Non-Resident permit · CT → FL
Is a Connecticut Non-Resident Permit Valid in Florida?
Permit not recognized — but permitless carry appliesVerified 2026-08-08
Your State Permit to Carry Pistols and Revolvers (Connecticut State Pistol Permit) is not honored in Florida. The workable path is Florida's permitless carry for adults 21+: qualify under that law and you may carry concealed without a permit.
Why
- Florida recognizes out-of-state permits only when the holder is a resident of the issuing state.
- A non-resident permit from Connecticut therefore does not qualify — the holder is not an Connecticut resident.
- Florida allows permitless carry for eligible adults 21+, which extends to visitors who may legally possess a handgun.
s. 790.015 (as amended by ch. 2023-18) recognizes a valid concealed carry license from ANY state provided it was 'issued to the nonresident in his or her state of residence' and the holder is 21+ (18+ if servicemember or honorably discharged veteran) - no reciprocal agreement required, but non-resident permits (license state != residence state) do not qualify; such holders may still carry permitless if eligible. A holder who establishes Florida residency keeps recognition for 90 days only. FDACS still publishes a legacy mutual-agreement list, but the statute controls.
The permit (Connecticut)
- Permit
- State Permit to Carry Pistols and Revolvers (Connecticut State Pistol Permit)
- Issued by
- Two-step - local police chief/chief executive officer issues a temporary state permit, then the DESPP Special Licensing and Firearms Unit issues the state permit
- Issue policy
- May-issue
- Issued to non-residents?
- Yes — A bona fide US resident with no Connecticut residence who holds a carry permit or license issued by another state or subdivision may apply directly to the DESPP commissioner for a non-resident Connecticut permit (CGS 29-28(f)); DESPP requires that non-resident applicants already hold a home-state carry permit.
The destination (Florida)
- Recognition policy
- Honors all states' permits, resident permits only
- Permitless carry
- Yes (21+)
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- No state limit
Carry rules in Florida
Recognition is only half the question. Once you're inside Florida, its carry rules apply to you exactly as they do to locals.
- No proactive duty. Licensees must carry the license plus valid ID and display both upon demand by a law enforcement officer (s. 790.06(1)); permitless carriers must carry and display valid ID on demand (s. 790.013) - violation is a $25 civil penalty.
- Florida sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
- Florida allows permitless concealed carry from age 21 for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
- A person eligible under s. 790.01 (or licensed) may carry a loaded concealed handgun on their person in a vehicle; independently, anyone 18+ in lawful possession may keep a handgun in a private conveyance if it is securely encased or not readily accessible for immediate use (s. 790.25(4)).
Off-limits places in Florida
- Police, sheriff or highway patrol stations
- Detention facilities, prisons and jails
- Courthouses and courtrooms
- Polling places and meetings of the Legislature or governing bodies
- K-12 schools, career centers, and college or university facilities
- Portions of establishments primarily devoted to dispensing alcohol, and airport sterile areas
Frequently asked questions
- Is a Connecticut non-resident permit valid in Florida?
- Your State Permit to Carry Pistols and Revolvers (Connecticut State Pistol Permit) is not honored in Florida. The workable path is Florida's permitless carry for adults 21+: qualify under that law and you may carry concealed without a permit.
- Do I have to tell police in Florida that I am carrying?
- No proactive duty. Licensees must carry the license plus valid ID and display both upon demand by a law enforcement officer (s. 790.06(1)); permitless carriers must carry and display valid ID on demand (s. 790.013) - violation is a $25 civil penalty.
- Does Florida limit magazine capacity?
- Florida sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
- Can I carry in Florida without any permit?
- Florida allows permitless concealed carry from age 21 for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
- Where does Florida publish its official reciprocity list?
- Florida 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
- FDACS - Concealed Weapon License Reciprocity — accessed 2026-08-08
- FDACS - Reciprocity and Traveling with a Firearm FAQ — accessed 2026-08-08
- Fla. Stat. 790.015 - Nonresidents; recognition of home-state licenses — accessed 2026-08-08
- Fla. Stat. 790.01 - Permitless concealed carry — accessed 2026-08-08
- Fla. Stat. 790.013 - ID requirement for unlicensed concealed carry — accessed 2026-08-08
- Fla. Stat. 790.06 - License to carry; criteria; prohibited places (subsection 12) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Fla. Stat. 790.25 - Lawful possession; private conveyance — accessed 2026-08-08
- CT DESPP - Connecticut State Pistol Permit — accessed 2026-08-08
- CT DESPP - Pistol Permit FAQ (non-resident application process) — accessed 2026-08-08
- CGS Chapter 529 - Secs. 29-28 (permits) and 29-35 (carrying without permit prohibited) — accessed 2026-08-08
- CGS Sec. 53-202w - Large capacity magazines (10-round limit) — accessed 2026-08-08
- CGS Sec. 53a-217b - Possession of a weapon on school grounds — accessed 2026-08-08