Can you carry a gun in the bed of your pickup truck?
The laws around transporting a firearm are complicated. Legally transporting a gun in a truck can be even more confusing. That’s because while your gun must be out of reach of the driver and passenger, it also must be in a locked container such as a trunk. So what about a pickup truck without a locking trunk? You may need to invest in a locking container, such as a gun case.
Transporting your gun in your vehicle
The “Safe Passage” provision (18 U.S.C. § 926A) allows you to transport a gun across state lines. You must be traveling from a state where you are legally allowed to have that gun, and to a state where it’s also legal. You can’t stop your trip for “too long” in any states where it’s illegal to have said gun. And you must follow a few rules for how you carry the gun in your pickup truck.
The US Law Shield website reports, “Any firearms you’re transporting must be unloaded and locked in the trunk of the vehicle.” So what about an SUV or a station wagon without a trunk? You can use “Another container that’s out of reach or not immediately accessible.”
That container must lock, such as a gun case. What’s “out of reach” mean? Some lawyers recommend you place that container as far away from the driver as possible. So in an SUV, you should place your gun case in the cargo area behind the rear seat–not on the passenger seat.
The law insists on a final point. “Any ammunition must also be locked in the trunk or another container. This doesn’t include the glove box or center console.”
Can you transport a gun in the bed of your pickup truck?
The bed of a stock pickup truck is certainly “out of reach” of the driver and passengers. But because it isn’t a locking container, you’ll need to modify it before you store a gun there. An in-bed toolbox or a hard locking tonneau cover is one option to turn it into a “trunk.” There are also companies that build locking drawer systems to safely store hunting rifles and ammunition in the back of pickup trucks.
Tossing a gun and your ammunition loose in the bed of your truck isn’t a very safe or responsible way to transport them. If you have no such locking container behind your passenger compartment, your best bet is a locked gun case and ammunition box as far away from the driver as possible.
