Pulled over in CA with a carry permit

This is what happened to a driver in CA, what would you do.

As on out of State driver, I was pulled over in CA for speeding 10 over the limit...

Anyway, the officer got really nasty with me about not disclosing I had a CCW.


It went something like this:

*Takes my licence, rental car registration, and personal insurance card to his cruiser..."


Officer: *agitated* What did you not tell me? Hugh? What are you supposed to tell law enforcement that you aren't telling?

Me: Um, nothing that I can think of.

Officer: I am going to ask you again.... What are you supposed to disclose?

Me: I gave you everything you asked for - my Licence, Registration from the Car Rental, and even my personal insurance card; since, I didn't buy the added insurance.

Officer: I am not talking about any of that!

Me: You said you pulled me over for speeding.

Officer: You are required by Law in California to notify a Police Officer that you have a Concealed Permit and whether or not you are armed.

Me: I am an out-of-state driver, and California doesn't recognize my permit or ANY other State's permits, so I don't see the need to disclose I have something that the State doesn't recognize.

Officer: As far as I am concerned, it doesn't matter you need to disclose you have a Concealed Permit because it came up in my computer when I ran your Driver's Licence.

Me: Well, as far as I am concerned, I don't need to disclose I have a permit that the State doesn't recognize as a permit.

Officer: Don't worry about the State. If my computer says you have a permit, you have a permit that I recognize and you need to disclose it to me.

Me: Then without concern to the State, you personally would recognize it and would allow me to carry a gun with it?

Officer: Of course not!!! How would you like it if I wrote you for a misdemeanor for not disclosing this? You would be screwed having a firearms violation on your record and then what would you do?

Me: I would rather you you simply not because I don't like going to court as a defendant, but I would make the best of it and get legal counsel (probably for free from various support groups), plead not guilty, and have a jury trial with news coverage.

Officer: What do you do in your State when you are pulled over?

Me: I haven't been pulled over since getting my concealed carry permit until now, but I would disclose it to the officer.

Officer: Exactly. You have to disclose you have it. Why would you disclose it to officers in your state and not to me?

Me: Honestly, I am not sure if SC requires I disclose it or not. I actually tried to get an answer, but nobody knows. Regardless, I would disclose it anyway out of courtesy to officers in my State because they recognize it. Same goes for officers in other states that recognize it.


Officer: I am really supposed to write you for any violation like this. Are you carrying any guns or knives?

Me: No

Officer: Good. I will call my Sargent to find out what to do with you.

*10 minutes later*

Officer: I was going to let you off with a warning for speeding, but it is people like you that are the reason we need to wear bullet-proof vests. Here, just sign here it is a speeding ticket, which is an infraction not a misdemeanor. Signing is not an admission of guilt, you have a court date, but you are not required to appear. You will get a courtesy letter from the court at least two weeks before your court date, and you can mail in your payment or appear by the date on the ticket. Do you have any questions?



My question is... Did I do anything wrong (aside from speed)? I simply did not plan bring it up or mention anything about a gun; since, I did not have a gun with me, but it is like having a licence they don't recognize.

Perhaps I could have handled it better. Would it have been better to say something, "Officer, I have a concealed carry permit, which California doesn't recognize, but it doesn't matter because I am NOT carrying."

Just saying... I wanted to keep the whole encounter traffic, but I got some officer who apparently hasn't pulled over many people with carry permits.

Later, my girlfriend who was in the car with me went down to file a complaint about our encounter and she said he was aggressive, over-reactive, etc. They basically made no comment about anything other than traffic, but told her that as a one-time courtesy they were going to dismiss the ticket because apparently the guy she spoke with said he really didn't like the situation and was uncomfortable with that ticket because they have an internal department policy where on that road they pull people over for going 10+ over to briefly look for other things like drug trafficking, drunk driving, and that if everything checks out okay with the paperwork they let the driver off with a warning... and that didn't happen this time like it has in every other encounter they have had. He told her dismissing it has nothing to do with how we perceive we were treated or anything like that... that regardless the would not write one for 10 over and treats everyone equally. She ended up not making a written complaint but just talking it over and she got the original copy back with the Sgt's signature it has been dismissed.

I would have said " Sorry I was unaware that CA law required me to report
my permit to you, and, because I checked my permit is not honored here
and I do not have any firearms or weapons in my vehicle as I cannot lawfully
carry here. Sorry that it happened, I would not want to endanger you or anyone
in law enforcement and I respect the laws, it's why I did not bring any firearms with me
due to CA not recognizing my permit.

Was he over reacting, yeah, was he out of line, yeah, but in the end you
just don't want the hassle at that point, and then if he wrote you proceed
to file a harrasement complaint

However I don't think you did anything out of line I just try and
get out of the situation without issue.

Guy has a power trip issue Then again leo's have to deal with a lot
of people that are serious issues and life threatening, the vest comment
was way out of line...

HRK, is was not me but this is a case that I am aware of. I thought I pointed that out in the first post.

Ya the cops have a tuff job & some (alot ) have a power trip going for them , I try to be as nice as possable ,It works most of the time , you have to remember all the strange people these cops have to deal with , I know a lot of cops either still on the job or retired & the stores they can tell ya about people they had to deal with

Yeah I missed that but I could see ya being hauled in
the girlfriend part I was concerned knowin you were married
but hey lotta folks have that going on LOL