Concealed carry reciprocity, explained with the actual laws
Reciprocity means one state honoring another state's carry permit. It is set by each state's own law. It is not national, and it changes.
Where this permit covers you
Recognized in 22 states, plus 5 more where no permit is needed. Tap a state to check it.
Source: the partner's state-acceptance list. Some states set their own permitless carry rules that may differ. Reciprocity changes, so verify a state's current law before you travel.
Some states only honor a permit issued by your own home state. That is one reason a non-resident permit does not cover everywhere, and why we show you the states it does not cover.
Recognition and carry-law data compiled from each state's statutes and official Attorney General, State Police, or Department of Public Safety reciprocity pages. Reviewed quarterly. Last reviewed: Q3 2026.
The three answers a state can give
Recognized. The state honors this permit. You may carry there under that state's rules, and those rules still apply to where and how you carry.
No permit needed (21+). The state lets adults carry without any permit. There is nothing to recognize, so a permit is not what gets you covered there.
Not recognized. The state does not honor this permit. Carrying on it there is illegal, even if the state honors some other permits.
The resident-only trap
Several states honor ONLY a permit issued by the holder's own home state. A non-resident permit fails there even when the issuing state shows up on a general reciprocity list.
States with a resident-only rule
- Colorado (Colo. Rev. Stat. section 18-12-213)
- Florida (Fla. Stat. section 790.015(1)(b))
- Michigan (Mich. Comp. Laws section 28.432a(h))
- Pennsylvania (18 Pa. C.S. section 6109(k), per the Attorney General's reciprocity guidance)
- South Carolina (S.C. Code section 23-31-215(N)(1))
- Maine (25 M.R.S. section 2001-A(2)(F))
If your travel plans depend on one of these states, check the destination state's own rule before you rely on any permit.
Why our map is different
- Every status is backed by the state's statute, not a copied list.
- We publish corrections when we find errors. Read our corrections log.
- We show the states a permit does NOT cover on purpose.
Common questions
- What is concealed carry reciprocity?
- One state choosing to honor another state's carry permit. Each state sets its own rule by statute, so coverage is a patchwork, not a national system.
- What is a resident-only state?
- A state that honors out-of-state permits only when the holder lives in the state that issued the permit. A non-resident permit does not work there. Examples include Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Maine.
- Does any permit work in all 50 states?
- No. No permit is valid nationwide. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something. Check every destination state before you travel.
- How often does reciprocity change?
- State legislatures and attorneys general update recognition every year. Texas changed its rule effective September 1, 2025. We review our full dataset about once a quarter and log corrections when we find errors.
Not sure where you stand?
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Check your state's rules →Carry laws by state
Each page shows the carry rule, the minimum age, and the statute behind it.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Sources and verification
- CO: Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-12-213. Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
- FL: Fla. Stat. § 790.015; permitless carry eff. July 1, 2023 (HB 543). Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Licensing.
- MI: Mich. Comp. Laws § 28.432a(h). Michigan State Police.
- PA: 18 Pa. C.S. § 6109(k). Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Reciprocity Overview.
- SC: S.C. Code Ann. § 23-31-215(N). South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED).
- ME: 25 M.R.S. § 2001-A(2)(F). Maine State Police, Concealed Handgun Reciprocity.
- TX: Tex. Gov't Code § 411.173(b) (as amended by SB 706, eff. Sept. 1, 2025). Texas Legislature.
- WI: Wis. Stat. § 175.60(1)(f), (2g)(a). Wisconsin Department of Justice, CCW Reciprocity.
- IL: 430 ILCS 66/40. Illinois State Police.
Recognition and carry-law data compiled from each state's statutes and official Attorney General, State Police, or Department of Public Safety reciprocity pages. Reviewed quarterly. Last reviewed: Q3 2026. We review and update this information about once a quarter. Laws change between reviews, so verify with the destination state before you travel or apply. Read how we verify our information.