Practical implications of H4885 for non-residents traveling into/through MA?

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With the law having gone into effect, what is different for non-residents?

For example, Chapter 135 §44:129B (k) which states:
MAGL 135 44:129B (k) said:
A nonresident may carry a firearm on their person while in a vehicle lawfully traveling through the commonwealth; provided, however, that the firearm shall remain in the vehicle and if the firearm is outside its owner’s direct control it shall be stored in the vehicle in accordance with section 131C.

Does this mean New Hampshire residents no longer need to be nervous as they approach Exit 1 southbound?
 
With the law having gone into effect, what is different for non-residents?

For example, Chapter 135 §44:129B (k) which states:


Does this mean New Hampshire residents no longer need to be nervous as they approach Exit 1 southbound?
You need to realize that there is a very large distinction between traveling INTO versus traveling THROUGH.

For example, under federal law you can travel through MA with firearms provided those firearms are unloaded and locked up, inaccessible to the driver, as long as those firearms are legal to possess at your origin and destination. The key point to emphasize here is that the federal law would come into play traveling THROUGH Massachusetts, not traveling INTO.

The law that you cited also states traveling THROUGH, not traveling INTO. That is, it appears to say that you can carry when passing through MA. But traveling through does not mean driving into MA, stopping for gas, going to a mall to buy some stuff, and then going back to NH. In addition it isn’t clear to me whether that law provides immunity to other parts of MA law. For example, it would not surprise me at all if someone arrested while passing through MA would not be charged with carrying a firearm but would be charged with possessing a post-ban large capacity magazine, possessing a gun that isn’t registered (once the registration portal is in place), etc. It would be little comfort to me to not be prosecuted for law A only to be jailed for years for breaking law B.

In other words, this is not something that I would be willing to test until we have a lot more clarity.
 
You need to realize that there is a very large distinction between traveling INTO versus traveling THROUGH.

For example, under federal law you can travel through MA with firearms provided those firearms are unloaded and locked up, inaccessible to the driver, as long as those firearms are legal to possess at your origin and destination. The key point to emphasize here is that the federal law would come into play traveling THROUGH Massachusetts, not traveling INTO.

The law that you cited also states traveling THROUGH, not traveling INTO. That is, it appears to say that you can carry when passing through MA.
I rarely voluntarily travel into Mordor Massachusetts.

FOPA only covers cases where the firearms are unloaded and locked up, this law is distinct from FOPA, and explicitly states "carry a firearm on their person", would appear to apply when I'm headed down to Costco at Exit 1 and either miss my exit or coming back north I take the short route back to the highway?
In other words, this is not something that I would be willing to test until we have a lot more clarity.
We just need somebody willing to take the long way around the Pheasant Lane parking lot in order to test this.
 
I rarely voluntarily travel into Mordor Massachusetts.

FOPA only covers cases where the firearms are unloaded and locked up, this law is distinct from FOPA, and explicitly states "carry a firearm on their person", would appear to apply when I'm headed down to Costco at Exit 1 and either miss my exit or coming back north I take the short route back to the highway?

We just need somebody willing to take the long way around the Pheasant Lane parking lot in order to test this.
Just wait until the casino opens there, you can count on MSP staking out that far end of the parking lot for drunk drivers if no other reason!!
 
I rarely voluntarily travel into Mordor Massachusetts.

FOPA only covers cases where the firearms are unloaded and locked up, this law is distinct from FOPA, and explicitly states "carry a firearm on their person", would appear to apply when I'm headed down to Costco at Exit 1 and either miss my exit or coming back north I take the short route back to the highway?
Yes, I'm well aware that FOPA only covers unloaded transport, not concealed carry.

My point was the distinction between THROUGH versus INTO. You titled this thread "...traveling into/through MA", implying that into and through are the same thing, which they are not.

This law appears to apply to traveling through MA while carrying, not traveling into MA while carrying. That distinction between into versus through is the point that I was making, via the analogy to FOPA, which also only covers traveling through, not into.
 
With the law having gone into effect, what is different for non-residents?
I am also curious about this. I regularly travel into Maura's Domain for matches and practices, and have the non-res LTC. I also only bring ban complaint guns and mags for these events.
I have heard (via goal website) you now have to register your gun to bring it in. Is that true? Any other potential pratfalls? Do I just hire NStassel to review this mess for me? I have a lot of friends and great memories of shooting matches down in MA, from Harvard, Woburn, Worcester, Hopkinton, etc. I would hate to lose that.
 
I am also curious about this. I regularly travel into Maura's Domain for matches and practices, and have the non-res LTC. I also only bring ban complaint guns and mags for these events.
I have heard (via goal website) you now have to register your gun to bring it in. Is that true? Any other potential pratfalls? Do I just hire NStassel to review this mess for me? I have a lot of friends and great memories of shooting matches down in MA, from Harvard, Woburn, Worcester, Hopkinton, etc. I would hate to lose that.
If the ban compliant weapons (rifles) weren’t in MA on 8/1/24, they aren’t washed of their assault style firearm status. Be mindful of the new definitions.
 
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