Pa Ccw

[Pro2A]

I keep hearing conflicting laws. Where in PA can you by law NOT carry? I read up on packing.org before it went down that the only places illegal to carry in PA are courthouses and public/state parks. What about schools and other similar areas like post offices and such?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[1713]

Short answer: schools and courts. "No Weapon" signs don't count and "other lawful purpose" hasn't been defined.

Found in PA title 18.
§ 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.
(Oct. 16, 1980, P.L.978, No.167, eff. 60 days)


§ 913. Possession of firearm or other dangerous weapon in court
facility.
(a) Offense defined.--A person commits an offense if he:
(1) knowingly possesses a firearm or other dangerous
weapon in a court facility or knowingly causes a firearm or
other dangerous weapon to be present in a court facility; or
(2) knowingly possesses a firearm or other dangerous
weapon in a court facility with the intent that the firearm
or other dangerous weapon be used in the commission of a
crime or knowingly causes a firearm or other dangerous weapon
to be present in a court facility with the intent that the
firearm or other dangerous weapon be used in the commission
of a crime.
(b) Grading.--
(1) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (3), an
offense under subsection (a)(1) is a misdemeanor of the third
degree.
(2) An offense under subsection (a)(2) is a misdemeanor
of the first degree.
(3) An offense under subsection (a)(1) is a summary
offense if the person was carrying a firearm under section
6106(b) (relating to firearms not to be carried without a
license) or 6109 (relating to licenses) and failed to check
the firearm under subsection (e) prior to entering the court
facility.
(c) Exceptions.--Subsection (a) shall not apply to:
(1) The lawful performance of official duties by an
officer, agent or employee of the United States, the
Commonwealth or a political subdivision who is authorized by
law to engage in or supervise the prevention, detection,
investigation or prosecution of any violation of law.
(2) The lawful performance of official duties by a court
official.
(3) The carrying of rifles and shotguns by instructors
and participants in a course of instruction provided by the
Pennsylvania Game Commission under 34 Pa.C.S. § 2704
(relating to eligibility for license).
(4) Associations of veteran soldiers and their
auxiliaries or members of organized armed forces of the
United States or the Commonwealth, including reserve
components, when engaged in the performance of ceremonial
duties with county approval.
(5) The carrying of a dangerous weapon or firearm
unloaded and in a secure wrapper by an attorney who seeks to
employ the dangerous weapon or firearm as an exhibit or as a
demonstration and who possesses written authorization from
the court to bring the dangerous weapon or firearm into the
court facility.
(d) Posting of notice.--Notice of the provisions of
subsections (a) and (e) shall be posted conspicuously at each
public entrance to each courthouse or other building containing
a court facility and each court facility, and no person shall be
convicted of an offense under subsection (a)(1) with respect to
a court facility if the notice was not so posted at each public
entrance to the courthouse or other building containing a court
facility and at the court facility unless the person had actual
notice of the provisions of subsection (a).
(e) Facilities for checking firearms or other dangerous
weapons.--Each county shall make available at or within the
building containing a court facility by July 1, 2002, lockers or
similar facilities at no charge or cost for the temporary
checking of firearms by persons carrying firearms under section
6106(b) or 6109 or for the checking of other dangerous weapons
that are not otherwise prohibited by law. Any individual
checking a firearm, dangerous weapon or an item deemed to be a
dangerous weapon at a court facility must be issued a receipt.
Notice of the location of the facility shall be posted as
required under subsection (d).
(f) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
subsection:
"Court facility." The courtroom of a court of record; a
courtroom of a community court; the courtroom of a magisterial
district judge; a courtroom of the Philadelphia Municipal Court;
a courtroom of the Pittsburgh Magistrates Court; a courtroom of
the Traffic Court of Philadelphia; judge's chambers; witness
rooms; jury deliberation rooms; attorney conference rooms;
prisoner holding cells; offices of court clerks, the district
attorney, the sheriff and probation and parole officers; and any
adjoining corridors.
"Dangerous weapon." A bomb, grenade, blackjack, sandbag,
metal knuckles, dagger, knife (the blade of which is exposed in
an automatic way by switch, push-button, spring mechanism or
otherwise) or other implement for the infliction of serious
bodily injury which serves no common lawful purpose.
"Firearm." Any weapon, including a starter gun, which will
or is designed to expel a projectile or projectiles by the
action of an explosion, expansion of gas or escape of gas. The
term does not include any device designed or used exclusively
for the firing of stud cartridges, explosive rivets or similar
industrial ammunition.

