Non-Resident permit · AZ → MA
Is an Arizona Non-Resident Permit Valid in Massachusetts?
No — this is one of the pairs where carrying is off the table. Massachusetts doesn't honor the permit and doesn't allow permitless carry for visitors, so there is no lawful concealed-carry path on this trip.
Why
- Massachusetts does not recognize any out-of-state carry permit.
Mass.gov firearms FAQ: 'No. Massachusetts does not have reciprocity with any other states.' The former MGL c.140 §131G exemption letting non-residents with home-state permits carry for competition/hunting was REPEALED by Ch. 135 of the Acts of 2024, effective Oct 2, 2024 — no out-of-state permit is valid in MA for any purpose.
The permit (Arizona)
- Permit
- Arizona Concealed Weapons Permit (CCW)
- Issued by
- Arizona Department of Public Safety (Concealed Weapons Permit Unit)
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
- Issued to non-residents?
- Yes — AZDPS FAQ: non-residents may apply for an Arizona permit under the same requirements (A.R.S. § 13-3112 allows any qualifying US citizen or Arizona resident).
The destination (Massachusetts)
- Recognition policy
- Honors no out-of-state permits
- Permitless carry
- No
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- 10 rounds
Carry rules in Massachusetts
Recognition is only half the question. Once you're inside Massachusetts, its carry rules apply to you exactly as they do to locals.
- No Massachusetts statute imposes a proactive duty to tell an officer you are carrying; carry the LTC when carrying and present it on lawful demand.
- Massachusetts limits magazine capacity to 10 rounds — a limit that applies to visitors, and one of the easiest laws to break by accident.
- Massachusetts is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit Massachusetts recognizes.
- An LTC is required to have a loaded handgun in a vehicle, and MGL c.140 §131C requires it to be under the licensee's direct control or secured in a locked container.
Off-limits places in Massachusetts
Massachusetts bans carry in 3 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- Elementary/secondary schools, colleges and universities without written authorization (MGL c.269 §10(j))
- Government administrative, judicial/court and correctional buildings, including grounds and parking areas (MGL c.269 §10(k), added by Ch. 135 of 2024)
Arizona vs Massachusetts: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Arizona into Massachusetts changes 4 rules: permitless carry (Yes (21+) → No); magazine limit (None → 10 rounds); out-of-state permits honored (All states → None); open carry (Yes, no permit → With a permit).
| Rule | Arizona | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | Yes (21+) | No |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | None | 10 rounds |
| Out-of-state permits honored | All states | None |
| Open carry | Yes, no permit | With a permit |
Going the other way, a Massachusetts non-resident permit in Arizona: recognized — and permitless carry applies.
Driving on from Massachusetts
How an Arizona non-resident permit fares in the states bordering Massachusetts:
- Connecticut — Not recognized
- New Hampshire — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- New York — Not recognized
- Rhode Island — Not recognized
- Vermont — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
Frequently asked questions
- Does Massachusetts honor an Arizona resident permit?
- Not recognized. The answer is the same as for the non-resident permit on this page.
- Can a Massachusetts non-resident permit holder carry in Arizona?
- Recognized — and permitless carry applies. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on Arizona's law, not Massachusetts's.
- Where does Massachusetts publish its official reciprocity list?
- Massachusetts publishes its recognition policy on an official state page, linked in the sources on this page. That page is the authority — check it shortly before travel, because recognition lists change without much notice.
Official sources
- Mass.gov — Firearms License and Transaction FAQs (no reciprocity; large-capacity feeding devices; issuing authorities) — accessed 2026-08-08
- MGL c.140 §131G — repealed by Ch. 135 of 2024, Sec. 64 (Mass. Legislature) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Acts of 2024, Chapter 135 (An Act Modernizing Firearm Laws) — Sec. 124 prohibited areas — accessed 2026-08-08
- Mass.gov — Apply for or renew a firearms license (fees, where to apply) — accessed 2026-09-27
- MGL c.140 §131 — License to carry firearms (age, term) — accessed 2026-09-27
- MGL c.140 §131P — Basic firearms safety certificate (live firearms training) — accessed 2026-09-27
- MGL c.269 §10 — Carrying a firearm without a license — accessed 2026-09-27
- Arizona DPS — Concealed Weapons and Permits (reciprocity, non-resident applications, age) — accessed 2026-08-08
- A.R.S. § 13-3112 (Arizona Legislature) — permit issuance and out-of-state permit recognition — accessed 2026-08-08
- A.R.S. § 13-3102 (Arizona Legislature) — misconduct involving weapons; permitless carry, duty to answer, prohibited places — accessed 2026-08-08
- A.R.S. § 13-3111 — minors prohibited from carrying or possessing firearms (AZ Legislature) — accessed 2026-09-27