Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN Gun Laws

Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act: Off-Limit Areas?

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act: Off-Limit Areas?

This article first appeared in Police Magazine.

During a recent presentation on LEOSA at the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association Conference (ILEETA), I addressed the fact that individuals carrying under LEOSA do not qualify for the same exemptions some state permit holders benefit from in terms of carrying concealed firearms in Federal Parks and Gun Free School Zones (GFSZ).  The surprised looks and concerns from the audience raised a giant red flag: if the experts out there don't know this, how many others may be unknowingly violating the law?

While LEOSA affords qualified active and retired law enforcement officers the privilege to carry a concealed firearm in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and all other U.S. possessions (except the Canal Zone), it does contain some restrictions. 

Explicitly written into the statute are several areas considered off-limits to those carrying under LEOSA, such as restrictions imposed by private persons or entities on the their property and those imposed on state or local government property, installations, buildings and parks.  What is not included in the statute is where problems may arise.

Per 18 U.S.C. § 930(a) an individual is prohibited from possessing or attempting to possess a firearm in a Federal facility, which is broadly defined in the statute to include "a building or part thereof owned or leased by the Federal Government, where Federal employees are regularly present for the purpose of performing their official duties".

While the ban on possession in Federal facilities appears to be well understood and recognized by those carrying under LEOSA, the exemptions which allow individuals with a state issued permit to carry concealed firearms in Federal park lands and through GFSZ's are not.

The exemptions for these areas (36 C.F.R. §§ 2.4(e) & (h), 18 U.S.C. § 922(q)) allow for individuals carrying concealed in accordance with the laws of the state in which the federal park or GFSZ is located to carry concealed in them*; however, an individual carrying under LEOSA is carrying under FEDERAL LAW and not in accordance with the laws of the state they are in.  What this means is that you are NOT exempted from carrying a concealed firearm in these areas UNLESS you are on official duty or posses a valid and qualifying state issued concealed carry permit.

Don't think this applies to you?  Think again.  Go check out your local Planning Department's website or take a quick look at San Francisco Planning Department's GFSZ map (www.sf-planning.org/index.aspx?page=2337).  Most cities are so laden with GFSZ's that it is virtually impossible to travel anywhere without inadvertently passing through one of them.

So what does this mean for you?  While there have been no known prosecutions of individuals violating these laws while carrying under LEOSA (one must assume that professional courtesy and the lack of knowledge on the issue has prevented this) you should always protect yourself by obtaining a state issued concealed carry permit in addition to your LEOSA credentials.  Most states have reciprocity laws and agreements which allow for vast recognition of their permits throughout the country and some even allow you to apply as a non-resident.** Bottom line; always be aware of your surroundings, as ignorance is not a defense to the law.


* Federal buildings located on the property are still prohibited places per 18 U.S.C. § 930(a)

** More information about state reciprocity and recognition agreements can be found at www.nraila.org/gun-laws.aspx

BY James M. Baranowski, Esq.

Manager of External Affairs,

Follow This Contributor

James M. Baranowski is Associate Litigation Counsel at the NRA's Institute for Legislative Action and a member of the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA). He is a decorated combat veteran, having served in the United States Marine Corps both as an officer with 1st Reconnaissance Battalion and as a judge advocate.

TRENDING NOW
Third Circuit Strikes Some New Jersey Carry Restrictions in NRA Case

Thursday, September 11, 2025

Third Circuit Strikes Some New Jersey Carry Restrictions in NRA Case

Yesterday, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion in Siegel v. Platkin, striking some of the carry restrictions New Jersey enacted in response to the NRA’s landmark Supreme Court victory, New York State Rifle & ...

Gun Control “Journalist” Says the Quiet Part Out Loud

News  

Monday, September 8, 2025

Gun Control “Journalist” Says the Quiet Part Out Loud

Pure gun control. As in disarmament and banning of firearms. It’s rare that anti-gunners get straight to the exact point that we have been warning of for decades. 

Due Process: The Backbone of Legal Legitimacy

News  

Monday, September 8, 2025

Due Process: The Backbone of Legal Legitimacy

Close observers of the gun debate often see references to due process.

The Desperate Deflection to the “Red State Murder Problem”

News  

Monday, September 8, 2025

The Desperate Deflection to the “Red State Murder Problem”

California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) may have thought he had scored against President Donald Trump in a recent war of words over rampant crime and the deployment of federal law enforcement agents to Democratic-led cities

NRA Files Amicus Brief Urging SCOTUS to Hear Challenge to Washington’s Magazine Ban

Monday, September 8, 2025

NRA Files Amicus Brief Urging SCOTUS to Hear Challenge to Washington’s Magazine Ban

Today, the National Rifle Association filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to grant certiorari in a case challenging Washington State’s ban on firearm magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.

Illinois: Governor Signs Mandatory Firearm Storage Law

Wednesday, September 3, 2025

Illinois: Governor Signs Mandatory Firearm Storage Law

Earlier this month, Governor JB Pritzker signed Senate Bill 8 into law. This legislation imposes new mandatory firearm storage requirements on law-abiding gun owners.  

Update: North Carolina House Reschedules Veto Override Vote

Tuesday, August 26, 2025

Update: North Carolina House Reschedules Veto Override Vote

Today, the House rescheduled the veto override vote on Senate Bill 50, Freedom to Carry NC, to Monday, September 22. 

Minnesota: Senate Gun Violence Prevention Working Group Meeting on Monday

Friday, September 12, 2025

Minnesota: Senate Gun Violence Prevention Working Group Meeting on Monday

On Monday, September 15th, the Minnesota Senate will hold a special working group on "gun violence prevention."

Supreme Court Review Sought in NRA-Backed Challenge to California’s Magazine Ban

Friday, August 15, 2025

Supreme Court Review Sought in NRA-Backed Challenge to California’s Magazine Ban

Today, a Petition for Certiorari was filed asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear Duncan v. Bonta, a case—backed by the National Rifle Association and California Rifle & Pistol Association—challenging California’s prohibition on magazines capable of holding ...

Washington Post Admits that Anti-gun Lawfare “Cannot be the Solution” to Crime

News  

Monday, March 17, 2025

Washington Post Admits that Anti-gun Lawfare “Cannot be the Solution” to Crime

In a turnabout worthy of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Washington Post (WAPO) published an editorial last Tuesday criticizing the gun control movement for ignoring the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) and pursuing its agenda in ...

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.