TRAFFIC STOPS BECOMING A GROWING THREAT TO GUN OWNERS
Don't Give Them a Reason!
For gun owners traveling in or through, something as routine as a vehicle registration problem can quickly become much more serious.
An expired, suspended, or otherwise invalid registration can result in a vehicle being stopped and, in some circumstances, towed. Once a vehicle is impounded, police may conduct an inventory search under applicable law and department procedures. Lawful gun owners transporting firearms or ammunition with a vehicle registration issue in Massachusetts can create serious legal complications if every requirement has not been followed. Even then, you could face arrest and charges.
Before getting behind the wheel, make sure your registration, inspection, insurance, and driver’s license are current and valid. If you are transporting firearms or ammunition, know Massachusetts law and make certain everything is being transported in accordance with Chapter 135.
Chapter 135 has made an already complicated set of firearm laws even more difficult to navigate. A seemingly unrelated motor vehicle issue can put a gun owner in a situation where firearms are discovered and their possession, transportation, licensing, or registration status comes under scrutiny. It is further complicated as most police, and prosecutors, don’t know or understand the new gun laws.
The best encounter with the criminal justice system is the one that never happens.
Check your vehicle. Check your paperwork. Know the law.
GOAL continues working to educate Massachusetts gun owners and defend those caught in the Commonwealth’s increasingly complicated firearm laws – The Devil’s Snare.