Is an Alabama Non-Resident Permit Valid in Mississippi?

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).

Miss. Code 45-9-101(19): 'Any person holding a valid unrevoked and unexpired license to carry stun guns, concealed pistols or revolvers issued in another state shall have such license recognized by this state' — no residency condition, so non-resident permits from any state are also recognized.

Carry rules in Mississippi

Whatever your permit status, Mississippi law governs how you carry inside the state. The rules below matter most on a short trip.

• No proactive duty: a licensee must display the license and identification upon demand by a law enforcement officer; failure is a $25 noncriminal violation (Miss. Code 45-9-101(1)(b)).
• Mississippi sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
• Mississippi allows permitless concealed carry from age 18 for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
• Loaded vehicle carry is generally lawful without a permit for adults who may lawfully possess a handgun, under the permitless-carry provisions (Miss. Code 45-9-101(24), 97-37-1).

Off-limits places in Mississippi

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

• Police, sheriff or highway patrol stations (45-9-101(13))
• Detention facilities, prisons and jails

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

Alabama vs Mississippi: what changes at the state line

Crossing from Alabama into Mississippi changes one rule: permitless carry (Yes (19+) → Yes (18+)).

Going the other way, a Mississippi non-resident permit in Alabama: recognized — and permitless carry applies.

Permits that do work in Mississippi

These non-resident permits are honored in Mississippi, 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 Mississippi

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

• Arkansas — No such permit issued
• Louisiana — No such permit issued
• Tennessee — No such permit issued

Check a whole route with the Trip Checker →

Frequently asked questions

Does Mississippi honor an Alabama resident permit?

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

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

Recognized — and permitless carry applies. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on Alabama's law, not Mississippi's.

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.