Surviving a Traffic Stop When You're Carrying - #2A
Traffic Stop Trip Wires that Legal Gun Owners Should All Watch Out For
Traffic Stop Trip Wires that Legal Gun Owners Should All Watch Out For
If you carry a gun, this is the kind of knowledge you want before you ever see flashing lights behind you.
Why Legal Gun Owners Get Caught in These Traps
You can do everything right—valid permit, clean record, gun secured properly—and still find yourself standing on the side of the road watching an officer pull your gun out of your car and “inspect” it.
A lot of people freeze in that moment. They don’t know the rules, so they don’t know what to push back on.
Marc Lopez calls these moments trip wires—because once the officer crosses them, the law is on your side… but only if you know how to defend your rights calmly and confidently.
Trip Wire #1: The Unlawful Delay
A traffic stop has one job: deal with the traffic violation.
That’s it.
In Rodriguez v. United States, the Supreme Court made something extremely clear:
Police can check your license, write the ticket, and confirm warrants—but they can’t drag out the stop to start a new, unrelated investigation.
Running your gun’s serial number is a new investigation.
It’s not “officer safety.”
It’s a fishing expedition.
If the officer could’ve already sent you on your way but instead chooses to dig into your firearm, they’ve illegally…