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I hope this is the right forum for this question, if not please let me know where the best place would be.

With that said, here is my situation and question:
I will be travelling to Southern CA soon (driving down from Northern Oregon) and would like to learn the restrictions placed on my personal carry, so that I am in full compliance with all CA state and local laws.
I know that CA offers zero reprocicity and my OR and UT licenses/permits are not recognized at all. As such I know I will not be able to legally carry a concealed handgun on my person.
I am hoping to find resources detailing the specific laws regarding how I must store my personally carry in my vehicle while travelling and staying at my hotels. (E.g. does my personal carry have to be in a locked strong-box, does ammunition have to be in a separate locked strong-box? Can the sidearm remain loaded but not immediately inaccessible i.e. in a lock-box, etc.)

Anybody have any experience and/or websites to point me towards which detail the laws surrounding CA's strict firearm laws that can educate me?
My recent and current google searches have only proven a little helpful, primarily relating to CA residents rights! I haven't found a solid general overview yet.

Any help or guidance would be very much appreciated! I'd prefer not to travel unarmed.

Thank you all in advance!
 
 
And another practical tip is to ensure your turn signals and brake lights work before the trip. Some police in California are less comfortable around civilian firearm possession than police in other states. For example, there are some police officers who (erroneously) think that civilians are not allowed to own off-roster handguns.
Also, note that it would be illegal to bring magazines with more than 10 round capacity or pistols with threaded barrels into California. There are additional "assault weapons" categories to avoid, you can review the California Rifle and Pistol Association flowchart. I can't paste into this forum, but a search will pull it up.
 
"Pursuant to California Penal Code section 25610, a United States citizen over 18 years of age who is not prohibited from firearm possession, and who resides or is temporarily in California, may transport by motor vehicle any handgun provided it is unloaded and locked in the vehicle's trunk or in a locked container. Furthermore, the handgun must be carried directly to or from any motor vehicle for any lawful purpose and, while being carried must be contained within a locked container.

Pursuant to California Penal Code section 16850, the term "locked container" means a secure container that is fully enclosed and locked by a padlock, key lock, combination lock, or similar locking device. This includes the trunk of a motor vehicle, but does not include the utility or glove compartment.
Nonconcealable firearms (shotguns and rifles) are not generally covered within the provisions of California Penal Code section 25400 and therefore are not required to be transported in a locked container. However, as with any firearm, nonconcealable firearms must be unloaded while they are being transported. "
Hmmm, so I wonder what the rule is on a towable 5th wheel, which is not a motor vehicle? Handgun has to be inside the "motor vehicle", or inside a lock box inside the RV? Take away? - handguns r bad.... umkay...
 
And another practical tip is to ensure your turn signals and brake lights work before the trip. Some police in California are less comfortable around civilian firearm possession than police in other states.
Good tip/note. Thank you.

My current vehicle is a 2014 model year, dealer serviced <30 days ago. I do employ routine functionality checks for all exterior lights/indicators, as well as all basic operational/road systems (tire pressure, interior lights, GPS/navigation, window/lock/key FOB remote function, tread depth, suspension performance, brake system, coolant, transmission fluid, oil level, etc.) before any road trip as general preparation for 2k-3k miles on the open road.
LED indicators help to remove any potential failures, but Murphy is alive and well.
I've been stopped/pulled over on the same run before, simply for driving a white Crown Vic.
I'll make a double-triple check that all exterior lighting/signals are performing as intended/designed before leaving on this run.

CA is always a wild card, which is why I am making a point to learn as many laws as I can for this run.

The second to last time I made this trip, I was stopped/pulled-over/detained by CHP just outside of Weed, CA; the CHP officer was fully convinced that I was running illegal weapons (as some type of importer/transport/mule, which I was not; I was driving to a trade-show same as this run) simply due to the non-descript white Crown Vic. Gotta love a bored northern California CHP officer. :p

I haven't read through the above URL resource thoroughly just yet. Does anyone know offhand, or if the URL above details reporting/declaration of weapons in the vehicle during a routine stop? I didn't see anything about that during my first quick skim, but that was quick skim. I'll be studying that site diligently tonight/tomorrow/next three days.
 
I'd add, bring extra bulbs as replacements and the tools to do that replacement as necessary, small investment to prevent being lit up... Wife has family outside Sacramento, did a summer and a Christmas trip, seen a total of three CHP's.

You'll want to make sure your EDC is unloaded, not even one in the chamber when you put it in its secure container. Make sure all arms are under lock and key. Rounds and magazines separate. I'm a gray man to LEO's, I'm sporting a minivan, an honorary member of the Minivan Mafia.
 
Magazines can be loaded, but not inserted into the firearm.
I had my rear chewed out by a sheriffs deputy upon gun inspection at the LA Gun Club in West LA for exactly this in the early 90s. Was told the magazine is considered part of the Firearm and transporting loaded mags, even in a case apart from the pistol is considered transporting a loaded weapon. I called BS but was not kicked out. YMMV.
 
Calguns wiki would be a great place. It's been a couple years and stuff has probably changed. If you have long guns, also put a lock on them. Iirc they have to be locked within a certain distance of schools or something like that.
I used to just use TSA locks on the zippers for my carry bags.
 
I had my rear chewed out by a sheriffs deputy upon gun inspection at the LA Gun Club in West LA for exactly this in the early 90s. Was told the magazine is considered part of the Firearm and transporting loaded mags, even in a case apart from the pistol is considered transporting a loaded weapon. I called BS but was not kicked out. YMMV.
That is a perfect example of the incorrect understanding some police there have of California firearms laws.
 
To be legal in California, you would have to be unarmed.

Pistol separate from ammunition, magazine empty, pistol in a locked box. No magazine greater than 10rds.

You can't open carry. You can't conceal carry.

So, IMO, if your thinking solely in regards to hotel/motel safety, you'd be better off bringing a shotgun. Empty. In the trunk.
 
To be legal in California, you would have to be unarmed.

Pistol separate from ammunition, magazine empty, pistol in a locked box. No magazine greater than 10rds.

You can't open carry. You can't conceal carry.

So, IMO, if your thinking solely in regards to hotel/motel safety, you'd be better off bringing a shotgun. Empty. In the trunk.

And semi auto handgun slides should be cut through from the top with a hack saw to satisfy the nazi's in cali. Just to be safe better keep the mag unloaded under the hood in the engine compartment, (Front engine compartment vehicles only), and ammo as far back in the trunk as possible.
(sarcasm) (Lest people living in hopelessly communist states should take the above seriously)
 
I remember my trip though CA a couple years back. I specifically bought a gun with 9 round magazines, kept the thing locked up then locked again, magazines locked up separately. No chances were taken. I was sooo glad to finally cross into NV where I could once again be legally armed on the quiet, lonely highways in the middle of fricken nowhere
 
I remember my trip though CA a couple years back. I specifically bought a gun with 9 round magazines, kept the thing locked up then locked again, magazines locked up separately. No chances were taken. I was sooo glad to finally cross into NV where I could once again be legally armed on the quiet, lonely highways in the middle of fricken nowhere


You really shouldn't have to feel like this in your own country, but it's a measure of what a few hundred loons can do to ruin the place for everybody else.

Remember, it happened here in UK as well - twice.

First time we lost ALL our semi-auto centrefire rifles and carbines - every single one of them. And then, everybody in England, Scotland and Wales lost their cartridge-firing handguns.

Has it made ANY difference to the criminal use of firearms?

Hell, no.

For a couple of years after the handgun ban, the criminal use of handguns actually increased by an unprecedented amount, until finally dying back down to pre-97 figures in 2009...
 

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