Wearing a Face Mask Does Not Affect Concealed Carry

Aly Delp

Aly Delp

Published July 5, 2020 4:50 am
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CLARION CO., Pa. (EYT) — Despite rumors to the contrary, wearing a mask does not affect carrying a concealed weapon, with the proper permit, in Pennsylvania.

As the COVID-19 Pandemic has continued and the wearing of masks has become more common, particularly under recent state orders, social media has become a hotbed of debate over the legality of wearing a mask while carrying a concealed weapon.

Several posts have been floating on social media sites stating that if you have a concealed carry permit in Pennsylvania, it is against the law to wear a face mask.

Nevertheless, it turns out the information contained in those posts does not check out.

“There is no prohibition in Pennsylvania on license to carry permit holders wearing a mask during the ongoing COVID-19 mitigation efforts,” Pennsylvania State Police Public Information Officer Trooper Brent Miller told exploreClarion.com.

Trooper Miller isn’t the only one debunking the rumor, either.

“I don’t know where it (the rumor) is coming from,” Clarion County Sheriff Rex Munsee said.

“A concealed permit has nothing to do with you having a mask on one way or another. What you have on your face doesn’t matter. There’s no law I know of in Pennsylvania that says if you have a mask on, you can’t carry concealed.”

Sheriff Munsee noted that he has been asked about the issue several times recently.

“It doesn’t make any sense. It would be like saying if I put a hat and sunglasses on, I can’t carry concealed.”

According to Jefferson County Sheriff Carl Gotwald, it’s a question he’s fielded several times recently. He stated that he was uncertain about the laws involved but noted that even if there was legislation related to wearing a mask while carrying concealed, the current circumstances would have to be taken into account.

“I think that with the mandating of masks being worn, that would override any law saying you can’t wear a mask while carrying concealed. If you’re carrying concealed, no one should be able to tell, anyway.”

Rep. Donna Oberlander also weighed in on the discussion, reiterating that the rumors regarding masks and concealed carry are false.

“There is no law that prohibits a lawful gun owner from carrying a firearm if he/she is wearing a mask,” she stated.

Trista Foster contributed to this article.

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