Florida and Hawaii boast wonderful weather. Both have an abundance of sunshine. They both have many things to do and see. Both do their darndest to woo tourists.
This is where the similarities end. If you are someone who likes to everyday carry, then you need to consider the best places to vacation.
Whether to carry on vacation or leave your weapon at home is always a concern. There is a risk either way. If you choose to leave your weapon at home, you are defenseless against carjackers, thieves, muggers, and intruders at your campsite, mobile home, motel, or vacation rental. Even road rage arguments take on a fearsome quality. If you leave your firearm at home, you could end up regretting your decision not to carry protection for the rest of my life.
If, on the other hand, you decide to go ahead and take your licensed firearm with you, you may risk a legal problem. You need to know the accepted manner of carry in the state or states you will be visiting or passing through. How must you carry in the mode of transportation you have chosen? Does your gun need to be empty? What happens if you are stopped by the police? These things need to be considered before you select your vacation destination.
With a population in excess of twenty-two million and an advertised sandy coastline of six hundred and thirty-three miles of accessible public beaches, Florida is a tourist haven. It’s much closer and easier to get to than Hawaii and a lot cheaper to vacation there.
But, there’s another reason to choose the Sunshine State over Hawaii. Florida’s politicians know where their state earns millions of dollars in revenue. Florida is a strong supporter of Second Amendment rights.
Florida is a “shall issue” state. Concealed carry is legal if you have a Florida Concealed Weapons License. The state also recognizes concealed carry permits from other states. It is one of only thirty-five states that wholeheartedly supports Concealed Carry Reciprocity legislation.
Florida has issued more over two million concealed carry permits.
On the other hand, Hawaii is a “may issue” state. In theory, concealed carry permits may be issued by the county chief of police. In reality, your only chance of getting a permit is under “exceptional circumstances”. This means you are never getting a Hawaii concealed carry permit. An applicant must show reason to fear injury or death. To date, county officials have issued a few hundred permits in total. These permits are good for one year and only in the county in which they are issued. It should come as no surprise then that Hawaii does not recognize concealed carry permits from other states.
I present these two cases as two ideal states in which to vacation but ones with extremes regarding concealed carry.
If you are looking for a good place to vacation, look for states with more permissive gun laws. According to a Center for American Progress study, (https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/guns-crime/reports/2018/10/29/460008/weak-gun-laws-public-safety-concerns-state-missouri/) the ten states with the weakest gun laws include: Kansas, Mississippi, Wyoming, Arizona, Alaska, Idaho, Louisiana, Kentucky, Vermont and Missouri. Gun laws are lax and most allow concealed carry. Many of them do not require permits.
The same study noted that the states with the strictest gun laws include California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, Illinois, and New York. California and Hawaii—to highly regarded vacation spots—have the strictest gun laws.
In addition to its already strict gun laws, Hawaii’s newest law, SB 2519, aims at eliminating all magazines holding more than ten rounds.
The new legislation outlines its intent:
The purpose of this Act is to reduce gun violence in the State by:
(1) Prohibiting the possession of large-capacity magazines for all types of firearms, unless it was legally in possession of an individual prior to this Act;
(2) Requiring every person in the State who was in possession of a detachable ammunition magazine prior to this Act to register the magazine with the appropriate county police department; and
(3) Prohibiting the sale, barter, trade, gift, transfer or acquisition, except by means of inheritance, of a detachable ammunition magazine that was legally in an individual’s possession prior to this Act and requiring the inheritor to update the registration with the appropriate county police department.
One of the bill’s proponents, Democratic Rep. Karl Rhoads, is convinced that limiting ammunition is as critical as controlling guns. His Senate Bill 2635 would require a potential buyer to present a valid government-issued identification card and a valid permit to acquire a firearm, a handgun safety training course affidavit or a hunter education card to the gun vendor. Gun sellers and those selling ammunition would have to have a vendor’s license.
So, if you are planning a vacation in any of the states and you wish to concealed carry, it would make sense to cross Hawaii and California off your list. You want to go somewhere that shares your belief in your second amendment right and has an understanding of your undeniable right to protect yourself, your family, and your property.
Florida, the Sunshine State has often been called a “gunshine” state because of its tolerance for concealed carry by both residents and non-residents. Since 1987, this vacation wonderland has been known as one of the easiest states to obtain a concealed carry permit. The state issues permits to residents and non-residents with a liberal hand. This has made it one of the top states to carry a concealed firearm. Concealed Carry Reciprocity legislation has made it even easier to concealed carry in Florida. Florida accepts the concealed carry weapons permits of most other states. In addition , you can apply online for a permit that is accepted by many states. A good source of information about online permits is http://www.onlinecarrytraining.com. There are, however, posted “gun free” zones. These may give you cause to choose another vacation spot
If you are planning to drive through states, be sure you know what the rules and regulations are. Every state—and even some municipalities—have a little different system and values where guns are concerned. Make sure the state or states you are visiting have a reciprocity agreement with your home state or they do not require concealed carry permits.
