FAQ - Concealed Weapons (Non-CPL Holders)

• Transporting without a CCW permit
• Does my profession entitle me to carry a concealed pistol without a license in Michigan
• Restrictions on how or where a gun is carried

If I do not have a CCW permit, may I transport my pistol in a motor vehicle?

MCL 750.231a A person is now permitted to transport a pistol for a lawful purpose if the owner or occupant of the vehicle is the registered owner of the firearm and the pistol is unloaded and in a closed case in the trunk of the vehicle. If the vehicle does not have a trunk, the pistol may be in the passenger compartment of the vehicle unloaded and inaccessible to the occupants of the vehicle.

A 'lawful purpose' includes:

• While en route to or from a hunting or target shooting area.
• While transporting a pistol to or from home or place of business and a place of repair.
• While moving goods from one place of residence or business to another place of residence or business.
• While transporting a licensed pistol to or from a law enforcement agency for the purpose of having a safety inspection performed (registering the pistol) or to have a law enforcement official take possession of the pistol.
• While en route to or from home or place of business to a gun show or place of purchase or sale.
• While en route to or from home to a public shooting facility or land where the discharge of firearms is permitted.
• While en route to or from home to private property where the pistol is to be used as permitted by law, rule, regulation, or local ordinance.

I work as a security guard. Does my profession entitle me to carry a concealed pistol without a license in Michigan as required by my employer?

MCL 750.227 No. You can only carry a pistol while on duty on the premises of your employer and only if it is exposed.

If you wish to carry a pistol concealed, you must obtain a concealed pistol license through the county gun board.

28.425n(2)b   This does not prohibit an employer from prohibiting the carrying of the concealed pistol by an employee while in the course of his or her employment with that employer.

Do I need a concealed pistol permit to carry my pistols while walking through the woods near my cabin in Michigan? If not, are there any restrictions on how or where the gun is carried?

MCL 750.227allows you to carry a pistol concealed or not if you are in your own home or on your own property.  If you do not own the land, no license is needed to carry a pistol as long as it is exposed.  However, should a person cover the pistol during inclement weather with a jacket or coat or get into a vehicle, the pistol would be concealed, and the carrier would place himself in jeopardy unless he possessed a concealed pistol permit.  Per Attorney General's opinion #3158 dated February 14, 1945, a holster, in plain view, is not considered concealed. Department of Natural Resources regulations require a person to have a valid Michigan hunting license if in an area inhabited by wildlife, while in possession of a firearm.