Is a Arkansas Non-Resident Permit Valid in Georgia?

Why

• Arkansas does not issue carry permits to non-residents (requires arkansas residency for 90+ continuous days (§ 5-73-309(2)); exception — active-duty us armed forces members and their spouses are exempt from the residency requirement).

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

Carry law is state law. From the moment you enter Georgia, these rules replace the ones you know from Arkansas.

• 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

• Courthouses
• Jails and prisons
• Government buildings with controlled/screened entry
• State mental health facilities
• Nuclear power facilities
• Within 150 feet of a polling place

Frequently asked questions

Is a Arkansas non-resident permit valid in Georgia?

None issued, so none recognized. Arkansas keeps its permits resident-only (requires Arkansas residency for 90+ continuous days (§ 5-73-309(2)); exception — active-duty US Armed Forces members and their spouses are exempt from the residency requirement). Your route to carrying in Georgia runs through a permit you are eligible to obtain elsewhere.

Do I have to tell police in Georgia that I am carrying?

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.

Does Georgia limit magazine capacity?

Georgia sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.

Can I carry in Georgia without any permit?

Georgia allows permitless concealed carry from age 21 for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.

Does Arkansas issue non-resident carry permits?

No. Arkansas issues carry permits to residents only (requires Arkansas residency for 90+ continuous days (§ 5-73-309(2)); exception — active-duty US Armed Forces members and their spouses are exempt from the residency requirement). 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.