Concealed Carry / Transporting Firearms

Members of the Fort McCoy workforce and installation visitors are not allowed to carry privately owned concealed weapons onto the installation.

As a federal installation, Fort McCoy is governed by Army Regulation 190-11. Paragraph 4-5a(2) of the regulation states that carrying of a concealed weapon on a federal installation is prohibited regardless of whether a state or county permit has been obtained.

The state of Wisconsin requires weapons to be encased in a carrying case so that no part of the weapon is exposed; the ammunition must be separated from the weapon, and the weapon must be unloaded. The weapons must be locked in the trunk of a vehicle, or, if that’s not possible, placed in a location away from the vehicle occupants, he said.

These procedures are spelled out for people transporting firearms onto Fort McCoy in Fort McCoy Memorandum 190-2, Privately Owned Weapons.

Procedures to transport firearms to the Fort McCoy Sportsman’s Range, which is located between Whitetail Ridge Ski Area and Pine View Campground, are spelled out in a supplement to Fort McCoy Memorandum 190-2.

Paragraph 2 of the supplement reads, “All privately owned weapons transported in vehicles on Fort McCoy must be locked and in a case in the vehicle’s trunk, or, if the vehicle has no trunk in a storage area of the vehicle beyond the reach of the vehicle’s occupants. Ammunition will be kept separate from the weapons during transportation. At no time will weapons be transported with ammunition loaded in the weapon, whether it is a magazine inserted into the weapon, or ammunition loaded into the cylinder or bore of a firearm. At no time will weapons be transported under the driver’s seat, in a glove compartment, console or like location, or in any location as to be considered a concealed weapon.”

Firearms can be transported onto Fort McCoy if they are authorized and properly registered and are in the custody of a person authorized by Fort McCoy Memorandum 190-2 to possess such firearms. These weapons can be transported onto Fort McCoy to a legal storage area or to sanctioned activities, such as hunting, target shooting or another authorized event in which the weapon is used in connection with a competition or as part of a legitimate display.

Personnel who live in military Family housing — accompanied and unaccompanied at Fort McCoy to include barracks — are allowed to have privately owned weapons on the installation, but must register them and cannot carry them in a concealed manner. They can be transported in a vehicle both on and off post. These regulations may not apply to personnel who have a specific requirement to carry firearms as part of their duty, such as servicemembers on active duty or on orders, or law-enforcement personnel.

Information about Fort McCoy Memorandum 190-2 is available on the Fort McCoy Corporate Network.

Information about Army Regulation 190-11 is available at the website: https://armypubs.army.mil/ProductMaps/PubForm/Details.aspx?PUB_ID=1005094 , which requires Army Knowledge Online access.

Information about the Wisconsin Concealed Carry Law is available at the website: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2011/related/acts/35.pdf. ⚠

Anyone with specific questions about transporting a weapon onto Fort McCoy or the prohibition of carrying a concealed weapon on the installation can contact the Fort McCoy Police Department at 608-388-2266.