Carry Laws

Concealed Carry Reciprocity Guide: State-by-State Rules for Traveling With Your Permit

Updated October 21, 20269 min readStatute-checked: checked against the official statutes cited in this guide

If you carry a concealed handgun and travel across state lines, “reciprocity” is the single word that decides whether you’re a law-abiding permit holder or committing a felony the moment you cross a border. It’s also one of the most confusing parts of U.S. gun law, because it isn’t one law. It’s fifty states (plus DC) each deciding, and often changing, whose permits they’ll honor.

Cars on an interstate passing under a state line welcome sign, the moment concealed carry reciprocity decides whether your permit still counts — Reciprocity decides whether your permit travels with you. Your home state's rules don't. (Photo: AlphaBeta135, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

For urban carriers this isn’t just a road-trip question. Plenty of metro areas straddle a state line, and some of the strictest jurisdictions in the country border some of the loosest. This guide covers how reciprocity works, where things stand in the states our readers ask about most, the federal rules that follow you everywhere, and why the Supreme Court left the state-by-state system in place.

Legal note

This is general legal education, not legal advice. Reciprocity lists change without much warning, so confirm your destination’s current rules on its official state police or attorney general page the week you travel. Status here is current as of September 2026.

What reciprocity actually means

Reciprocity is one state agreeing to honor a carry permit issued by another, as if it were its own. It’s not automatic, it’s not (yet) constitutionally guaranteed, and it doesn’t mean your home state’s rules come with you.

Only your permit’s recognition travels. The destination state’s rules on prohibited places, magazines, vehicles and talking to police apply to you in full, the moment you cross the line.

If you’re carrying in Ohio on a Georgia permit, you follow Ohio’s rules. Same gun, same holster, different law.

The four ways states handle out-of-state permits

Honor everyone. Some states recognize any valid permit from any state. Georgia, Texas, Ohio, North Carolina and (for now) Virginia work this way, and Iowa honors any valid permit held by a non-resident.
Honor some. Others recognize permits only from states on an official list, usually by formal agreement or a finding that the other state’s standards are similar. Pennsylvania and Minnesota are good examples.
Honor none. A handful of jurisdictions recognize no out-of-state permits at all. Maryland, DC, New York, Illinois and California are all in this group, and several of them are where urban carriers spend the most time.
Permitless carry. More than half the states now let eligible adults carry without any permit. That can make reciprocity irrelevant for visitors, but rules for non-residents vary, so check the state’s own page.

Why get a permit if your state doesn’t require one?

If you live in a permitless carry state, a permit still earns its keep, especially if you’re in or around a city:

It’s your passport. Reciprocity runs on permits. With no permit, you have nothing for another state to honor.
School zones. Federal law generally bans a gun within 1,000 feet of a K-12 school, with an exception for people licensed by the state the school is in, when that license requires a background check (18 U.S.C. § 922(q)). In a dense city, you pass school zones constantly.
Access. Some states give permit holders access to places permitless carriers can’t go. In Texas, for example, License to Carry holders get specific defenses for hospitals and amusement parks that haven’t posted the legally required notice.

Reciprocity in the states our readers ask about

Reciprocity terms change constantly, so treat any table, including this one, as a starting point. Every row below was checked against an official or primary source in September 2026. City links go to our full city guides as they go live.

State	Permitless carry?	Out-of-state permits
Maryland	No	Honors no out-of-state permits. Baltimore guide
Washington, DC	No	Honors no out-of-state permits, but issues its own licenses to non-residents who hold a home-state permit. DC guide
Virginia	No	Honors every state’s permit today; moves to a “substantially similar” test on July 1, 2027
Pennsylvania	No	Honors resident permits from 30 states on the Attorney General’s list. Philadelphia guide
New York	No	Honors no out-of-state permits; NYC also requires its own NYPD license. NYC guide
Illinois	No	Honors no out-of-state permits, but non-residents with a home-state permit may carry inside their vehicle. Chicago guide
Georgia	Yes (21+)	Honors every state’s permit. Atlanta guide
Texas	Yes (21+)	Honors every state’s permit. Houston guide
California	No	Honors no out-of-state permits. Los Angeles guide
Ohio	Yes	Recognizes any valid out-of-state permit, agreement or not
North Carolina	No	Recognizes permits from every state; a 2025 permitless carry bill was vetoed and the override stalled in 2026
Michigan	No	Recognizes valid out-of-state permits; holders follow Michigan’s carry restrictions
Minnesota	No	Recognizes permits only from states with “similar” standards, reviewed annually (the Supreme Court declined to review this policy in October 2026)
Iowa	Yes	Treats any valid permit held by a non-resident as an Iowa permit (Iowa Code § 724.11A)

Sources for each row are listed at the bottom of this page.

