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oc common in SLC metro area?

4K views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  mljdeckard 
#1 ·
I will be in Utah from July 9-16. Probably hang around the SLC and Park City areas mostly. How common is open carry out that way?
Although legal in Ohio, it is not commonly practiced here and thus I don't do it much as it tends to get cops called on you. Just wondering what the local aditudes are like. Do private businesses toss you for open carrying a handgun? Do people call 911 and get a MWAG response going? Do cops put you down on the ground at gunpoint, handcuff you, and eventually let you go? (this last one happened to me once here in Ohio.)
I know it can vary, just looking for general info.
 
#3 ·
Hello and welcome.

Open Carry is legal in Utah with a few caveats. If you have a permit to carry issued anywhere in the nation Utah recognizes it fully and our list of legally off-limits location is very short. Without a permit, the firearm must not be fully loaded and you should be aware that Utah's GFSZ law includes all post secondary educational institutions including colleges, tech schools etc but it does not include a 1000' range. Be aware of the federal gun free school zone law as the feds don't recognize a non-Utah permit as valid for carrying in or around K-12 schools. Local law recognizes your permit for purposes of Utah's GFSZ law.

With or without a permit, a private residence or house of worship that gives notice in any of several different ways is legally off limits to private guns. One unique way that houses of worship can give notice is via the web page of the State BCI (agency that administers our permits). At the present time, all LDS (ie Mormon) houses of worship, and the United Church of Christ, are giving notice of no guns allowed via that web page. A few other churches will have signs posted or give notice in other ways. This law applies only to the interior of the house of worship and not to parking lots or other outdoor areas.

Open carry is not particularly common here in the sense you are not likely to see anyone else doing it. But neither is it so uncommon as to cause alarm in most cases. Most people will never see an OC'd firearm on your hip. Among those who do, very few will have a negative reaction, especially if you are comporting yourself in a mature, peaceful manner. You are not likely to be asked to leave a business, nor to have MWAG calls. We have a nice court decision from a couple years back and the police are generally pretty good about how to handle MWAG calls if they get them. They will respond and most likely talk to the person and ask for ID. If you have a valid permit, they may suggest or request that you conceal (such as by untucking your shirt). But they are not likely to give you too much grief.

There are a few exceptions including the local sports arenas and a store here or there, that really don't want guns and may even take some measures to screen for them. But by and large, your gun will go unnoticed and otherwise not be an issue.

I am not a lawyer, your mileage may vary, and so on.

Charles
 
#5 ·
techguy85 said:
I'm licensed in Ohio,, and we have a formal agreement with Utah.
With a non-resident license, do I have to avoid colleges and post-secondary educational insitutions?
No you are good to go with your permit.

The colleges are part of Utah's GFSZ law not part of the federal GFSZ law. Since Utah recognizes your permit (and all permits in the nation) on completely equal footing as our own permit, you get the same exemption for colleges as a Utah permit holder. For that matter, under Utah law, you are also exempted from the K-12 gun ban as well.

It is only the federal GFSZ law that would give you any grief over K-12 as that law is interpreted by the feds as requiring you to have a permit from the State in which the school is located in order to be exempt. Clearly, this puts a major damper on reciprocity/recognition of out-of-State permits and needs to be changed. But until it is, it is prudent to be aware of it.

What brings you to Utah?

Charles
 
#7 ·
There is however, some subtlety about OC. Many people are entirely oblivious to their surroundings. I was with my wife in a local Walmart, and we walked past a big guy with an 8" stainless S&W on his hip. I asked my wife; "Did you see that?" She said;"See what?" People usually don't notice stuff they aren't required to.

We spent last weekend in Park City, and it is an interesting mix of people. A lot of hyper-fit granolas, a lot of tourists. I'm not sure they would mostly care one way or the other about OC. Something I have found is to use a holster that looks reasonably professional, and also carry a vksible mag/flashlight pouch. Most people will just assume you are some kind of plainclothes cop and ignore you.
 
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