Here’s an example: Let’s say you have a Pennsylvania license and you are headed south. Your concealed carry permit would not be honored in Delaware and Maryland. Virginia and North Carolina would recognize it. However, South Carolina would not. Your Pennsylvania CCW permit would be honored in Georgia and Florida. The moral of the story? Check carefully and make sure you are reading the most recent legislation.
If you haven’t made up your mind yet, or if you’ve been to Florida and would like to try somewhere else, here are some other gun-friendly states you might wish to consider.
Montana
Montana gets high marks from vacationers. It has embraced both Concealed Carry Reciprocity legislation and Castle Doctrine. The state does, however, still have many places where concealed carry of a firearm is not legal. These include large public events, banks and financial institutions. All things considered, if you like to carry a concealed firearm on your vacation, Montana is a great place to do so.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire allows open carry. But, you need a permit. This issue arose in 2015 but the Governor of New Hampshire vetoed permitless carry. Your concealed carry permit will not suffice either. However, open carry permits are inexpensive and easy to obtain.
Indiana
Indiana is a great vacation spot. It boasts a low crime rate and ease of obtaining a concealed carry permit. The CCW permits of most other states are accepted under Concealed Carry Reciprocity legislation. Indiana CCW permits are inexpensive. They are also recognized in over thirty other states.
Vermont
Vermont is an accepting state. They let you carry a concealed weapon as long as you aren’t a felon or prohibited from possessing a firearm. The state has “no gun zones”, places where you cannot carry a firearm. They do not issue permits to non-residents although they recognize those from most other states.
Wyoming
Wyoming is perfect for carrying firearms. You can carry here with or without a permit. Wyoming issues permits to residents and non-residents in case they wish to visit a state that requires a concealed carry permit. The CCW permit issued by Wyoming is accepted in thirty other states. Wyoming has several places where you cannot carry a firearm.
Alaska
Alaska’s gun laws are similar to Wyoming’s. However, Alaska has a shorter list of places you are not allowed to carry a gun. The state issues permits if you plan to travel out of the state.
Utah
In Utah, you must have a concealed carry permit to carry a concealed firearm. Utah accepts permits from other state. Utah-issued CCW permits are accepted in thirty other states under the Concealed Carry Reciprocity legislation. Applying for a Utah CCW permit is very inexpensive. Be aware that you are not allowed to carry your concealed weapon in some “secure” areas so check the list before you vacation there.
Kansas
Once a strict enforcer of CCW permits, within forty years Kansas has moved to allowing permitless carry.
Kansas does not issue non-resident permits. However, the state allows people to concealed carry their firearms without a permit. When it comes to Concealed Carry Reciprocity legislation, Kansas is one of the top in accepting CCW permits of other states.
Arizona
Like Florida, Arizona is one of the top states for vacationers and residents who wish to carry a concealed firearm. Arizona issues affordable permits. The “gun free” or “no gun zones” are very few. Arizona recognizes permits of many states under Concealed Carry Reciprocity legislation. However several states do not recognize Arizona concealed carry permits.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania honors concealed carry licenses from 30 states. It will soon drop acceptance of Virginia. The reason is because the state believes that Virginia’s background. There is no exemption for mental health and there are no juvenile criminal record checks.
States to Avoid if You Wish to Concealed Carry
No federal law allows concealed carry in every state. All fifty states have passed gun laws. These let qualified individuals carry certain concealed weapons either with a permit or without a permit. But, several states do not issue permits—even though it is on their law books. Some make it very difficult to obtain a concealed carry permit and/or do not recognize those from other states.
While technically “may issue” states, these states are really “don’t issue” or “no issue” states. Hawaii, Maryland and New Jersey. If you are planning travel to California, New York, or Massachusetts, you need to know that some cities and counties within these states are “no-issue” areas.
Things to Consider before You Decide to Carry
Taking a gun on vacation is not just about how you have to carry it and which places will allow concealed carry.
Take this for example: Where will you be staying? Is it a private home or vacation property. Does the owner of the property allow guns?
How will you be traveling? Does the plane, train, or bus allow firearms on board? How must you package your firearm?
What is your family situation? Are you traveling by yourself? Will there be friends or children in the group? What is the purpose of your travel? Does having a firearm fit with the group’s beliefs?
When you reach your destination, how can you secure your firearm? Will there be children present? How will you ensure their safety?
You are going on vacation. How will you dress? If you are going to be spending time at the beach, in the ocean, or in a pool, how will you manage concealed carry? Shorts or swimsuits make concealed carry tricky. Equally difficult is skiwear. How can you access your weapon under layers of winter sports gear? Have you considered how you can accommodate vacation attire and still concealed carry?
Is the gun you usually carry too big for vacation wear? Maybe the manner in which you carry won’t work with vacation clothes. For example: You might find that wearing a holster on a gun belt won’t work when you are wearing casual vacation clothing.
Conclusion
Certainly concealed carry on vacation is feasible. However, before you do so you need to consider things like destination, state laws, vacation clothes, and the safety of your fellow travelers.