[QKShooter]

In PA you MAY carry concealed in places that serve alcohol.
That would include bars and restaurants.

You MAY consume alcohol while legally licensed to carry concealed.

The post office is a gray area in PA as it is in every other state.

Don't even think about carrying at Kennywood park.
Don't even have a little tiny novelty knife on your key-chain. Everybody gets throughly wanded before they enter K-wood park.

Shopping malls are A-OK.

Banks are A-OK. At least mine is.

Downtown stadium sporting events are prohibited at least they are according to their published rules. I don't go to any games so somebody else might want to chime in on that.

As per stated above all Courthouses, magistrates, & Fed buildings are
I know the county courthouse in downtown PGH even all of the LEOs have disarmed.
The entire building interior looks like EMPTY HOLSTER CITY.

PA is actually a pretty easy state no hassle to carry in.

I believe that POLLING places are also taboo.
So when you go vote for the best candidates to protect your 2nd Amendment Rights remember that you can't take your gun with you into the polling place.

[jahwarrior72]

i've never seen a "no weapons" sign on the post office door, or posted anywhere else for that matter. i'll take that as permission, until i'm told otherwise.

banks across the state are perfectly legal to carry in. if they otherwise, they're lying.

it's fine to carry at sporting events in lackawanna county. it's not fine to carry in our local parks.

i've tried to find online where it says you can't carry at the polls, but no luck. my guess is if your local poll is in a school, then it's a no-no. but i vote at a VFW. so what do i do?

the school thing is still hazy. this is a concern for me; i'm chaperoning a field trip for my daughter's school to a pumpkin patch, and we're taking a school bus. the law isn't really clear on "lawful purpose."

[Knuckledrager]

Lawful carry IS a lawful purpose in PA.

[bluedaisy]

Jumping on the train here a little late....

What about places such as the Liberty Bell? (it's like going through the airport security...strollers folded down, shoes off, etc)

And also, what about the Valley Forge Park....even if just driving through, or on bike trails. Are those places no-no's?

[Jamie Young]

I just got a letter in the mail from my County Sheriff that was nice to get for once. The letter told us about safety courses and where we can and can not CCW.

Anyone else in PA get something like this from a County Sheriff? There was nothing in there about carrying in bars or in areas that served alcohol, so that is a myth in PA.

[retsupt99]

i've never seen a "no weapons" sign on the post office door, or posted anywhere else for that matter. i'll take that as permission, until i'm told otherwise.

banks across the state are perfectly legal to carry in. if they otherwise, they're lying.

it's fine to carry at sporting events in lackawanna county. it's not fine to carry in our local parks.

i've tried to find online where it says you can't carry at the polls, but no luck. my guess is if your local poll is in a school, then it's a no-no. but i vote at a VFW. so what do i do?

the school thing is still hazy. this is a concern for me; i'm chaperoning a field trip for my daughter's school to a pumpkin patch, and we're taking a school bus. the law isn't really clear on "lawful purpose."

You may not see a 'No Weapons' sign at a police station either...What would you do there? Curious...

[rocky]

maybe this will help some
http://www.handgunlaw.us/documents/USOffLimitsN-W.pdf

[TheGreatGonzo]

What about places such as the Liberty Bell?

ALL National Parks are off limits.
Gonzo

[JaredMcLaughlin]

Legally you should be able to carry to the courthouse, which by law the county is to provide a storage locker for your arms, provided you are licensed to carry. This seems to be very spotty some places report this has been done, others not. The "lawfull purpose" clause of the school section seems interesting, but unproven in my opinion.

In reality, might equals right. If the local PD decides that you are breaking the law even though you are within the one that is written down, you're in for a ride. Simply stated, they have more guns and support than you do. There is such a thing as "defacto standards" which are different than written standards. Law in todays world seems more to be a "defacto standard" of whatever whoever is in charge seems to think it is. Good luck.

[American Pit Bull]

You may not see a 'No Weapons' sign at a police station either...What would you do there? Curious...

What is wrong with carrying in a Police Station? I have...

When I am running errands downtown and I have to pay a parking ticket or speak with an officer, I always have my CCW.

[Supertac45]

PA. is a great place to carry.