Is an Alabama Non-Resident Permit Valid in Georgia?

Why

• Alabama does not issue carry permits to non-residents (alea: alabama issues concealed carry permits only to alabama residents, via the sheriff of the applicant's county of residence).

SB 319 defines 'any person licensed to carry a weapon in any other state' as a lawful weapons carrier, with no residency or permit-type qualifier, so resident and non-resident permits from every state are effectively honored. The Attorney General separately maintains a formal reciprocity list (32 states) relevant mainly to Georgia licensees traveling outbound.

Carry rules in Georgia

Crossing into Georgia swaps the rulebook. Here is what changes for a visiting carrier.

• No proactive duty-to-inform appears in any official Georgia carry guidance reviewed (AG, DPS, Georgia.gov, General Assembly brief); SB 319 also removed the requirement to hold a license while carrying. Cross-checked: Georgia has no must-inform statute.
• Georgia sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
• Georgia allows permitless concealed carry from age 21 for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
• Lawful weapons carriers (including out-of-state licensees and qualifying visitors) may carry a loaded handgun in a private vehicle without any license.

Off-limits places in Georgia

Georgia bans carry in 6 kinds of places. The first on the list:

• Courthouses
• Jails and prisons

See all 6 places you can't carry in Georgia →

Alabama vs Georgia: what changes at the state line

Crossing from Alabama into Georgia changes one rule: permitless carry (Yes (19+) → Yes (21+)).

Going the other way, a Georgia non-resident permit in Alabama: no such permit issued.

Permits that do work in Georgia

These non-resident permits are honored in Georgia, ranked by how many states honor each one. They are issued to people who live outside the issuing state, subject to its eligibility rules.

• North Dakota non-resident permit · honored in 33 states
• Ohio non-resident permit · honored in 33 states
• Idaho non-resident permit · honored in 32 states
• Texas non-resident permit · honored in 32 states
• Florida non-resident permit · honored in 32 states
• South Carolina non-resident permit · honored in 32 states

Driving on from Georgia

How an Alabama non-resident permit fares in the states bordering Georgia:

• Florida — No such permit issued
• North Carolina — No such permit issued
• South Carolina — No such permit issued
• Tennessee — No such permit issued

Check a whole route with the Trip Checker →

Frequently asked questions

Does Georgia honor an Alabama resident permit?

Recognized — and permitless carry applies. That differs from the non-resident permit on this page, because Georgia treats the two permit types differently.

Can a Georgia non-resident permit holder carry in Alabama?

Georgia does not issue non-resident carry permits, so there is no such permit to carry in Alabama.

Does Alabama issue non-resident carry permits?

No. Alabama issues carry permits to residents only (aLEA: Alabama issues concealed carry permits only to Alabama residents, via the sheriff of the applicant's county of residence). Non-residents who want multi-state coverage usually obtain a non-resident permit from a state that offers one, such as those listed in our non-resident permit guide.