{"id":226166,"date":"2025-12-04T12:00:18","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T18:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=226166"},"modified":"2025-12-04T12:08:18","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T18:08:18","slug":"the-illegal-ways-cops-check-your-gun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/the-illegal-ways-cops-check-your-gun\/","title":{"rendered":"The Illegal Ways Cops Check Your Gun"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-estimated-reading-time yoast-reading-time__wrapper\"><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__icon\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-icon=\"clock\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" style=\"display:inline-block;vertical-align:-0.1em\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M12 8v4l3 3m6-3a9 9 0 11-18 0 9 9 0 0118 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__spacer\" style=\"display:inline-block;width:1em\"><\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__descriptive-text\">Estimated reading time: <\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__reading-time\">3<\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__time-unit\"> minutes<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A viral video (see below) from Indiana DUI attorney Marc Lopez has been making the rounds online, mostly because he hits a nerve with many concealed carriers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019re a lawful gun owner, you get pulled over, you stay polite, you hand over your paperwork, and then the entire tone of the stop changes the moment you disclose you\u2019re armed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lopez <a href=\"https:\/\/marclopezlaw.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"the-illegal-ways-cops-check-your-gun\" title=\"The Illegal Ways Cops Check Your Gun\">lays<\/a> out a scenario where, in under 20 minutes, a routine traffic stop can spiral into handcuffs, all because an officer illegally ran your gun\u2019s serial number. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Lopez, it happens more often than people realize.  And he says there are three major legal \u201ctripwires\u201d officers cross when they do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>SEE ALSO: <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/know-your-rights-if-you-disclose-you-are-carrying-do-you-consent-to-be-searched\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"the-illegal-ways-cops-check-your-gun\" title=\"The Illegal Ways Cops Check Your Gun\">Know Your Rights: If You Disclose You Are Carrying Do You Consent to be Searched?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"LAWYER: If Police Ask &#039;Do You Have A Gun?&#039;, Say This\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/R77cZA-aHd8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lopez&#8217;s video is above. Pretty solid, IMO. Over the years, GunsAmerica has published numerous articles on the &#8220;disclosure dilemma.&#8221; Here&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/to-disclose-or-not-to-disclose-here-is-the-answer\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"the-illegal-ways-cops-check-your-gun\" title=\"The Illegal Ways Cops Check Your Gun\">one<\/a> from contributor John Thomas, a former prosecutor, published in 2019.  Most of this is common sense.  But as they say, the problem with common sense is that it&#8217;s not that <em>common<\/em>. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><h2>Table of contents <\/h2><ul><li><a href=\"#h-tripwire-1-the-unlawful-delay\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"the-illegal-ways-cops-check-your-gun\" title=\"The Illegal Ways Cops Check Your Gun\" data-level=\"2\">Tripwire #1: The Unlawful Delay<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-tripwire-2-the-search-inside-the-seizure\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"the-illegal-ways-cops-check-your-gun\" title=\"The Illegal Ways Cops Check Your Gun\" data-level=\"2\">Tripwire #2: The Search Inside the Seizure<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-tripwire-3-misusing-the-plain-view-doctrine\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"the-illegal-ways-cops-check-your-gun\" title=\"The Illegal Ways Cops Check Your Gun\" data-level=\"2\">Tripwire #3: Misusing the Plain-View Doctrine<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-lopez-s-4-step-roadside-playbook\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"the-illegal-ways-cops-check-your-gun\" title=\"The Illegal Ways Cops Check Your Gun\" data-level=\"1\">Lopez\u2019s 4-Step Roadside Playbook<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-a-conversation-worth-having\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"the-illegal-ways-cops-check-your-gun\" title=\"The Illegal Ways Cops Check Your Gun\" data-level=\"1\">A Conversation Worth Having<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-tripwire-1-the-unlawful-delay\"><strong>Tripwire #1: The Unlawful Delay<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Under <em>Rodriguez v. United States<\/em>, cops can only detain you long enough to handle the traffic violation (license, warrants check, the ticket).  Running a serial number? According to Lopez, that\u2019s <em>not<\/em> part of the mission.  If the officer drags out the stop to investigate your firearm, Lopez says they\u2019ve illegally extended the detention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-tripwire-2-the-search-inside-the-seizure\"><strong>Tripwire #2: The Search Inside the Seizure<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Officers <em>can<\/em> briefly secure your firearm for safety.  But Lopez draws a bright line: Securing is not searching.  Using the analogy from <em>Arizona v. Hicks<\/em>, he explains that picking up, turning, or manipulating an object just to read a serial number is a search and therefore requires <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/shoot-no-4-probable-cause\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"the-illegal-ways-cops-check-your-gun\" title=\"The Illegal Ways Cops Check Your Gun\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1783\">probable cause<\/a>.  Owning a gun legally isn\u2019t probable cause. Full stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-tripwire-3-misusing-the-plain-view-doctrine\"><strong>Tripwire #3: Misusing the Plain-View Doctrine<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/that-gun-isnt-too-expensive-its-only-too-expensive-for-you\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"the-illegal-ways-cops-check-your-gun\" title=\"The Illegal Ways Cops Check Your Gun\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1782\">gun isn\u2019t<\/a> illegal just because an officer sees it.  