do so. I've heard that kind of question asked many times...

What do you all think? Is that what Washington County is implying, or are they just plain wrong in their listing of the current law?

LINK: http://www.co.washington.or.us/Sheriff/OtherServices/ConcealedHandguns/faq.cfm
The WCSO paraphrase of the law is correct and mentioned nothing about signage.


for it to be illegal for you to possess a firearm on private property the owner or person in charge must verbally tell you that firearms are not allowed. No guns allowed signs in Oregon are meaningless other than to tell you that concealed means concealed.
 

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