Is an 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

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 →

Arkansas vs Georgia: what changes at the state line

Crossing from Arkansas into Georgia changes 2 rules: permitless carry (Yes (18+) → Yes (21+)); duty to inform police (Yes → No).

Going the other way, a Georgia non-resident permit in Arkansas: 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 Arkansas non-resident permit fares in the states bordering Georgia:

• Alabama — No such permit issued
• 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 Arkansas 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 Arkansas?

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

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.