I lost my right to carry last week

[cred]

I lost my right to carry last week - for about a day.
As I left my office I called in an order of Chinese food. When I went into the restaurant to pay for it - I felt an empty pocket. I had lost my wallet. Immediately I wasn't thinking about the food, or my ID - I was thinking "I have a weapon on me - without my CHL".
I walked back to my car - and locked my glock in my lock box. I went back into the restaurant and called my wife and she gave them a CC# over the phone.
As I was driving home I started thinking about all the places I had been that day without my license to carry. What if something happened? What if I was pulled over for speeding?
I have never misplaced or lost my wallet. This was a first and a sobering reminder that a concealed gun without a license is a crime - even for a person who has a license (somewhere).

The next day I found my wallet on the floor of my office - under my chair.

Lessons learned:
1. Check the wallet often.
2. Make sure that I always have a lock box - sometimes you have to stow your gun.
3. Don't buy food from a restaurant that will take a CC number without an ID.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[BamaSteve]

man, I hate that feeling of loosing something. I don't do it often at all, but it sucks when I do. Glad you found your wallet and had the awareness of your CCP and weapon. I need to get a locking box in my truck as well...

[athos76]

I lost my wallet a few years ago. I got to work and had to use the company credit card... reached back on my cargo shorts to find the entire pocket missing.
I flipped. Not only were all the company credit cards in there, but my credit cards, DL, SS card, Mechanics license, blank checks and about 200 bucks...
My wife drove to the two places we went and no joy...she then ran home to feed the turtles and there was the pocket and my wallet laying on the office chair.
Ever since then, I've had OCD on my wallet, keys and cell... and now my Glock...

[JB-Norcal]

I made a copy of my permit, laminated it, and it stays in my primary vehicle just for that reason.

[Pikachu711]

SS card

NO ONE should be carrying their social security card with them unless you are planning on applying for a job. The only purpose of carrying your SS card is for employers or tax preparers.

A few years ago my brother lost his wallet. He always carried his SS card with him. He didn't think too much about it. Now he's the victim of identity theft. Whenever he's pulled over by police it is a "felony" stop. My brother's SSN was included in the "booking" information at the arrest of this person who found my brother's wallet.

Do yourself a favor. Leave your SS card safely at home. Most people don't need their SS card for daily use. But this is only my humble opinion.

[HowardCohodas]

Part of my EDC includes a thumb drive. I may occasionally forget the drive or my wallet, but so far never both. This will reduce the "pit of the stomach" syndrome should I not remember why I don't have my wallet at the moment.

Pretec Bulletproof USB Flash Drive


There is a folder titled " In Case of Emergency" the leading space causing it to be first in an alphabetical list. The folder contains copies of all certificates I carry in my wallet including licenses. Most police cars around here have PCs so, in an emergency, I could produce a photocopy of my CC photo ID.

I also have a password protected folder on the drive containing photocopies of all the credit cards I carry, front and back. Should make reporting stolen cards to credit card companies easier.

As an aside, I have an entry in my cell phone directory " In Case of Emergency" containing my wife's work, our home and her cell phone number. If something should happen to me and an emergency responder have the presence to check my cell phone, reaching her should be easy.

[BrianGarms]

I have a question about you losing your license..

This may not apply since we live in different states and I may be way off but here in MO, lets say I lose my driver's license and get pulled over, all I have to do is give the officer my SS# and he can check to see if I'm legal.

Would this same thing not apply with a CCW license?

[Pikachu711]

When my brother lost his wallet he lost it all. Driver's license, social security card, credit cards, work cards, cash, etc. The person who found his wallet got a new driver's license with his own picture and charged a bunch of stuff on his credit cards, etc.

At one point this person assaulted someone and was arrested. The local police used my brother's driver's license information when booked into the local jail. They included my brothers SS number on the paperwork. Later this person arranged bail and later "jumped" bail. Now my brother has to be very careful when he's pulled over by LEO's. Once the LEO's verify that he's not the person who was arrested, they allow him to go on his way.

This is why I prefer to drive us in my pickup truck when we go out together. If I'm in his car when he's pulled over I WILL be searched. That's why I told my brother I have a CFP. He's the only person I've told I have a CFP.

[kd5nrh]

This may not apply since we live in different states and I may be way off but here in MO, lets say I lose my driver's license and get pulled over, all I have to do is give the officer my SS# and he can check to see if I'm legal.

Around here it seems to be officer discretion; he could take you in, but if your record is clean and you stay polite, (knowing your DL# is also a big help) they'll generally cut you loose with a warning.

[ccw9mm]

This was a first and a sobering reminder that a concealed gun without a license is a crime - even for a person who has a license (somewhere).

But, you absolutely WERE still licensed to carry, fully vetted by that process, and KNOWN to law enforcement as a legitimate "good" guy.

It angers me that my own country deems me a felon (or darned near), merely because some silly paperwork has temporarily been misplaced. THAT, itself, is a crime IMO.

[celticredneck]

In a similar situation, here in Va, I'd just do a Virginia tuck and open carry until I made it home. Of course I'd make sure I did not speed or do anything else to attract the attention of LEOs. Gotta love living in an open carry state even though I carry concealed most of the time.

[itowbigtruck]

I have a question about you losing your license..

This may not apply since we live in different states and I may be way off but here in MO, lets say I lose my driver's license and get pulled over, all I have to do is give the officer my SS# and he can check to see if I'm legal.

Would this same thing not apply with a CCW license?

MO law says you have to have them in your possesion to be driving or CCW. You may get lucky, but that is only if you get a LEO who is having a good day. He can check, and most PD's systems will bring your picture up on LEO's computer, but he/she can still write you a ticket for not having it.

[mlfox]

You didn't lose your "right" to carry, you lost your permission slip.

[NRATodd]

I live in Minnesota and have both the MN and Utah permits. Since I have never carried outside MN what if I just leave my Utah home as my backup since it's good here too?

[fwm]

I have a question about you losing your license..

This may not apply since we live in different states and I may be way off but here in MO, lets say I lose my driver's license and get pulled over, all I have to do is give the officer my SS# and he can check to see if I'm legal.

Would this same thing not apply with a CCW license?

In MO, without your CCW on you used to be a felony charge of concealed carry without a license. Now the law states that you may be given a court date, but if you can produce a CCW license that was valid at the time of the arrest, charges will be dropped.

BTW, I carry my CCW on a separate MO ID card. Three reasons.
1. A stop in IL doesn't alert the IL police to the fact I can and do carry, opening me up for (an illegal) search.
2. Showing my license for prrof of ID while using checks or credit cards doesn't alert anybody that I am carrying.
3. I don't have to throw away a 6 year license every three years to renew my CCW

And when you renew your license, you will be assigned a new random DL number, as using your SS number on your DL is actually a violation of Fed. law.