Does my home state's concealed carry permit work in Pennsylvania?

Only if Pennsylvania has a current reciprocity agreement with your state under § 6109(k) covering your license type. There is no nationwide reciprocity law, and the list of recognized states changes, so a permit that worked previously may not be honored now.

I'm a Pennsylvania resident with an out-of-state license — is that enough?

Generally no. Reciprocity under § 6109(k) is built primarily for non-residents traveling through Pennsylvania. A Pennsylvania resident is typically expected to hold a Pennsylvania license to carry, obtained through their county sheriff under § 6109.

What happens if I get pulled over on the turnpike with an out-of-state permit that isn't recognized?

You can be charged under § 6106 for carrying a firearm without a valid Pennsylvania license, which is graded as a third-degree felony unless you qualify for the reduced misdemeanor grading available to someone otherwise eligible for a license with no other violation from the stop.

Do I have to show my permit if an officer asks?

Yes. Section 6122 requires anyone carrying a concealed firearm to produce their license on lawful demand by a law enforcement officer, regardless of whether the license is a Pennsylvania license or one you believe qualifies under reciprocity.

Does reciprocity cover open carry too, or just concealed carry?

It depends on the specific agreement. Some agreements Pennsylvania has negotiated apply only to concealed-carry licenses, so a permit that covers open carry in your home state may not extend the same coverage here.

Can I check whether my state has reciprocity with Pennsylvania before I travel?

The Attorney General's office publishes the current reciprocity list, but because it can change, verifying it close to your travel date — and keeping documentation — is worth doing rather than relying on memory or an outdated source.

Will a good-faith belief that my permit was valid help my case?

It can matter in how a case is evaluated for resolution, even though it isn't automatically a complete legal defense to a strict regulatory statute like § 6106. Documenting what you reasonably believed and why is worth doing early.

Is this the same charge as carrying without a license generally?

Yes — an out-of-state permit case is still charged under § 6106, the general carrying-without-a-license statute. For more on how that charge works generally, see our page on carrying a firearm without a license in Pennsylvania.

Gun & Firearms Offenses · Out-of-State Permits & Reciprocity

A valid permit from your home state doesn't automatically mean you're legal to carry in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania recognizes out-of-state licenses to carry firearms only through reciprocity agreements the Attorney General negotiates state by state under § 6109(k), and those agreements change without much public notice. A license that worked last year, or that works for open carry but not concealed carry, or that a neighboring state issued to a Pennsylvania resident, can all create the same problem at a traffic stop on I-81 or the turnpike: an officer who believes you're carrying a concealed firearm without a valid Pennsylvania license under § 6106. I handle these stops and the charges that follow for people passing through or living near Cumberland, Dauphin, York, Adams, Perry, Franklin, and Lancaster Counties.

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How Pennsylvania handles it

Out-of-State Carry Permits and Reciprocity in Pennsylvania in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania's default rule under § 6106 is that carrying a firearm concealed on or about your person, or in a vehicle, without a license to carry is a third-degree felony, reduced to a first-degree misdemeanor only where the person is otherwise eligible for a license and has no other violation. Section 6109(k) creates the mechanism for out-of-state licenses to substitute for a Pennsylvania license, but only for states with which the Attorney General has an active, published reciprocity agreement — and that list is not fixed. A permit from a state without a current agreement, an expired agreement, or a permit type the agreement doesn't cover (for example, a provisional or restricted license) will not satisfy § 6106, no matter how valid it is in the issuing state. Separately, § 6122 requires a person carrying a concealed firearm to produce their license on lawful demand by a law enforcement officer; failing to do so — even where a valid out-of-state license genuinely applies — can itself create complications during a stop.

Statute: 18 Pa.C.S. § 6109(k); § 6106[1][2]

Defenses & record relief

Reciprocity questions are fact- and date-specific — resolving one of these cases often turns on documentation the Attorney General's office maintains, not on what the client believed at the time.

felon in possession: state vs. federal · concealed carry: PA vs. federal law · preliminary hearing lawyer

Out-of-State Carry Permits and Reciprocity in Pennsylvania: orders, grading, and maximum exposure under 18 Pa.C.S. § 6109(k); § 6106
Order, offense & grading	Maximum exposure
Carrying without a license — § 6106, F3 Applies where an out-of-state license does not qualify under a § 6109(k) reciprocity agreement at the time of the stop.	Up to 7 years and $15,000 fine
Carrying without a license — § 6106, M1 (eligible, no other violation) Available only where the person is independently eligible for a PA license and has no other charged violation from the stop.	Up to 5 years and $10,000 fine
Failure to produce license on demand — § 6122 Applies to anyone carrying concealed, including a person who believes a valid out-of-state license applies.	Escalates the encounter; can support a separate charge
Reciprocity gap for concealed vs. open carry Some agreements cover concealed carry only, or open carry only; a permit valid for one may not cover the other in Pennsylvania.	Charging exposure under § 6106
Vehicle transport without a license A firearm carried in a vehicle without a valid license — PA or reciprocal — is treated the same as carrying on the person for § 6106 purposes.	Charging exposure under § 6106
Straw or lapsed reciprocity agreement An agreement that lapsed or was suspended by the Attorney General after your license was issued still results in no valid Pennsylvania authority to carry.	Charging exposure under § 6106
Related default grading — § 6119 Backstops other Uniform Firearms Act provisions that can be charged alongside a § 6106 stop.	Applies where no specific grade is stated

Statutory maximums are ceilings, not expected outcomes. A Pennsylvania firearms charge and a parallel federal charge are separate proceedings with separate proof requirements, and they can reach different results on the same set of facts.

