Non-Resident permit · DC → TX
Is a District of Columbia Non-Resident Permit Valid in Texas?
Permit not recognized — but permitless carry appliesVerified 2026-08-08
Your permit itself isn't recognized, but you can still likely carry. Texas does not honor District of Columbia non-resident permits, yet its permitless-carry law for adults 21+ covers visitors who may legally possess a handgun.
Why
- District of Columbia is not on Texas's official reciprocity list.
- Texas allows permitless carry for eligible adults 21+, which extends to visitors who may legally possess a handgun.
Texas recognizes any valid handgun license from the listed states via agreement or unilateral proclamation, with no holder-residency condition stated. NOT recognized (per DPS chart): District of Columbia, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Oregon, Vermont, Wisconsin and the territories — MN and WI recognize Texas unilaterally, but Texas does not honor their licenses. Permitless carry (21+) covers most unlicensed visitors regardless.
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 (Texas)
- Recognition policy
- Honors a named list of 43 states
- Permitless carry
- Yes (21+)
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- No state limit
Carry rules in Texas
Carry law is state law. From the moment you enter Texas, these rules replace the ones you know from District of Columbia.
- No proactive duty — Gov't Code 411.205 requires a license holder carrying a handgun to display the LTC together with ID only when a magistrate or peace officer demands identification.
- Texas sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
- Texas allows permitless concealed carry from age 21 for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
- A handgun may be carried in one's own (or consented) vehicle without a license; if in plain view it must be holstered and the carrier 21+ or an LTC holder (Penal Code 46.02(a-1) as amended by HB 1927).
Off-limits places in Texas
- Schools, school activities and school transportation (Penal Code 46.03(a)(1))
- Polling places on election day or during early voting
- Government courts and court offices
- Secured areas of airports
- Businesses deriving 51%+ of income from on-premises alcohol sales
- Correctional and civil-commitment facilities
Frequently asked questions
- Is a District of Columbia non-resident permit valid in Texas?
- Your permit itself isn't recognized, but you can still likely carry. Texas does not honor District of Columbia non-resident permits, yet its permitless-carry law for adults 21+ covers visitors who may legally possess a handgun.
- Do I have to tell police in Texas that I am carrying?
- No proactive duty — Gov't Code 411.205 requires a license holder carrying a handgun to display the LTC together with ID only when a magistrate or peace officer demands identification.
- Does Texas limit magazine capacity?
- Texas sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
- Can I carry in Texas without any permit?
- Texas allows permitless concealed carry from age 21 for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
- Where does Texas publish its official reciprocity list?
- Texas 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
- Texas DPS — State Reciprocity Information (full recognition chart) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Texas DPS — Firearm Carry Act of 2021 (HB 1927 permitless carry) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Texas DPS — LTC Eligibility FAQs (18-20-year-old applicants after FPC v. McCraw) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Texas DPS — Laws that Relate to Carrying FAQs (vehicle carry, 46.03 places) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Texas Legislature — HB 1927 enrolled text (Penal Code 46.02, 46.03) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Texas Gov't Code ch. 411 (411.172 eligibility, 411.173 nonresident, 411.205 display) — 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