Compare · Concealed Carry: PA vs. Federal Law
A valid PA license to carry answers the state question, but it doesn't answer every federal one.
Pennsylvania's concealed carry framework is built around § 6106, which makes carrying a concealed firearm without a license a felony of the third degree, and § 6109, which sets out how a sheriff issues, denies, or revokes that license based on character and reputation. Most day-to-day traffic stops and carry questions in Central PA get resolved by whether you can produce a valid license under § 6122. But a PA license doesn't erase federal law: it doesn't change who's a prohibited person under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), it doesn't automatically satisfy every other state's law when you travel, and it doesn't shield you from federal prosecution under 18 U.S.C. § 924 if the underlying possession itself was federally unlawful. Understanding where the state license question ends and the federal prohibited-person question begins matters both for people applying for a license and for people already facing a charge.
The short answer
Pennsylvania state law
Under § 6106, carrying a firearm concealed on or about your person, or in a vehicle, without a license is generally graded as an F3, though it can be reduced to an M1 where the person was otherwise eligible for a license and has no other criminal violation in the case. Section 6109 governs how the license is obtained — through the county sheriff, based on a character-and-reputation standard, subject to denial or revocation for enumerated disqualifiers — and § 6122 places the burden on a license holder to produce that license on request when carrying concealed. Pennsylvania's licensing decisions are made by sheriffs, not a federal agency, and a PA license carries no independent authority in another state except through whatever reciprocity that state chooses to extend.
Federal law
Federal law under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) doesn't issue any carry license at all — it instead defines categories of people who are prohibited from possessing a firearm anywhere, regardless of what a state license says, including convicted felons, certain domestic violence misdemeanants, people subject to certain protective orders, and several other categories. A PA license to carry doesn't cure a federal disability, and federal prosecutors can bring a case under § 922(g) even where the underlying conduct wouldn't be charged, or wouldn't be charged as seriously, under Pennsylvania law alone. Federal penalties under 18 U.S.C. § 924 can also run separately from, and often more severely than, whatever state exposure exists, particularly where the firearm is tied to another federal offense.
| What matters | Pennsylvania state law | Federal law |
|---|---|---|
| Core statute | § 6106 carrying without a license | 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) categories of prohibited persons |
| Who issues the authorization | County sheriff issues a license to carry under § 6109 | No federal carry license exists; ATF administers background-check dealer transfers |
| What a violation looks like | Carrying concealed without a valid PA license, an F3 or reduced M1 | Possessing any firearm at all while in a federally prohibited category |
| Does a PA license fix a federal problem? | A license only resolves the state licensing question | No; a valid PA license does not override a federal § 922(g) disability |
| Traveling to another state | PA license validity outside PA depends entirely on that state's reciprocity | Federal law doesn't grant nationwide carry rights; it only defines who can't possess at all |
| Denial or revocation review | Appealable under § 6109's denial/revocation procedure | No comparable federal appeal; relief from a federal disability is narrow |
| Typical charging authority | Local police and county district attorneys | U.S. Attorney's Office, often after ATF or joint task force involvement |
| Sentencing exposure | Up to 7 years for an F3 under 18 Pa.C.S. § 1103; less for a reduced M1 | Federal sentencing guidelines plus mandatory minimums under § 924 in some scenarios |
| Proof-of-license burden | § 6122 places the burden on the carrier to produce the license | No parallel documentation defense exists once a § 922(g) disability applies |
Scroll the table horizontally to compare every column. Statutory maximums are ceilings, not expected outcomes[1]. Nothing on this page is a prediction about a specific case.
Which one fits your case.
When a PA license question is really the whole case
If you have no disqualifying record and the dispute is only about whether you had the license on you, produced it in time, or whether it was valid, that's a § 6106/§ 6122 issue that often has real defenses and doesn't necessarily involve any federal exposure at all.
When federal exposure needs to be on the table from day one
If there's any prior felony, a qualifying domestic violence conviction, an active protective order, or another § 922(g) category in your background, a state carry charge can trigger a parallel or follow-on federal review, and that changes how the case should be handled from the very first conversation with police.
What we look at first
I confirm whether a valid PA license actually existed at the time of the stop, review whether any prior conviction or order genuinely triggers a federal or state disqualifier under § 6105 or § 922(g), and check whether the stop and any search that led to the firearm being found holds up.
What you should not do
Don't assume having a PA license to carry protects you everywhere, and don't assume a clean state record means there's no federal issue — some disqualifiers, like certain older convictions or out-of-state orders, are easy to overlook until they surface in a background check or a federal referral.
Read next.
review § 6106 carrying-without-a-license charges
The core state offense at issue when a license can't be produced.
see how a license denial or revocation is appealed
The § 6109 process for challenging a sheriff's decision.
check how out-of-state permits are treated here
Reciprocity questions that come up for visitors and travelers.
understand parallel federal exposure
How § 922(g) prohibitions can apply on top of a state charge.
talk to a PA gun charges lawyer
General firearms defense representation across state and federal matters.
get your license and charge status reviewed
Find out where your specific facts sit between state and federal law.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Common questions about concealed carry: pa vs. federal law in Pennsylvania.
No. Whether PA's license is honored elsewhere depends entirely on that state's own reciprocity agreement under § 6109(k); some states recognize it fully, some partially, and some not at all.
Yes, if you fall into a prohibited category under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) — a valid state license doesn't cure a federal disability, and federal charges can be brought independently of whatever the state license says.
Section 6106 is the criminal offense for carrying concealed without a license; § 6109 is the separate administrative statute governing how that license is issued, denied, revoked, and appealed through the county sheriff.
Potentially, though § 6106 allows a reduced M1 grading where you were otherwise eligible for a license and have no other criminal violation involved — this is one of the first things worth reviewing with an attorney.
You go through a background check as part of the PICS process under § 6111.1 when purchasing, but licensing and possession are separate questions, and a federal disability can arise or come to light later.
Your county sheriff makes the initial decision under § 6109's character-and-reputation standard, and a denial or revocation can be appealed through the statutory process.
Yes, state and federal authorities can pursue separate charges arising from the same conduct, and the two systems don't always coordinate sentencing, which is why early legal advice matters.
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Sources & statutory citations
- [1]18 Pa.C.S. § 6105 — Persons not to possess firearms — enumerated convictions, including certain assault offenses and active protective orders, bar firearm possession.
- [2]18 Pa.C.S. § 6106 — Firearms not to be carried without a license — F3 generally; M1 where the person is otherwise eligible for a license and has committed no other criminal violation.
- [3]18 Pa.C.S. § 6109 — Licenses to carry firearms — sheriff issuance, character-and-reputation denial standard, appeal of a denial or revocation, and reciprocity agreements under § 6109(k).
- [4]18 Pa.C.S. § 6122 — Proof of license and exception — the licensee's burden of producing a license to carry when carrying a concealed firearm.
- [5]18 U.S.C. § 922(g) — Federal firearms prohibitions — § 922(g)(8) covers persons subject to a qualifying protective order and § 922(g)(9) covers misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence.
- [6]18 U.S.C. § 924 — Federal firearms penalties — § 924(a) general penalties, § 924(c) consecutive mandatory terms for using or carrying a firearm during a drug or violent federal offense, and § 924(e) armed career criminal provisions.
Statutes are summarized for public reference. Confirm current text at palegis.us. This page is attorney advertising, not legal advice.
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