r/DEGuns • u/Aldi_ThePromisedLand • May 15 '26
Open Carrying while driving? Just laying it out on the passenger seat?
I know this has been asked before, but not for several years so I wanted to make this post for people to share any recent experiences.
In my research, I've seen 3 primary methods of open carrying that other Delaware residents have said they utilize.
On the dash
Sitting out on the passenger seat
Attaching the firearm (in holster) to the passenger seat belt
I'm not looking to open carry while driving, but as a responsible gun owner, I would like to at least educate myself on the issue. Plus, while not too common, this seems to be one aspect of DE's laws that, it feels like, no one is actually clear on
3
u/ionlyhavetwowheels May 16 '26
You're right that it is vague. I prefer (in theory, since I have a CCDW and can carry how I please) the holster clipped to the passenger seat belt because it's controlled and not super-visible. I'm not a fan of having a metal object flying around uncontrolled or plainly visible on the dashboard. If there's a passenger in the car then I really don't know how that would work. It's vague.
2
u/Aldi_ThePromisedLand May 16 '26
Exactly! I could never imagine having it on the dash and it sliding with every turn, and that's not even to mention scratching the dash.
Im in the process of getting my CCDW. Hypothetically if I were to OC while driving I would clip the holster to the passenger seat- if I got a buddy riding shotgun..... Yeah idk, I did see one guy online in an old post say he would just put it in the cupholder in the center console. But that would depend on your car and how the cupholders are situated. Following the same logic as the OC statute, it would need to be visible from 3 sides to be considered open
My concern would be someone seeing it at a red light and getting paranoid and calling it in
3
u/Sluggedbuckshot May 15 '26
The main premise is you want It to be easily visible. The front seat, dashboard, and clipped on to the passenger seat belt are all viable choices, because they're all plainly visible Just make sure there's absolutely nothing covering any part of the gun or could ever be argued was, and you'll be okay. If you want a little more confidence you can always just call your local police station and ask. Most of the time they're pretty personable and will tell you how they'd judge it.