Jurisdiction & court process

Where a out-of-state permits & reciprocity matter is heard.

How § 6109(k) reciprocity actually works

The Pennsylvania Attorney General's office negotiates and maintains bilateral agreements with other states recognizing each other's licenses to carry. These agreements are not automatic, not permanent, and not uniform — a state can be added, suspended, or removed, and an agreement can be limited to certain license types. There is no single federal reciprocity law that overrides this; each state relationship depends on Pennsylvania's own published list.

Turnpike and interstate-highway stops

Central Pennsylvania sits on major north-south and east-west travel corridors — I-81, I-83, and the Pennsylvania Turnpike — that carry a steady stream of out-of-state drivers. A trooper who finds a firearm during a traffic stop will check the driver's license state against the current reciprocity list on the spot; if the state isn't on it, or the officer isn't sure, an arrest or citation for § 6106 can follow even where the driver believed in good faith that their permit was valid everywhere.

Pennsylvania residents licensed elsewhere

A Pennsylvania resident cannot rely on an out-of-state license to satisfy § 6106 inside Pennsylvania at all — reciprocity is generally built for non-residents traveling through or into the state. A PA resident who obtained a permit from another state instead of applying through their county sheriff under § 6109 is very likely still required to hold a Pennsylvania license to carry concealed here.

Producing proof of license under § 6122

When an officer lawfully stops someone carrying a concealed firearm, § 6122 requires production of the license on demand. For an out-of-state traveler, this means having the physical permit accessible, not just a description of it — an officer isn't required to take your word that reciprocity applies, and confusion at the roadside is a common reason these stops escalate into an arrest that could otherwise have ended with a warning.

How we handle out-of-state permits & reciprocity matters.

Verify the reciprocity status at the time of the stop
Because reciprocity agreements change, the single most important fact in one of these cases is what agreement was actually in effect on the date of the stop — not what a website says today or what applied when the license was issued.
Challenge the stop and the basis for the search
As in any § 6106 case, the constitutionality of the traffic stop and any search that led to discovery of the firearm is worth scrutinizing independently of the reciprocity question.
Distinguish concealed carry from open carry coverage
Some reciprocity agreements are limited to one carry method; establishing exactly what the agreement covers, and how the firearm was actually carried, can change the outcome.
Establish good-faith reliance where relevant to negotiation
While mistake of law is not typically a full defense to a strict regulatory offense, a documented, reasonable reliance on a permit believed valid can matter significantly in how a prosecutor evaluates a case for resolution.
Pursue the M1 eligibility path under § 6106
Where the traveler would independently qualify for a Pennsylvania license and has no other violation from the stop, arguing for the reduced misdemeanor grading can meaningfully lower exposure.
Coordinate with the underlying persons-not-to-possess analysis
Any case involving an out-of-state permit should also be checked against § 6105 disqualifiers, since a permit — PA or reciprocal — never overcomes an independent firearms bar.

Where we appear

Firearms defense across Central Pennsylvania.

Attorney Quinlan appears in the magisterial district courts and the Courts of Common Pleas — and the license-to-carry appeal dockets — in Dauphin, Cumberland, York, Adams, Perry, Franklin, and Lancaster counties. Start with your city:

Other gun & firearms guides.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions.

Common questions about out-of-state permits & reciprocity in Pennsylvania — procedure, consequences, and the defenses that actually matter.

Only if Pennsylvania has a current reciprocity agreement with your state under § 6109(k) covering your license type. There is no nationwide reciprocity law, and the list of recognized states changes, so a permit that worked previously may not be honored now.
Generally no. Reciprocity under § 6109(k) is built primarily for non-residents traveling through Pennsylvania. A Pennsylvania resident is typically expected to hold a Pennsylvania license to carry, obtained through their county sheriff under § 6109.
You can be charged under § 6106 for carrying a firearm without a valid Pennsylvania license, which is graded as a third-degree felony unless you qualify for the reduced misdemeanor grading available to someone otherwise eligible for a license with no other violation from the stop.
Yes. Section 6122 requires anyone carrying a concealed firearm to produce their license on lawful demand by a law enforcement officer, regardless of whether the license is a Pennsylvania license or one you believe qualifies under reciprocity.
It depends on the specific agreement. Some agreements Pennsylvania has negotiated apply only to concealed-carry licenses, so a permit that covers open carry in your home state may not extend the same coverage here.
The Attorney General's office publishes the current reciprocity list, but because it can change, verifying it close to your travel date — and keeping documentation — is worth doing rather than relying on memory or an outdated source.
It can matter in how a case is evaluated for resolution, even though it isn't automatically a complete legal defense to a strict regulatory statute like § 6106. Documenting what you reasonably believed and why is worth doing early.
Yes — an out-of-state permit case is still charged under § 6106, the general carrying-without-a-license statute. For more on how that charge works generally, see our page on carrying a firearm without a license in Pennsylvania.

[1]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).
[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. § 6122 — Proof of license and exception — the licensee's burden of producing a license to carry when carrying a concealed firearm.
[4]18 Pa.C.S. § 6111 — Sale or transfer of firearms — background-check and application requirements; § 6111(g)(4) criminalizes materially false written statements, the provision used in straw-purchase cases.
[5]18 Pa.C.S. § 6119 — Violation penalty — the default grading provision for Uniform Firearms Act offenses without their own stated grade.

Statutes are summarized for public reference. Confirm current text at palegis.us. This page is attorney advertising, not legal advice.

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