NH open carry on a motorcycle ?

[Harleynut]

I know you can open carry in NH but if you get in your car you have to unload. My question is what about on a motorcycle? The way I am talking about carrying the gun would still be visible. Would they still have a problem with the fact you have a loaded gun on a motor vehicle?
I have a permit so I can carry concealed but have been wondering about the open carry for a while thinking more of a ride home from the range on a hot day.

 

[flhri03]

I'm pretty sure open carry is fine on the scoot. I've done it plenty of times, and seen plenty of LEOs and no one has ever said anything.

 

[Gonzo]

If you have a pistol permit you can have a loaded handgun in a vehicle, open or concealed. So you're good to go.

 

[KBCraig]

Motorcycles are exactly like cars. The rules are the same.

Without a license, you must unload before getting on/in a motor vehicle. Open or concealed doesn't matter, so long as it's unloaded.

With a license, you can carry loaded. Again, open or concealed doesn't matter, as long as you have a revolver & pistol license.

 

[Auspicious Aspect]

Motorcycles are exactly like cars. The rules are the same.

Without a license, you must unload before getting on/in a motor vehicle. Open or concealed doesn't matter, so long as it's unloaded.

With a license, you can carry loaded. Again, open or concealed doesn't matter, as long as you have a revolver & pistol license.

The law clearly says "in any vehicle," not "on/in a motor vehicle" as you stated.

I don't recall this ever having been adjudicated. Do you have a citation for your answer?

http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/XII/159/159-4.htm

 

[soloman02]

The law clearly says "in any vehicle," not "on/in a motor vehicle" as you stated.

I don't recall this ever having been adjudicated. Do you have a citation for your answer?

http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/XII/159/159-4.htm

While you are correct that it says "in a motor vehicle", do you really want to be a test case?

Now you said you have a LTC for NH so you are good to go anyway. But for those who reading this and do not have an NH LTC: do you really want to be a test case?

 

[KBCraig]

The law clearly says "in any vehicle," not "on/in a motor vehicle" as you stated.

I don't recall this ever having been adjudicated. Do you have a citation for your answer?

I don't know that it's been addressed by the courts, but there is no doubt at all that a motorcycle is a motor vehicle, and NH courts aren't very tolerant of attempts at pedantic word games. The intent of the statute is clear enough. Like soloman02 says, the difference between "on" and "in" isn't something a non-licensee should test.

But since Harleynut does have a license ("permit", I think he said), it doesn't matter. And no, it doesn't have to be unloaded in or on a motor vehicle when you have a license, nor does the law distinguish between open and concealed when it comes to motor vehicles.

(Before someone brings up shotguns, this only applies to handguns. All long guns must be unloaded in motor vehicles, whether you have a license or not.)

 

[Racenet]

The law clearly says "in any vehicle," not "on/in a motor vehicle" as you stated.

I don't recall this ever having been adjudicated. Do you have a citation for your answer?

http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/XII/159/159-4.htm

<sigh>

This is NH. Mass legal crap doesn't apply here.

<sigh>

 

[Furrbrain]

<sigh>

This is NH. Mass legal crap doesn't apply here.

<sigh>

Sorry, did I miss something?

 

[Auspicious Aspect]

I don't know that it's been addressed by the courts, but there is no doubt at all that a motorcycle is a motor vehicle, and NH courts aren't very tolerant of attempts at pedantic word games. The intent of the statute is clear enough. Like soloman02 says, the difference between "on" and "in" isn't something a non-licensee should test.

I wasn't advocating or asking you your opinion about any particular course of action, I was asking if you have a citation for your interpretation of this particular law.

Given how tightly NH's gun laws tend to be written (in contrast to other areas of the RSAs), it seems likely that had they meant "on," they would have written that into the statute. However, the legislators who wrote this law disagree among themselves as to whether or not motorcycles are covered, so the legislative intent is muddled.

<sigh>

This is NH. Mass legal crap doesn't apply here.

<sigh>

Uh huh. That's why I posted a link to the NH law being discussed.

 

[KBCraig]

Hey, AA: this is a motorcycle.

So, care to continue "on" versus "in"?