Legal question: Cars and guns in PA?

[Roadrunner]

OK, I have a rather specific question regarding cars and guns in Pennsylvania. I intend to contact the Attorney General for a definitive answer, but I'd like to get some input from the membership here as well. I have a CCW permit and am also a student at a local university. I live off campus and drive to school every day. What I need to know is whether or not PA considers a citizen's car to be an extension of their home as is the case in other states. I can't carry at school (sure wish I could, but it isn't worth being kicked out/getting arrested over), but I don't like having to go back and forth from school unarmed. I don't live in a particularly bad section of town or anything, but I'm sure all of you understand better than most that bad things can happen anywhere at any time. I would like to store my handgun in my car while I'm in class, but I'm not sure about the legalities of having it in my car on school property. If anyone has any advice or personal experience to share it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[dairycreek]

Took the following from the Pennsylvania law found on Packing.org as it seems to pertain to your question. By all means you should forward your question to the Pennsylvania AG as you suggest but this should give you some idea of what to expect. Good luck


§ 912. Possession of weapon on school property.
(a) Definition.--Notwithstanding the definition of "weapon" in section 907 (relating to possessing instruments of crime), "weapon" for purposes of this section shall include but not be limited to any knife, cutting instrument, cutting tool, nun-chuck stick, firearm, shotgun, rifle and any other tool, instrument or implement capable of inflicting serious bodily injury.

(b) Offense defined.--A person commits a misdemeanor of the first degree if he possesses a weapon in the buildings of, on the grounds of, or in any conveyance providing transportation to or from any elementary or secondary publicly-funded educational institution, any elementary or secondary private school licensed by the Department of Education or any elementary or secondary parochial school.

(c) Defense.--It shall be a defense that the weapon is possessed and used in conjunction with a lawful supervised school activity or course or is possessed for other lawful purpose

[Roadrunner]

Thanks dairycreek. Now the question is whether or not a CCW permit qualifies as a lawful purpose. It seems like it should, but we all know how much sense most laws make. I've got more direction for my letter to the AG now, so thanks again.

[P95Carry]

Roadrunner - ''school'' in your case I am assuming we can equally well call ''college'' - meaning we are not dealing with an implicit Federal restriction. I therefore am tempted to think that any no-no re gun left in car would be a college ordinance to be followed.

As for the darned ''lawful purposes'' deal mentioned in the § 912.c - this has to be one of those absurd and frustrating very gray areas and couyld be argued in both directions IMO but - a lawyer I most certainly am not.

[Anubis]

The law quoted above relates to the K-12 range and does not include universities.

Virtually the same law here in CO. And, of course, the universities all have their own no-carry policies.