Non-Resident permit · GA → CO
Is a Georgia Non-Resident Permit Valid in Colorado?
You can't get this permit: Georgia doesn't offer one to non-residents (georgia.gov requires applicants to be a Georgia resident and apply at the probate court (county of domicile); 18-20 only for military members with basic training completed. Out-of-state residents cannot get a WCL, but under SB 319 they may carry without one if they would otherwise qualify). Check your own state's permit against Colorado's recognition rules instead.
Why
- Georgia does not issue carry permits to non-residents (georgia.gov requires applicants to be a georgia resident and apply at the probate court (county of domicile); 18-20 only for military members with basic training completed. out-of-state residents cannot get a wcl, but under sb 319 they may carry without one if they would otherwise qualify).
Colorado honors a permit only if the issuing state honors Colorado's CHP, the holder is 21+, is a RESIDENT of the issuing state, and carries a matching driver's license or state ID from that state. Colorado explicitly does not recognize any permit issued to a non-resident of the issuing state - a Colorado resident also cannot carry in-state on another state's non-resident permit (C.R.S. 18-12-213; CBI reciprocity page).
The permit (Georgia)
- Permit
- Georgia Weapons Carry License (WCL)
- Issued by
- Judge of the probate court of the applicant's county of domicile
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
- Issued to non-residents?
- No — Georgia.gov requires applicants to be a Georgia resident and apply at the probate court (county of domicile); 18-20 only for military members with basic training completed. Out-of-state residents cannot get a WCL, but under SB 319 they may carry without one if they would otherwise qualify.
The destination (Colorado)
- Recognition policy
- Honors a named list of 34 states
- Permitless carry
- No
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- 15 rounds
Carry rules in Colorado
Your Georgia habits may not match Colorado's law. Check these three areas before you carry there.
- No duty to volunteer. Permittee must carry the permit plus valid photo ID whenever carrying and must produce both upon demand by a law enforcement officer; failure is a class 1 petty offense (C.R.S. 18-12-204(2)(a)).
- Colorado limits magazine capacity to 15 rounds — a limit that applies to visitors, and one of the easiest laws to break by accident.
- Colorado is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit Colorado recognizes.
- A person who may lawfully possess a handgun may carry it, loaded, in a private automobile without any permit for a legal use including self-defense (C.R.S. 18-12-204(3)(a)); this does not extend onto school grounds under 18-12-105.5.
Off-limits places in Colorado
Colorado bans carry in 6 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- K-12 public school grounds (permittee's handgun may remain in a locked vehicle)
- Public buildings with permanent security screening and guards at each entrance
Georgia vs Colorado: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Georgia into Colorado changes 3 rules: permitless carry (Yes (21+) → No); magazine limit (None → 15 rounds); out-of-state permits honored (All states → 34 states).
| Rule | Georgia | Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | Yes (21+) | No |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | None | 15 rounds |
| Out-of-state permits honored | All states | 34 states |
| Open carry | Yes, no permit | Yes, no permit |
Going the other way, a Colorado non-resident permit in Georgia: no such permit issued.
Driving on from Colorado
How a Georgia non-resident permit fares in the states bordering Colorado:
Frequently asked questions
- Does Colorado honor a Georgia resident permit?
- Recognized — carry with your permit. That differs from the non-resident permit on this page, because Colorado treats the two permit types differently.
- Can a Colorado non-resident permit holder carry in Georgia?
- Colorado does not issue non-resident carry permits, so there is no such permit to carry in Georgia.
- Does Georgia issue non-resident carry permits?
- No. Georgia issues carry permits to residents only (georgia.gov requires applicants to be a Georgia resident and apply at the probate court (county of domicile); 18-20 only for military members with basic training completed. Out-of-state residents cannot get a WCL, but under SB 319 they may carry without one if they would otherwise qualify). 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.
Official sources
- Colorado Bureau of Investigation - CHP Reciprocity — accessed 2026-08-08
- Colorado Bureau of Investigation - Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) — accessed 2026-08-08
- C.R.S. 18-12-203 - Criteria for obtaining a permit (CBI-hosted) — accessed 2026-08-08
- C.R.S. 18-12-204 - Permit contents, carrying requirements (CBI-hosted) — accessed 2026-08-08
- C.R.S. 18-12-214 - Authority granted by permit, carrying restrictions (CBI-hosted) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Colorado General Assembly - SB24-131 Prohibiting Carrying Firearms in Sensitive Spaces — accessed 2026-08-08
- Colorado Attorney General - statement on 15-round large-capacity magazine limit — accessed 2026-08-08
- C.R.S. 18-12-205 — permit fee not to exceed $100 (CBI-hosted PDF, via Wayback) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Colorado General Assembly — HB24-1174 Concealed Handgun Carry Permit Training — accessed 2026-09-27
- Colorado General Assembly — SB21-256 Local Regulation Of Firearms — accessed 2026-09-27
- Denver Police — Concealed Handgun Permits (local fee example) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Georgia Attorney General - Firearms License Reciprocity — accessed 2026-08-08
- Georgia.gov - Apply for a Firearms License — accessed 2026-08-08
- Georgia General Assembly House Budget & Research Office - Constitutional Carry in Georgia (SB 319 policy brief) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Georgia Department of Public Safety - Georgia's Firearm Permit Reciprocity — accessed 2026-08-08