Is an Alabama Non-Resident Permit Valid in Washington?

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).

AG list as of 2026-07-10. Permit-class limits: Idaho ENHANCED permits only; Kansas standard licenses only; Montana ENHANCED permits only (not 18-20 restricted permits); North Dakota CLASS 1 permits only; South Dakota unrestricted ENHANCED and GOLD permits only; Utah permits recognized EXCLUDING provisional (under-21) permits. RCW 9.41.073 requires the issuing state to recognize WA CPLs, not license under-21s, and require a fingerprint-based criminal and mental-health background check; holder residency in the issuing state is not a statutory condition.

Carry rules in Washington

Your Alabama habits may not match Washington's law. Check these three areas before you carry there.

• No statutory duty to proactively tell an officer you are carrying; the CPL must be in your possession while carrying a concealed pistol and presented on demand.
• Washington sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
• Washington is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit Washington recognizes.
• A loaded pistol in a vehicle requires a CPL and must be on the licensee's person, or the licensee must remain in the vehicle, or the pistol must be locked in the vehicle and concealed from view when the licensee leaves; without a CPL the pistol must be unloaded, and if left in the vehicle, locked and hidden from view (RCW 9.41.050).

Off-limits places in Washington

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

• Restricted areas of jails, law enforcement facilities and courthouses/courtrooms (RCW 9.41.300)
• Licensed inpatient psychiatric facilities (RCW 9.41.300)

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

Alabama vs Washington: what changes at the state line

Crossing from Alabama into Washington changes 2 rules: permitless carry (Yes (19+) → No); out-of-state permits honored (All states → 10 states).

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

Permits that do work in Washington

These non-resident permits are honored in Washington, 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
• Utah non-resident permit · honored in 31 states

Driving on from Washington

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

• Idaho — No such permit issued
• Oregon — No such permit issued

Check a whole route with the Trip Checker →

Frequently asked questions

Does Washington honor an Alabama resident permit?

Not recognized. That differs from the non-resident permit on this page, because Washington treats the two permit types differently.

Can a Washington 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 Washington'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.