The Supreme Court passed on reciprocity: Johnson v. Jacobson

The U.S. Supreme Court building. The Court declined to hear Johnson v. Jacobson, a reciprocity challenge, in October 2026

In Johnson v. Jacobson (No. 26-255), a long-haul truck driver who holds valid carry permits from Georgia and Florida challenged Minnesota’s refusal to recognize them. The Eighth Circuit treated reciprocity as a convenience rather than a constitutional right. Johnson’s petition, filed August 24, 2026, argued that the Second Amendment has the same meaning in every state.

On October 5, 2026, the Supreme Court denied the petition without explanation, so the Eighth Circuit’s ruling stands. A denial isn’t a ruling on the merits, and a future case could raise the same question. For now, though, nothing changes: each state still decides whose permits it honors, so check your destination’s rules before every trip.

DC, Maryland and Virginia: the short version

Welcome to Virginia highway sign along I-81, marking the state line drivers cross when reciprocity rules change

This is home turf for us, and it’s one of the trickiest regions in the country. For the full breakdown, see our DC-Maryland-Virginia reciprocity guide. For the dates and other 2026 Virginia changes, see our Virginia concealed carry laws guide. In short:

Maryland recognizes no out-of-state permits, and there’s no path to change that short of new state law. To carry there you need a Maryland Wear and Carry Permit.
DC recognizes no out-of-state permits either, but it does license non-residents. Under D.C. Code § 22-4506, the Metropolitan Police Department can license someone with a residence or business in DC, or anyone living in the U.S. who holds a concealed carry license from their home state. You’ll still need to register the pistol in DC and complete DC’s training.
Virginia honors every other state’s permit today, but that changes July 1, 2027, when it shifts to a “substantially similar” standard. The Attorney General’s review of existing recognition runs even earlier. Details are in our Virginia 2026 reciprocity changes breakdown.

Federal rules that follow you everywhere

No matter whose permit you hold, a few federal rules apply in every state:

Driving through a strict state. 18 U.S.C. § 926A protects transporting a firearm through a state where you couldn’t otherwise possess it, if it’s legal at your origin and destination and the gun is unloaded and not readily accessible from the passenger compartment (in a vehicle without a trunk, a locked container other than the glove box or console). It’s a transport rule, not a carry rule. It won’t cover a loaded gun on your hip.
Federal buildings. Firearms are generally banned in federal facilities (18 U.S.C. § 930), and a postal regulation bans them on Postal Service property (39 C.F.R. § 232.1(l)).
National parks. You can carry in a national park unit if the state it’s in allows it (54 U.S.C. § 104906), but not inside federal buildings within the park, like visitor centers and ranger stations.
Flying. Guns go in checked baggage only, unloaded, in a locked hard-sided case, and declared at the ticket counter under TSA rules. Your permit status at the destination still matters the moment you pick up your bag.
Trains and transit. Amtrak allows firearms only in checked baggage with advance notice, and many city transit systems ban carry outright. See our public transit carry guide.

How to check reciprocity before you travel

Go to the destination state’s official state police or attorney general reciprocity page the week you travel. Apps and maps are useful for planning, not for the final answer.
Check every state on your route, not just the destination. A permit honored in one state doesn’t guarantee it’s honored in the next.
Read the destination’s prohibited places list and duty-to-inform rule. Our duty to inform guide explains the differences.
If you’ll be in a city, check the city layer too: transit, parks, events. Our carry laws by city hub is the place to start.
Carry your physical permit and photo ID. Many states require you to have the permit on you, and some require you to show it on demand.

FAQ

Is my permit valid in Ohio?

Yes. Ohio recognizes any valid out-of-state concealed handgun permit, whether or not a formal agreement exists, and Ohio also allows permitless carry for eligible adults.

Does Maryland honor any other state’s permit?

No. Maryland honors no out-of-state permits, and the Supreme Court declined to review a case challenging that in April 2026 (Gardner v. Maryland). You need a Maryland Wear and Carry Permit.

Can a non-resident carry in DC?

Only with a DC license. DC honors no other permits, but it will license non-residents who hold a concealed carry license from their home state, after DC registration and DC-certified training.

Can I carry in Illinois on my home-state permit?

Only inside your vehicle. Illinois lets a non-resident with a valid home-state permit keep a concealed handgun in their vehicle, but not carry it once they step out. To carry on foot you need an Illinois license, which non-residents can get only if their state is on Illinois’ approved list.

Will the Supreme Court force all states to recognize each other’s permits?

No. On October 5, 2026, the Court declined to hear Johnson v. Jacobson, the challenge to Minnesota’s reciprocity policy, so each state still decides whose permits it honors. Plan every trip around the current rules.

Sources

Related guides

Pack for the trip

Traveling with a gun means your setup has to work in a car seat, a hotel lobby and a crowded sidewalk. Our leather vs. Kydex holster comparison and carry clothing guide will help you build one that does. For the in-car side of it, see our vehicle concealed carry guide.

Every state writes its own rules, and every carrier’s body and routine are different. Check the law before you go, pack what works for you, and enjoy the trip.

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