North Dakotans Can Carry A Gun- But People Will Still Freak Out.

It will probably take society a little while to get used to the idea of someone sitting on a park bench reading a newspaper.  Not because nobody reads the newspaper anymore, but because this person is wearing a tactical vest and has a holstered gun at their side.  It's not illegal to do any of those things.  You don't need a permit to read the paper or play make-believe soldier all dressed up in your super cool tactical gear.  You also don't need to have a permit to carry that gun either.

There's are certain rules you still must obey in "open carry".  The weapon has to be unloaded and secured.  OK, so what are we talking about as "secured"?

12. "Secured" means the firearm is closed into the trunk or nonpassenger part of the vehicle; placed into a closed and secure carrying device; rendered inoperative by the use of a trigger, hammer, cylinder, slide, or barrel-locking device that renders the firearm incapable of firing until the device is unlocked and removed; or so disassembled or disabled as to be rendered incapable of firing.

So the holster I presume is the "closed and secure carrying device".  I kept looking around to see if open-carry applied to rifles and shotguns.  So if you don't have a concealed carry permit you can't carry a gun like this...although the pistol is probably fine.

Again...too concealed.

Yes mom, it's also concealed.

From the NRA Institute for Legislative Action

Any person who is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing a firearm may carry an unloaded handgun openly, without a license, between the hours of one hour before sunrise and one hour after sunset. Between the hours of one hour after sunset and one hour before sunrise, the handgun must be both unloaded and “secured” (for example, placed into a closed and secure carrying device). N.D. Cent. Code §§ 62.1-03-01(1), 62.1-01-01(12) (definition of “secured”).

There are a TON of places that you can't carry...if interested you can read the Century Codes here, here, and here.  Reading Century Codes makes me sleepy.  Instead Valley News Live provides a long informative You Tube video where Sergeant Mike Sanden explains quite clearly how the laws apply to the incident of July 21.  It's a very informative watch and will hopefully help us better understand the world in which we live...and if it should freak us out.