A lot of folks on this thread say that they are using their smart phone to catalog their tax stamps for display to a LEO or ATF Agent when asked.
I would suggest that they NOT do that. Regardless of the reason that you are queried about the legitimacy of the NFA item in your possession when you permit the LEO or ATF Agent, you are giving them an opportunity to look at everything in your smart phone.
What I am saying may depend on the circumstances for the query. If you just happen to be shooting the NFA item and an Agent approaches and says that he or she needs to see the tax stamp, that may be all that there is to it.
They may look at your tax stamp on the smart phone and say have a nice day. On the other hand, they may start scrolling through the phone looking at other stuff you want to be kept private.
Now some of you are saying;
"Hold on Longshot! I'm not handing my phone over to them. I will let them look at the screen but they aren't touching it."
Think realistically about what some of you may be thinking. If you hold the phone (with a very small screen) up to the Agent they may say;
"I need you to hand over your phone to compare the Form 1/4 to the suppressor."
Go ahead and tell them;
"You are not touching my phone without a warrant." Then let me know how that works out for you.
So let's say that you go to show the LEO or Agent your screen then they reach out to grab it out of your hands. Do you really want to get into a tug-of-war over the phone at a shooting range? Think carefully before answering that question without considering the optics. You are both around guns with other people shooting. He or she will be armed. You may also have a sidearm on you as well. Do you really want to go down the path of wrestling with a LEO or ATF Agent?
Now let's say it's something other than a simple query at the shooting range. Let's say you're the subject of mistaken identity and it's a Terry stop. Yes, I know, that doesn't happen that often but what if someone has filed a false complaint on you.
It's happened to me and getting confrontational with a cop cannot not go very well sometimes. The last thing that you want is to argue or fight over whether they can scroll through that phone.
Also remember this, it will be argued in court that when you open and show them the screen on your phone is just like letting a cop without a warrant into your house. Once you have done that, they are free to go anywhere in the house (and phone) that they wish.
Go ahead and try to dig up some SCOTUS cases that prove me wrong. Even if you can find them, you still don't want to end up in court arguing over whether the LEO or Agent had a right to search the rest of your phone.
How many here would really like to entrust their freedom to a judge and jury? I got plenty of time and will wait on your answer
All of my Form 1s and 4s are copied, placed in clear plastic holders in a notebook that is in my vehicle at all times. If a LEO or Agent wants to look at the Tax Stamp, they can scroll through the notebook all day.
Do yourself a favor, the paper copy is a technology that works 100% of the time. Don't put it on your smart phone.
