Firearm ownership comes with a great deal of responsibility and a number of questions. How should you store your gun? Can you carry a gun in your car? Is traveling with a gun in the car permitted?

Carrying laws differ in each state, so be sure to read about the laws specific to your state and the state you’re traveling to before you embark on a trip.

Project ChildSafe is our favorite resource that can help answer questions like: How should I store my gun? Can I carry a gun in my car? How can I make sure I’m safely traveling with a gun in the car? These efforts will help keep your child safe and your firearms secure.

Project ChildSafe is a firearm safety solution that helps make communities safer. Since 1999, more than 15,000 law enforcement agencies have partnered with the program to distribute more than 37 million firearm safety kits to gun owners in all 50 states and five U.S. territories.

Through vital partnerships with elected officials, community leaders, state agencies, businesses, the firearms industry, and other stakeholders, Project ChildSafe has helped raise awareness about the safe and responsible ownership of firearms and the importance of storing firearms securely when not in use to help prevent accidents, theft, and misuse.

According to Project ChildSafe, if you are traveling outside the home with your firearm, there are steps you can follow to ensure safety, such as:

When finished using your firearm outside your vehicle, unload it before you re-enter your vehicle
Never leave firearms in an area of the vehicle where they are accessible to children or pets
Keep firearms and ammunition out of sight to avoid tempting thieves

By reviewing the above resources, you should be able to determine the best approaches for how you can carry a gun in your car.

Can you carry a gun in your car?

Safe Travels Campaign

At Console Vault, we’re dedicated to gun safety, which is why our products are designed to keep your firearms safe from theft and out of the hands of children. Our safes provide security in your vehicle and your home. Console Vault supports responsible gun ownership, and our new Safe Travels Campaign aims to increase gun safety awareness and highlight the importance of secure firearm carry and storage while outside the home.

#SafeTravels Expert Interview Series

Listen to expert interviews and industry leaders on topics related to safe storage education, tips, news, and more!

Share the #SafeTravels Message

Use #SafeTravels on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and help us spread the word and educate about the campaign!

You Store Your Firearms in a Safe at Home, but What About on the Road?

Protecting your firearms protects your entire community. Your firearm must be under your control at all times, and you should NEVER store your gun in your vehicle long-term, even if it is locked in a secure storage location.

What if you’re entering a no-carry zone like a school, or government building, and you can't carry it with you? If you must temporarily leave your firearm in your vehicle, remember:

Your gun should be placed in a secure locked storage device and placed out of sight.
Secure the lock box to the vehicle, if possible. Console Vault’s custom in-vehicle safes are made for specific model vehicles, making them a great solution.
Locking the doors on your vehicle does not constitute secure firearm storage.

Want to test your knowledge? Take Project Child Safe’s Firearm Storage Safety Quiz and see how your safe storage habits stack up!

Don’t Be a Statistic

Can you carry a gun in your car?

Theft is a common way guns get into criminals’ hands. Improperly storing guns in vehicles increases the risk of firearm theft.
According to the City of Columbia Police Department, at least one gun is stolen from a vehicle every 15 minutes, and cars parked at residences (in driveways, outside homes, etc.) are the most common source of stolen guns.
In 2022, the Austin City Police Department reported that 64% of missing or stolen firearms stemmed from car burglaries, a trend that is reflected across many U.S. cities.
According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, more than 1.07 million firearms were reported stolen between 2017 and 2021 nationwide.

It’s clear. When wondering about traveling with a gun in the car, know that short-term storage in a secure, in-vehicle safe is your best bet.

Learn More About Safely Traveling with a Gun in the Car – Resource Links

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
BulletPoints
Johns Hopkins
Safe Firearm Storage (sponsored by the National Crime Prevention Council, Ad Council, and Bureau of Justice Assistance)
Suicide Prevention (U.S. Dept. of Veteran Affairs)

Contact Console Vault

With the above resources available, there should never be a question of if or how you can carry a gun in your car. Through our in-vehicle safes for a range of makes and models and our patented locking mechanisms, we’re here to make sure firearms remain properly secured in your vehicle at all times.

Firearm Safety: Can You Carry a Gun in Your Car?