Non-Resident permit · CT → WA
Is a Connecticut Non-Resident Permit Valid in Washington?
Washington says no. Your Connecticut non-resident permit isn't recognized, permitless carry isn't available to you, and carrying regardless is a chargeable offense. Check Washington's own permit options, which it does issue to non-residents, if you travel there often.
Why
- Connecticut is not on Washington's official reciprocity list.
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.
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 (Washington)
- Recognition policy
- Honors a named list of 10 states
- Permitless carry
- No
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- No state limit
Carry rules in Washington
Your Connecticut 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)
Connecticut vs Washington: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Connecticut into Washington changes 3 rules: magazine limit (10 rounds → None); out-of-state permits honored (None → 10 states); open carry (No → Yes, no permit).
| Rule | Connecticut | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | No | No |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | 10 rounds | None |
| Out-of-state permits honored | None | 10 states |
| Open carry | No | Yes, no permit |
Going the other way, a Washington non-resident permit in Connecticut: not recognized.
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 a Connecticut non-resident permit fares in the states bordering Washington:
Frequently asked questions
- Does Washington honor a Connecticut resident permit?
- Not recognized. The answer is the same as for the non-resident permit on this page.
- Can a Washington non-resident permit holder carry in Connecticut?
- Not recognized. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on Connecticut's law, not Washington's.
- Where does Washington publish its official reciprocity list?
- Washington 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
- Washington Attorney General — Concealed Pistol License Reciprocity (list as of 07/10/2026) — accessed 2026-08-08
- RCW 9.41.070 — Concealed pistol license — accessed 2026-08-08
- RCW 9.41.050 — Carrying firearms — accessed 2026-08-08
- RCW 9.41.300 — Weapons prohibited in certain places — accessed 2026-08-08
- RCW 9.41.370 — Large capacity magazines — accessed 2026-08-08
- RCW 9.41.240 — Possession of pistol by person from eighteen to twenty-one — accessed 2026-09-27
- 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