What to do while carrying during a traffic stop

The question about traffic stops comes up a lot during my training classes and throughout the internet so I thought I would make a quick article on how to handle this particular situation. In Tennessee, there is no duty to inform the officer that you are carrying but the very presence of a firearm can make an encounter with law enforcement very tense so it’s always a good idea to go ahead and inform the officer that you’re carrying. 

I’m not saying that this is how you need to handle a traffic stop, but this is how I’ve done it since I’ve been carrying. In this example, let’s say I’ve just been pulled over. I would roll down my driver’s side window and place both hands outside of the window. I don’t dig around for my license, registration, or insurance card. Just hands out the window and wait for the cop to approach. Police have no idea what they’re getting into during a stop so I’m trying to make sure that officer is comfortable. When the cop approaches me I will say, “Officer, I have a carry permit and I am armed. My gun is on my right hip. How would you like me to proceed?” Every time I’ve said that, the offer thanks me for informing him. The rest of the stop is polite and continues without incident. 

In Tennessee, police may legally disarm you during a traffic stop. Do not argue, do not resist. If you do, you are escalating that encounter to a very high degree. That is not the time to start lamenting about the second amendment and your sovereign rights as a United States citizen. If you comply and everything goes smoothly, he’ll give you back your firearm so you can go about your day. 

I realize that Tennessee law doesn’t apply to other states and in some of those states, you are required by law to inform an officer that you’re carrying. The reason I recommend you use my method is that if you travel to one of those states and get pulled over, you’ll already have the tools to avoid breaking their law. If you stay polite, inform, and follow instructions, odds are you won’t have any problems during a traffic stop while carrying your firearm.