Can I Conceal Carry On Vacation For The Holidays?

You conceal carry and you want to go on vacation. Now, imagine it is November, Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner. You are starting to think about if you are going to take your family on a vacation. Maybe go visit family? You could go somewhere cold and have a snowy Christmas or maybe you want a sunny, warm vacation this year.

You’ve talked it over with everyone and decided where you want to go, now how do you get there? Do you fly or maybe go on a road trip? What about your concealed carry gun, do you bring that with you?

These are all questions that you probably ask yourself when planning a trip. When you decide to take your concealed carry weapon with you, there are additional things you will want to think about.

So let’s start with the basics, can you conceal carry on vacation? In most cases absolutely. But let’s dive into this a little further.

Concealed Carrying While Driving

In most instances you will be able to conceal carry while driving, given you have a valid concealed carry permit. Let’s cover a few things before you just take off across the country while concealed carrying.

• If you are traveling between states you will want to check each states rules and regulations for concealed carrying firearms as well as if they have a reciprocity agreement with the state your permit is from.You may not need a permit to have a gun in your vehicle, but it is best to check each state’s laws first.
• Some states require you to disclose that you have a firearm on you or in your vehicle if you get pulled over.
• When concealed carrying while driving you may find some positions work better for you than others, so you may want to try a few to discover what is most comfortable for you.

Ultimately, it is best to check with each state you will be traveling through for their requirements on driving and concealed carrying. For more information you may find our “Can You Concealed Carry While Driving?” blog useful.

Concealed Carry While Flying

While you can’t concealed carry while flying, you may still be able to bring your gun with you as long as you follow TSA and airline requirements.

If you are flying and want to travel with your firearm there are a few things you need to know. First and foremost, firearms are not permitted to be carried on. They must be checked-in and securely locked inside a hard-sided container, that only you have a key to. If you are traveling to a different state make sure to review their gun policy and reciprocity agreement, if you want to concealed carry.

You may need to accomodate for additional processing time when you arrive at the airport. And most importantly check with the airline you are traveling with as well because they may have additional restrictions or fees associated with transporting a firearm.

To learn more about flying with a firearm check out our blog Can You Travel By Plane With A Gun?

Consider What Activities You Will Be Doing On Vacation

Depending on what you are doing and where you are going there may be some activities that you are not allowed to do with a concealed carry weapon. You will want to take this into consideration when you are planning your trip.

Maybe you have decided to go to Orlando for your vacation and want to take your family to the theme parks. Disney and Universal do not allow weapons inside their parks. If you are going to the beach or going skiing you will want to think about how you are going to accommodate for having a concealed carry weapon with you.

Some activities you just won’t want to bring your gun along with you for and other places you may not be allowed to bring it. What do you do with your gun while you and your family are doing those activities? If the majority of your trip is spent doing things where you have to leave your gun in a car or hotel it may want to consider where you will store your gun while you are doing those activities.

Packing Clothing To Concealed Carry On Vacation

Bringing your concealed carry weapon means you may have to pack different clothes than if you were not planning to concealed carry.

With concealed carry you will want to make sure you have your belt and holster along with any other items in your carry system. If you are traveling somewhere warm you will want to make sure you pack your summer clothes that conceal your weapon. That might be dark colored shirts and you might choose a particular size or pair of pants that are most comfortable for concealed carry.

If you are traveling somewhere cold you may bring a different holster or gun than if you were carrying in warmer weather because it is easier to conceal a larger gun. You might also choose clothing that will make concealing your firearm easy and comfortable.

Depending on where you are going, if you choose to concealed carry, you may pack different clothing for your vacation.

Consider Where You Are Staying On Vacation

Are you staying with family or friends where your belongings will be safe? Or are you staying at a hotel where room service may be coming into your room? Where you are staying may play a part in how you secure your gun.

If you are staying with family or friends you’ve probably grown to trust them and know that whatever you leave in their home is safe. Unless someone decides to break in, which could happen in your own home as well.

Whereas, if you are staying at a hotel their staff has access to your room and belongings throughout the day. There is typically a safe in hotel rooms but is that really a secure place to store things? If you are going somewhere that you can’t bring your gun and are staying in a hotel do you risk leaving it in your room? An option is to purchase a smaller travel size gun safe that you can keep in your car or hotel room. Amazon has a variety of options that you may want to check out.

Where you are staying can play a big role in how you plan your vacation, but keep in mind there are a number of options to safely store your gun no matter where you are staying.

Other Things To Consider

In addition to what we mentioned above, there are a few more things you may want to consider about concealed carrying on vacation.

• Rental companies aren’t always clear on their gun policies - If you are traveling by plane or renting a car for business you may want to check the rental car company’s policies about having a gun in the vehicle before bringing your concealed carry weapon. Some rental car companies may not allow weapons to be carried in their vehicles.
• If you are traveling out of the country - Keep in mind if you are traveling internationally other countries have different gun policies than the United States, it may not be wise to even attempt to travel with a weapon.
• Going on a cruise - There most likely isn’t a cruise line that will allow you to carry a gun much less a weapon of any kind onto one of their ships. So, if you are going on a cruise you probably shouldn’t pack your gun.

Ultimately, keeping yourself and your family safe is important but there are things you will want to think about before just bringing your concealed carry weapon on your next trip. Where you are going, how you are getting there, and what you will do once you are there are all things you should think about.

Looking for belts or holsters to use on your next vacation? We recommend visiting our Vedder Holsters website for all of our belt and holster options and for more information to help you choose the carry system that works best for you.

Looking for items beyond holsters and belts? Check out our Resources Page for popular product links like lights, laser, first aid, maintenance, and more.