Declare or not declare that is the question.

[Salty1]

When they run your license they will find out that you have a CHL, how happy do you think the officer will be that you did not inform him? By playing by the rules you have more of a chance at not receiving a ticket by showing your CHL, tickets these days are more expensive than your CHL license.... I will show mine everytime, makes no difference if I am carrying or not, then again I always am.....

[SpringerFan]

When they run your license they will find out that you have a CHL, how happy do you think the officer will be that you did not inform him? By playing by the rules you have more of a chance at not receiving a ticket by showing your CHL, tickets these days are more expensive than your CHL license.... I will show mine everytime, makes no difference if I am carrying or not, then again I always am.....

My thoughts also.

[Abraham]

Yes, if I'm asked for an I.D. by an LEO I'll show both, but if he or she already knows this information by dint of their on-board computer, why IS it necessary to confirm what they presumably already know?

Is their information often faulty or ...?

[LarryH]

Yes, if I'm asked for an I.D. by an LEO I'll show both, but if he or she already knows this information by dint of their on-board computer, why IS it necessary to confirm what they presumably already know?

Is their information often faulty or ...?

IMHO, it's because, as usual, the law has not kept pace with technology. (That's not always a bad thing. Sometimes the ability to do something does not imply that one should do that something.)

[Keith B]

Yes, if I'm asked for an I.D. by an LEO I'll show both, but if he or she already knows this information by dint of their on-board computer, why IS it necessary to confirm what they presumably already know?

Is their information often faulty or ...?

Unless they run your name from the license plate registration, then they will not already know. The CHL does not show up on the plate info. When they will find out is if they go back and run your driver's license and it pops up you have a CHL. At that point they probably are going to come back and ask you if you are carrying. And, some LEO's have the misunderstanding that you have to present your CHL period, even if not carrying, and may rake you over the coals for not showing it. If you ARE carrying, then you are still required to present your CHL, period.

[MadMonkey]

Yes, if I'm asked for an I.D. by an LEO I'll show both, but if he or she already knows this information by dint of their on-board computer, why IS it necessary to confirm what they presumably already know?

Is their information often faulty or ...?

Unless they run your name from the license plate registration, then they will not already know. The CHL does not show up on the plate info. When they will find out is if they go back and run your driver's license and it pops up you have a CHL. At that point they probably are going to come back and ask you if you are carrying. And, some LEO's have the misunderstanding that you have to present your CHL period, even if not carrying, and may rake you over the coals for not showing it. If you ARE carrying, then you are still required to present your CHL, period.

I had an officer ask me if I was carrying when I forgot to tell him AND forgot to hand him my CHL. He knew somehow...

I apologized profusely.

[Keith B]

I had an officer ask me if I was carrying when I forgot to tell him AND forgot to hand him my CHL. He knew somehow...

I apologized profusely.

Had you already given him you drivers license and he gone back to run it? Even if not, as mentioned above some officers will go ahead and run the name of the registered owner that comes back to the plate through the system before they approach the car. Then when the officer gets your DL and it matches the name that came up and he ran, he would know you have a CHL. Otherwise, they don't know off of just the plate info alone. Also, if you are leasing a car I believe it shows as the leasing company and not the person leasing it. Maybe one of the LEO's or others that have access to Texas system on here can confirm that.

[jbirds1210]

I consider it rude when people do not disclose their CHL status to me on a traffic stop. It wastes a perfectly good opportunity for the two of us to talk about guns!

I like to know how people carry, but in all seriousness, I just thank people when they let me know and go on about my business....I do not consider it any more of a revelation than the fact I am carrying a gun.

Jason

[MadMonkey]

I had an officer ask me if I was carrying when I forgot to tell him AND forgot to hand him my CHL. He knew somehow...

I apologized profusely.

Had you already given him you drivers license and he gone back to run it? Even if not, as mentioned above some officers will go ahead and run the name of the registered owner that comes back to the plate through the system before they approach the car. Then when the officer gets your DL and it matches the name that came up and he ran, he would know you have a CHL. Otherwise, they don't know off of just the plate info alone. Also, if you are leasing a car I believe it shows as the leasing company and not the person leasing it. Maybe one of the LEO's or others that have access to Texas system on here can confirm that.

I don't lease, and it was his first approach.

[Nativetexan2]

It just makes sense, when asked for your Id just hand over both dl and chl and don't try to hide anything. The LEO will thank you for that and have a nice day.

