The latest widely cited research on gun theft from cars points in the same direction: parked vehicles have become one of the most important places firearm owners need to think about secure storage. The numbers are not about fear. They are about habits, risk, and whether your vehicle storage plan is keeping up with how theft patterns have changed.
Vehicles are now a major source of stolen firearms
The Council on Criminal Justice analyzed reported gun theft incidents from 2018 through 2022. In 2022, about 40% of the 77,089 reported gun theft incidents involved thefts from vehicles.
That matters because it shows a shift in where firearm theft risk is showing up. The old mental model was a home burglary, a business burglary, or a gun store theft. Those risks still exist, but the parked vehicle has become a major part of the stolen-firearm picture.
The rate has climbed over the last decade
Everytown Research analyzed FBI crime data from 337 cities across 44 states and reported that the rate of gun thefts from cars rose from about 21 per 100,000 people in 2013 to 63.1 per 100,000 people in 2022.
That is roughly a tripling over a decade. Everytown also reported that, on average, at least one gun is stolen from a car every nine minutes in the United States.
The lesson is not that every parked vehicle is at the same risk. The lesson is that vehicle storage has become a serious category of firearm ownership, not an afterthought.
The vehicle is often the easiest target
A parked vehicle is different from a home safe. It has windows. It is often left unattended in public lots. It may contain bags, cases, tools, laptops, range gear, or other visible signals that something valuable is inside.
Many drivers also use predictable hiding spots: the glove box, center console, under the seat, door pocket, backpack, or rear cargo area. Those locations may feel hidden to the owner, but they are familiar to anyone who breaks into cars.
That is why vehicle firearm storage should be evaluated on three questions: is it locked, is it hidden, and is it attached to the vehicle in a way that makes quick removal harder?
Geography and local laws matter
The data also shows that risk is not evenly distributed. CCJ identified Memphis, Tennessee as the highest-rate city among the 16 large cities it studied in 2022, at 546 reported gun theft incidents per 100,000 people. The same report noted that this rate was more than 10 times the rate of the lowest-rate cities in that group.
Everytown's report also found major differences between cities in states with weaker storage laws and cities in states with stronger storage laws. The practical takeaway is simple: do not assume your vehicle storage risk is the same everywhere you drive.
Commuting, travel, parking habits, local theft patterns, and state storage rules all matter. The safe habit is to secure the firearm every time the vehicle is unattended.
What is driving the increase?
The reports point to a broader shift: more firearms are being carried or stored in vehicles, and thieves have learned that parked cars can be easier targets than homes or businesses.
For owners, the important part is controllable. You cannot control every parking lot, every break-in trend, or every local theft pattern. You can control whether a firearm is left loose, visible, predictable, or easy to remove.
| Storage habit | Risk problem | Better move |
|---|---|---|
| Glove box | Predictable and easy to check quickly. | Use a dedicated locked container. |
| Center console | Convenient, but obvious after a break-in. | Move storage away from common search spots. |
| Loose lockbox | Can still be removed if it is not attached. | Choose storage that anchors to the vehicle. |
| Visible safe or case | Signals that valuables may be inside. | Use storage that stays hidden from plain view. |
What the numbers mean for your storage plan
The data points to one clear conclusion: vehicle firearm storage cannot be casual. A firearm left in a vehicle should not be loose, visible, or sitting in a predictable compartment.
BoostedSafe is built around this specific problem. It disguises as a booster seat, locks, and is designed to anchor into factory LATCH or ISOFIX points in compatible vehicles. That means it is not simply a box sitting loose inside the cabin.
The goal is not to claim theft is impossible. The goal is to make theft slower, harder, louder, and less convenient than a loose firearm, visible case, glove box, console, or basic cable-tether setup.
Fitment varies by year, make, model, trim, anchor position, and seating layout. Start with the BoostedSafe vehicle fitment page.
Quick reference: what the data says
- CCJ reported that about 40% of reported gun theft incidents in 2022 involved vehicles.
- CCJ reported that the rate of guns stolen from vehicles rose from 2018 to 2022.
- Everytown reported that the rate of gun thefts from cars roughly tripled from 2013 to 2022.
- Everytown reported an average of at least one gun stolen from a car every nine minutes in the United States.
- Local risk varies by city, parking habits, and state storage laws.
- The practical owner response is locked, hidden, vehicle-anchored storage.
Why hidden storage matters before the break-in
Many vehicle thefts start with visibility. A bag, case, lockbox, laptop, range gear, or obvious safe can create a reason to break the window. Hidden storage helps reduce that signal before the thief makes a decision.
BoostedSafe is designed to blend into the rear-seat area instead of looking like a traditional vehicle lockbox. That helps support a lower-profile storage routine when your vehicle is parked at work, home, the range, a hotel, a gas station, or a store.
For more on this problem, review the BoostedSafe broken window security page.
The better daily habit
The numbers are useful only if they change the routine. Before leaving the vehicle unattended, ask the same questions every time: is the firearm locked, is it hidden, and is the storage attached to the vehicle?
If the answer is no, the storage plan is still too casual for the current theft environment. A dedicated vehicle safe is not just a product decision. It is a daily habit decision.
Gun theft from cars FAQ
Are vehicles really a major source of stolen guns?
Yes. The Council on Criminal Justice reported that in 2022 about 40% of 77,089 reported gun theft incidents involved thefts from vehicles.
Has gun theft from cars increased?
Everytown reported that the rate of gun thefts from cars rose from about 21 per 100,000 people in 2013 to 63.1 per 100,000 people in 2022.
Is a glove box a good place to store a firearm in a vehicle?
No. A glove box is predictable and easy to check after a break-in. A dedicated locked container is a stronger storage choice.
Why does vehicle anchoring matter?
A loose safe can still be removed if someone gets inside the vehicle. BoostedSafe is designed to anchor into factory LATCH or ISOFIX points in compatible vehicles so the safe is not simply sitting loose in the cabin.
Does BoostedSafe fit every vehicle?
No. Fitment depends on vehicle year, make, model, trim, anchor position, and seating layout. Check the vehicle fitment page before ordering.
Make vehicle storage match the data
BoostedSafe is designed to disguise as a booster seat while anchoring into factory LATCH or ISOFIX points in compatible vehicles. If firearm theft from cars is the trend, hidden anchored storage is the habit to build.
Check Vehicle FitmentSources referenced: Council on Criminal Justice, Trends in Gun Theft; Everytown Research, Gun Thefts from Cars: The Largest Source of Stolen Guns. Statistics are summarized from those reports and should not be treated as future projections.