Recently, I went on a road trip from my home state of Utah to Georgia. This left me wondering if I am legally allowed to concealed carry in the state of Georgia. My friend cautioned me to make sure my concealed carry permit works across state line. So I started to do some research.
A person can conceal carry across state lines if the state they are traveling to has entered into agreements to recognize the concealed carry permits reciprocity agreement. There are some states that will not recognize any concealed carry permits from another state and do not allow guns to be carried by non residents.
Although, across the United states reciprocity varies largely from state to state. Let’s talk about some of the variances that are often seen and what you should know.
4 Things to Keep In Mind When Conceal Carrying Across State Lines
- Concealed carrying varies by state
- States that honor your concealed carry permit
- Is a concealed carry permit valid in other states?
- Be familiar with reciprocity laws before traveling
Concealed Carrying Across State lines Varies From State to State
Unfortunately not all states treat conceal carry permits the same. What one state honors, may be different in another state. It can be a bit confusing when traveling from state to state. But what is most important is to ensure the state you are traveling to allows you to conceal carry.
Fortunately companies like USCCA have a tool to help you better understand whether you can conceal carry in another state. Keep in mind when looking whether you can conceal carry in another state, you will likely get the following answers: yes, no or yes but with restrictions.
What State Honors My Concealed Carry Permit?
Some states tend to be more lenient and say yes you can conceal carry. Other states may say you can conceal carry in our state, but you must abide by the following restrictions. It is common for states to allow you to conceal carry in their state but put restrictions unless you get a conceal carry permit in their state.
Resident Permits
Be mindful of resident permits when you are trying to understand concealed carry state laws. Resident permits conceal carry licenses that are specific to a state. Depending on the state residents permits may only be issued to residents of the state. Resident permits tend to have less restrictions vs non resident permits of a state.
USA Carry provides a tool to help people better understand what states honor the state in which your conceal carry permit resides.
Is a Concealed Carry Permit Valid In Other States?
Most often states allow concealed carry permits from other states. Although a select few do not allow concealed carry permits from other states. This can cause permit issues, not making it easy to conceal carry in another state. Ensure your conceal carry permit can transfer to another state when moving.
It is important to be aware of the states that do not allow non resident concealed carry permits. You can see whether your concealed carry permit works in another state by using the above mentioned tools from USA Carry.
Concealed Carry Across State Lines Bill
A bill was introduced to allow people to conceal carry across state lines. This bill is called the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 which would amend the Title 18 of the United States Code. This bill would also allow the concealed transport of handguns across state lines, only if it is allowed by both states.
Essentially what this is saying is that if both states agree with each other, then people can conceal carry across state lines.
Be Familiar With Reciprocity Laws Before Traveling
When I was planning my trip, I was tempted to not look to see whether Connecticut allows my Utah concealed carry permit. It would be easy for me to travel without understanding the laws.
What are the chances of getting pulled over when carrying a gun? But it really is simple to know whether you can conceal carry across state lines. Be aware of gun laws in your local area.
The law doesn’t accept excuses, especially when it comes to serious things such as conceal carrying. You cannot count on an officer letting you off the hook. Depending on the state, you can get into a lot of trouble concealed carrying across state lines when you shouldn’t be.
It really comes down to understanding whether or not the state you are traveling to honors your current concealed carry permit. Something to keep in mind are the following.