[idrathernot]

I was stopped a couple of months ago for not wearing my seat belt. I was stopped at a light when the officer drove by and saw me. I was considerate enough to pull over into a parking lot and not the side of the street for his safety. He asked me if I knew why he was pulling me over, I told him I suspected it was because I was not wearing my seat belt. I then presented him with my DL and CHL making an effort to be curteous and respectful. He asked me if I had any weapons on myself or in the vehicle. I did not. He then had me get out of the car, lift up my shirt, and stand by the driver side door while he wrote up my ticket. I must really appear to be a shady character as he asked me about weapons three or four times. To put the cherry on top, he told me not to worry about the ticket because seat belt violations were "fairly inexpensive".... I guess that's right if your an APD officer making between $68,819 and $81,559 after two years on the job.

[Embalmo]

It's a coin toss, and I'm about to scrap the whole idea of declaring. If I don't declare, I sit in my car while the stop goes quickly and smoothly. If I do declare, I might be pulled out of my car, pushed against my car, frisked, and detained for an hour while the moron grapples procedure. And then your gun might be placed in your trunk to bounce around with your jack and spare while you drive home. The only time in my entire life that I've ever been removed from my car, frisked and detained for an hour was when I was foolish enough to declare.

Embalmo

[Keith B]

It's a coin toss, and I'm about to scrap the whole idea of declaring. If I don't declare, I sit in my car while the stop goes quickly and smoothly. If I do declare, I might be pulled out of my car, pushed against my car, frisked, and detained for an hour while the moron grapples procedure. And then your gun might be placed in your trunk to bounce around with your jack and spare while you drive home. The only time in my entire life that I've ever been removed from my car, frisked and detained for an hour was when I was foolish enough to declare.

Embalmo

The law still states you must declare if you are carrying. Period.

[Embalmo]

It's a coin toss, and I'm about to scrap the whole idea of declaring. If I don't declare, I sit in my car while the stop goes quickly and smoothly. If I do declare, I might be pulled out of my car, pushed against my car, frisked, and detained for an hour while the moron grapples procedure. And then your gun might be placed in your trunk to bounce around with your jack and spare while you drive home. The only time in my entire life that I've ever been removed from my car, frisked and detained for an hour was when I was foolish enough to declare.

Embalmo

The law still states you must declare if you are carrying. Period.

Did the "L" word appear anywhere in this post? Funny thing about CHL laws is that CHLs seem to be the only ones who understand/know current CHL laws. After the incident with the women in the hospital and the treatment that I received, I don't trust LEOs to know what the current laws are concerning CHL. Certainly, I wouldn't take a chance as the cop would know ahead of time, but it was a lot simpler when I carried in my vehicle before I had a CHL. I believed, like we were all told in CHL class, that declaring would put the LEO at ease, but it often has the opposite effect.

Embalmo

[Keith B]

It's a coin toss, and I'm about to scrap the whole idea of declaring. If I don't declare, I sit in my car while the stop goes quickly and smoothly. If I do declare, I might be pulled out of my car, pushed against my car, frisked, and detained for an hour while the moron grapples procedure. And then your gun might be placed in your trunk to bounce around with your jack and spare while you drive home. The only time in my entire life that I've ever been removed from my car, frisked and detained for an hour was when I was foolish enough to declare.

Embalmo

The law still states you must declare if you are carrying. Period.

Did the "L" word appear anywhere in this post? Funny thing about CHL laws is that CHLs seem to be the only ones who understand/know current CHL laws. After the incident with the women in the hospital and the treatment that I received, I don't trust LEOs to know what the current laws are concerning CHL. Certainly, I wouldn't take a chance as the cop would know ahead of time, but it was a lot simpler when I carried in my vehicle before I had a CHL. I believed, like we were all told in CHL class, that declaring would put the LEO at ease, but it often has the opposite effect.

Embalmo

I think you will find much more the opposite; that many LEO's have the understanding that you must present your CHL at ALL times. There are several stories of LEO's who have chastised the CHL, even when not carrying, for not presenting his ID when he the drivers license to them. Now, even though the penalties for not presenting changed, you still run the risk of being reprimanded or even arrested for not presenting while carrying because the LEO is not current on the statutes.

And, while you apparently got a bad taste from your one poor encounter, do not paste all LEO's into that mold. Many DO know the law, and many are pro-CHL. Besides, it is against forum rules to LEO bash.