Non-Resident permit · DC → MA
Is a District of Columbia Non-Resident Permit Valid in Massachusetts?
Not recognizedVerified 2026-08-08
No — leave it holstered and cased. Your District of Columbia non-resident permit has no legal effect in Massachusetts, and Massachusetts offers no permitless path for visitors either.
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 The former MGL c.140 §131G exemption letting non-residents with home-state permits carry for competition/hunting was REPEALED by Ch. 135 of the Acts of 2024, effective Oct 2, 2024 — no out-of-state permit is valid in MA for any purpose.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 (District of Columbia)
- Permit
- Concealed Carry Pistol License (License to Carry a Pistol)
- Issued by
- Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
- Issued to non-residents?
- Yes — Non-residents may apply. D.C. Code 22-4506 covers any person with a bona fide US residence or place of business who holds a home-state carry license (or is from a state that does not require one); same 16-hour classroom + 2-hour range training applies, and the pistol must be registered in DC.
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
Massachusetts's rules control while you're there. These are the ones travelers trip over most.
- 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
- 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)
- Polling places, early voting sites (within 150 ft of entrance) and ballot storage/tabulation locations in use (MGL c.269 §10(k))
Frequently asked questions
- Is a District of Columbia non-resident permit valid in Massachusetts?
- No — leave it holstered and cased. Your District of Columbia non-resident permit has no legal effect in Massachusetts, and Massachusetts offers no permitless path for visitors either.
- Do I have to tell police in Massachusetts that I am carrying?
- 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.
- Does Massachusetts limit magazine capacity?
- Massachusetts limits magazine capacity to 10 rounds — a limit that applies to visitors, and one of the easiest laws to break by accident.
- 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
- D.C. Code 22-4504 - Carrying concealed weapons (license required) — accessed 2026-08-08
- D.C. Code 22-4506 - License to carry a pistol (issuance, non-residents) — accessed 2026-08-08
- D.C. Code 7-2509.02 - Concealed carry license eligibility (age 21, registration, training) — accessed 2026-08-08
- D.C. Code 7-2509.04 - Duties of licensees (duty to disclose on a stop) — accessed 2026-08-08
- D.C. Code 7-2509.07 - Prohibited locations — accessed 2026-08-08
- D.C. Code 7-2506.01 - Large capacity ammunition feeding devices (>10 rounds prohibited) — accessed 2026-08-08