Question presented: How can individuals legally carry a rifle while riding a public bus in Michigan?
Answer: Individuals carrying a rifle on a public bus must ensure the barrel and magazine of rifle are unloaded. They must also either disassemble the rifle or enclose the rifle in a case.
Law: MCL 750.227c prohibits carrying a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle. MCL 750.227d requires disassembling (taking down), enclosing in a case, or placing in the trunk of the vehicle any rifle to lawfully transport it in a motor vehicle. MCL 28.425o prohibits carrying a concealed weapon in certain safety zones.
Analysis: Unlike a bicycle, a public bus is a motor vehicle propelled by an engine. In addition to
“vehicle[s] propelled by mechanical means,” MCL 750.227c and MCL 750.227d apply to motor vehicles. Therefore, these two statutes unquestionably apply to carrying rifles on public busses.
Practical Application: To comply with MCL 750.227c, individuals carrying a rifle on a public bus must ensure neither the barrel nor the magazine of the rifle have any ammunition in them.
To comply with MCL 750.227d, individuals carrying a rifle on a public bus must either carry the rifle inside of a designated rifle case, or disassemble the rifle.
While MCL 28.425o applies specifically to individuals carrying a concealed pistol rather than a rifle, the statute is worth mentioning. While a public bus itself it is not a safety zone, busses, by their very nature, move. It is possible they could move through an area that the State has designated as a safety zone. These areas include: A school or school property; A child care center; A sports arena, stadium, or entertainment facility; A bar or tavern; Religiously owned property and other places of worship; A hospital, and; A college dormitory.
Recommendation: The current climate around firearms may present difficulties for those legally traveling on a public bus with a rifle. Improperly trained officers may misunderstand firearms laws and assume individuals with rifles are breaking some law. To best protect oneself, this writer recommends that individuals comply with all possible methods of avoiding a violation. That means rather than choosing only one of the following, individuals should: 1. Ensure both the barrel and magazine are unloaded; 2. Disassemble the firearm before getting on the bus, and; 3. Carry the rifle in a case. While most public busses do not have trunks, individuals could replicate the effect of keeping the rifle in a trunk by locking the case in which the individual stores the rifle. To further evidence the desire to carry legally, this writer recommends carrying any ammunition in a separate case, and keeping that locked as well.
While MCL 28.425o, pertaining to safety zones, applies only to individuals carrying pistols, individuals carrying rifles on public busses or while riding a bicycle would do well to consider if any safety zones fall along their route. Again, an improperly trained officer may make trouble if they do not properly understand the law.