Don’t believe this. Been stopped 3 times with my CCW, and they NEVER ASKED if I was carrying. VA law requires that the first words out of my mouth when stopped and carrying are, “Officer, I have a CCW and am carrying.”
Every time I was stopped, the officer said, “That’s fine - I don’t need to see it.”
NEVER did the officer ask to see the weapon and run a check on the weapon. NEVER.
In fact, the one thing the DON’T want is you reaching for your weapon! They perceive that as a threat - and you are risking getting shot by doing so. LEO friends have told me this.
And, to add, Virginia law as of last year allows anyone to carry a concealed weapon in their glove compartment or console. No CCW needed. And while a CCW carrier is required to notify the officer, a LEO told me that non-CCW carrier who has a weapon is not required to notify that he/she has a concealed weapon in the vehicle.
On one stop I did not have a weapon in the car. When I handed the officer my DL, he saw my CCW - and then asked, “I see your CCW there - are you carrying?” “No, sir. If I had been carrying, law would have required me to notify you immediately.” He smiled.
Don't take offense at this please as none is intended. They have you trained very well. Our founders would be shaking their heads in disbelief. You sure manage to get stopped a lot.
..VA law requires that the first words out of my mouth etc etc etc..
Not quite...I will inform the officer if in a ‘friendly state’, but VA does NOT require you to.
Think TN is the closest state that has it in its statute that you must inform.
FROM the Virginia State Police web site
In the instance of a traffic stop, should I advise the police officer that I have a concealed handgun permit?
Virginia law does not require you to notify the officer that you have a permit. However, Section 18.2-308, of the Code of Virginia, requires you to be in possession of the permit whenever you are carrying a concealed handgun and to display the permit and a government-issued photo-identification upon demand by a law-enforcement officer.
http://www.vsp.state.va.us/Firearms.shtm#FAQ
I understand that VA informs the officer that the ‘tag holder’ has a permit but they can’t really give a straight answer as to out of state info that is provided on first check.
I ‘worry’ more in ‘UNFRIENDLY’ states that the data will show up on a ‘regular’ traffic stop, as ‘they’ can always come up with something to warrant a ‘search’ if they desire.
The old ‘drug sniffing’ dog is a goody, especially when they ‘hit’ on a vehicle that has NEVER had drugs in it, gives the LEO the right to check, then issue and apology and “Ain’t never seen Rex do that before”, course a good, expensive mouth piece could probably argue your case but I don’t trust the judges, juries etc anymore...
After all, when ‘common folk, MY PEERS’ manage to elect that bunch of misfits to office no telling what they would do to a Conservative Veteran, ‘illegally’ carrying a weapon in their territory.