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What you need to know about open carry in Pennsylvania

As Americans, we all have the right to bear arms under the 2nd Amendment. But a recent photograph posted to Facebook has people wondering if Pennsylvanians have...

As Americans, we all have the right to bear arms under the 2nd Amendment. But a recent photograph posted to Facebook has people wondering if Pennsylvanians have the right to openly carry them in public.

At first glance, the photo is a man on a motorcycle, but the gun on his hip in open view is not a sight you see everyday.

Openly carrying a firearm is perfectly legal in Pennsylvania as long as the person is a law-abiding citizen and is allowed to own a gun.

“You may carry it openly and notoriously,” said Steven Breit, FOX43 legal analyst. “You may carry it for all to see. It may be offensive to some, but it’s certainly legal.”

There are exceptions to the law. For instance, if you’re inside a vehicle, you cannot have a loaded gun unless you have license to carry. Otherwise, you have to unload your gun and put it in your trunk.

“When you climb in your car, it becomes a concealed weapon,” said Thomas Weimann, owner of Backwoods Outfitters, just outside of Columbia.

Only in Philadelphia are people required to have a concealed weapons permit to openly carry in that city.

You also can’t open carry in any school, courthouse, federal building, state park or detention center.

Weimann has owned Backwoods Outfitters for two decades. He has found that many people don’t know that Pennsylvania is an open-carry state.

Weimann said choosing to open carry isn’t an easy decision and one that may invite unwanted attention.

“You’re going to spend a lot more time probably talking to the officers doing their jobs,” he said.

To read more about open carry in Pennsylvania, click here.

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