Best course of action when pulled over by LEO?

[DocZombie]

I have heard a few different answers about this from instructors and attorneys. Does anyone know the best or "official" procedure? What do you LEOs out there recommend?

[Guest Revelator]

These threads always end up bad for some reason. Do a search on this topic, you'll find a lot of information.

[walton6467]

License? Its on the bumper. Oh registration? Here, hold my beer and my gun and I'll get it.

[walton6467]

Um that was a joke by the way.

[Erik88]

It's your decision on what you want to do. In TN you are not required to inform the officer you are carrying unless he asks you. Personally I will always notify the officer if I'm carrying. My friend is a LEO and says he appreciates it when people tell him.

The only time I've been pulled over while carrying was a KPD officer and he was really cool about it. Let me go with a warning.

[Guest BenderBendingRodriguez]

If you're going to let them know you're carrying, a good start might just be to hand them your permit when you give them your license. They're going to find out when they run your number, anyway, so you're not losing much by being forthcoming. And that seems like a much better option than saying anything that has the phrase "I've got a gun" or similar before the officer has figured out that you wouldn't want to use it on them. I mean, just trying to say "I've got a handgun carry permit" leads right off with "I've got a handgun." At that point the officer may start listening and start reaching for their own. Why add that extra stress?

[Guest friesepferd]

once i have stopped i will roll down my window (one push button for me, so doesnt take much) and keep my hands on the stearing wheel (any leo will tell you to please do this. dont go digging through any parts of your car until he asks you to).

if i can, i actually generally try and get my wallet out of my pocket while i am being pulled over, so once im stopped the officer can always see my hands and i dont have to bother digging it out.

When he asks for it, I take out both my licenses and hand it to him. do ask asked, answer questions when asked, etc.

when in a state that requires you to immediatly inform the officer you are carrying, i say someting along the lines of "good evening officer, first off i am required to inform you that i have a handgun carry permit (or corrent name for that state) and am carrying today"

[Bubba0031]

I try to not get pulled over But if I do get stopped I concur with Bender just hand them the permit with your license

[Guest motenn]

From my many dealings with them, hand them the permit with your L's...an pray your not dealing with a rookie cop.

[DocZombie]

Hopefully, we can kind of tell the rookie! Thanks for the feedback. I like the proactive approach and handing it over with the DL. That is what one of our instructors suggested. It was a lawyer who suggested only if asked, which I think is typical of the profession - offer as little info as possible. No offense to any of our lawyer friends who are just looking out for our best interests.

[Fallguy]

There is no "official" position as every Law Enforcement Agency is different in the state as well as the individual officers that work for each Agency.

It appears that in the new DOS video shown during the safety class, that they suggest handing over your HCP with your DL. What you do is up to you.

For me it depends on the situation.

[sigrug17]

Lic, Registration, etc., carry permit with the Lic. and hands on the wheel after you ask him/ her what you want them for you to do next. (keep it simple)

[gregintenn]

I would just try to be still, quiet, and agreeable, and do your best to do what the officer asks you to do. If you drop your wallet in the floorboard, DO NOT bend over to pick it up!!!!! AN officer's handgun looks like it has an awfully big hole in it when he's pointing it at your nose!!!!!

[Guest Red5]

And if it's dark out, turn on your interior light so he can see that you're not preparing for battle.

[farrar]

Lic, Registration, etc., carry permit with the Lic. and hands on the wheel after you ask him/ her what you want them for you to do next. (keep it simple)

I agree

[RobertNashville]

The real problem with questions like this is that it's almost impossible to answer and truly be "right" because what a person "should" do depends so much on the officer involved and the specific situation. That said...

1. I always keep my hands on the steering wheel and visible to the officer.

2. I don't "get" anything (our of my wallet, glove box, etc) without first telling the office where my hands area going to go and why I'm going there.

3. I've always advocated, and many "gun experts" seem to agree that it's a good idea to "inform" the officer you are carrying by simply handing him your permit with your DL (announcing you have "gun" is NOT a good idea).

That said, about five weeks ago I was stopped by THP and I didn't tell him I was carrying (and I was carrying)...he was a lieutenant...VERY polite...he never asked if I was carrying so apparently, he wasn't worried (or at least he wasn't worried about me but I don't know if that's a good thing or not!).

If for no other reason, I think telling an officer you are carrying (when you are) by handing him your permit (or in some other low-key way) is a good idea if only so that you don't inadvertently break the law in those states that require you to tell an officer you are armed.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

It's your decision on what you want to do. In TN you are not required to inform the officer you are carrying unless he asks you. Personally I will always notify the officer if I'm carrying. My friend is a LEO and says he appreciates it when people tell him.

The only time I've been pulled over while carrying was a KPD officer and he was really cool about it. Let me go with a warning.

That's been my experience a total of three times, so far, and never got a ticket, luckily.

[DaveTN]

Having been the one doing the stops… I would treat them the way I would want to be treated.

Tennessee has given you the choice of deciding if you want to inform or not. I’m informing because …1. I don’t want any drama. 2. It opens communications for a friendly discussion that will get me out of a ticket.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Good advice, Dave. That's what I usually do, because I would rather see an officer a bit more at ease

when I talk to him. No use to give a reason to become concerned.

[Raoul]

These threads always end up bad for some reason. Do a search on this topic, you'll find a lot of information.

This.

Just be polite.

[walton6467]

My class taught me the phrase "Officer, I have a hand gun permit and I am armed." That said, you sit very still with hands on wheel until directed otherwise. I've been stopped once and it worked like a charm.

[LagerHead]

I have been stopped 3 times since I got my permit, most recently this past weekend in Alabama at a sobriety checkpoint. All three times I informed the officer right off the bat. All three times they indicated their appreciation for me telling them. All three times I was let go with a warning or without further hassle (in the case of the sobriety checkpoints). Maybe it's coincidence but like Pavlov's dogs I learn from repetition and will continue to do so. It's really no skin off your back to tell them and only a very few will give you extra grief for carrying and it's very likely they would give it to you once they run your DL and find out you have a permit and you didn't tell them. Who knows?

[Spiffy]

I stutter and it's really bad when under "stress". So I made the personal decision to just hand my DL and HCP over when they roll up at the window and go from there.

With lots of Yes Sir and No Sir.

[RobertNashville]

Having been the one doing the stops… I would treat them the way I would want to be treated.

Tennessee has given you the choice of deciding if you want to inform or not. I’m informing because …1. I don’t want any drama. 2. It opens communications for a friendly discussion that will get me out of a ticket.

Humm...maybe I should have told the lieutenant who stopped me 'cause I DID get the ticket. Of course, I absolutely deserved it but that's besides the point.

[Pain103]

I personally like being informed when I stop someone but I don't get pissy if they don't tell me. Typically if I'm actually doing traffic enforcement I really don't care I just get the stop done either ticket or warning and move on. But there are several threads before this one you can search. It's up to you but do what you think is best and safest.