Lopez notes that unless the firearm\u2019s illegality is <em>immediately apparent<\/em>, plain view doesn\u2019t apply. A serial number turned upward and magically readable is one thing, anything else becomes a search, and that brings you right back to tripwire #2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>SEE ALSO: <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/to-disclose-or-not-to-disclose-here-is-the-answer\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"the-illegal-ways-cops-check-your-gun\" title=\"The Illegal Ways Cops Check Your Gun\">To Disclose or Not to Disclose: Here is the Answer<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lopez-s-4-step-roadside-playbook\"><strong>Lopez\u2019s 4-Step Roadside Playbook<\/strong> <\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>(Again, not my advice, I&#8217;m simply reporting on what he teaches.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Know your duty to inform.<\/strong><br \/>If your state requires disclosure, do it. If not, Lopez says there\u2019s no benefit to volunteering the info.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Politely decline consent.<\/strong><br \/>The line he recommends:<br \/><em>\u201cOfficer, I do not consent to any searches.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ask the two magic questions:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cAm I being detained?\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cAm I free to go?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Comply physically, document verbally.<\/strong><br \/>Don\u2019t resist. Record if you can.<br \/>Lopez advises calm clarity:<br \/><em>\u201cI am not resisting, but I do not consent to this search.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Lopez\u2019s larger point is simple:<strong> <\/strong>Know the rules so you don\u2019t feel powerless when it matters most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-conversation-worth-having\"><strong>A Conversation Worth Having<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;m not an attorney, so I&#8217;m not gonna tell you how to behave during a <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/las-vegas-pd-bodycam-footage-shows-harrowing-traffic-stop-that-leaves-one-officer-injured-suspect-dead\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"the-illegal-ways-cops-check-your-gun\" title=\"The Illegal Ways Cops Check Your Gun\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1779\">traffic stop<\/a> (I will, however, pray that if you do get stopped, you don&#8217;t get a shitbird cop). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But Lopez\u2019s breakdown hits on <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/real-ar-15-shotgun-hot-rodding-raac-mka-1919\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"the-illegal-ways-cops-check-your-gun\" title=\"The Illegal Ways Cops Check Your Gun\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1781\">real case law and real-world encounters gun<\/a> owners talk about every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So let\u2019s open it up:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Have you ever been asked to disclose your firearm to <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/the-mil-leo-only-guns-from-your-favorite-companies\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"the-illegal-ways-cops-check-your-gun\" title=\"The Illegal Ways Cops Check Your Gun\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1780\">law enforcement<\/a> during a stop? How did the officer handle it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And for our readers who are current or former LEOs:  What do you think of Lopez\u2019s framework? Fair? Unrealistic? Misguided? Spot on?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Drop your thoughts below.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong><em>*** <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"the-illegal-ways-cops-check-your-gun\" title=\"The Illegal Ways Cops Check Your Gun\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica!<\/a> ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lopez lays out a scenario where, in under 20 minutes, a routine traffic stop can spiral into handcuffs, all because an officer illegally ran your gun\u2019s serial number. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":158,"featured_media":226168,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_specdata_upc":"","_specdata_placement":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[234,4024],"tags":[132,586],"featured":[],"hunt365":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-226166","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-columns","8":"category-news","9":"tag-buzz","10":"tag-column"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.1 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Illegal Ways Cops Check Your Gun<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Attorney Marc Lopez explains the ways cops check your guns during stops. 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Look no further than GunsAmerica.com, America&#039;s premier destination for buying and selling firearms.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"GunsAmerica\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/image-3.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/image-3.png\",\"width\":286,\"height\":156,\"caption\":\"GunsAmerica\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/gunsamerica\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/gunsamerica\",\"https:\\\/\\\/instagram.com\\\/gunsamerica_official\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/GunsAmerica\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e6de4369965cb544a9ebd9533bb9c06b\",\"name\":\"Larry Z\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/5a69271fff458c0181bcf97d84275180a0fb536786a6dd417d0618e9688be035?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/5a69271fff458c0181bcf97d84275180a0fb536786a6dd417d0618e9688be035?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/5a69271fff458c0181bcf97d84275180a0fb536786a6dd417d0618e9688be035?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Larry Z\"},\"description\":\"is a seasoned outdoorsman, lifelong hunter, and the kind of guy who'd rather track whitetails than scroll social media. 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