Is a Hawaii Non-Resident Permit Valid in Pennsylvania?

Why

• Hawaii does not issue carry permits to non-residents (applicants must document that they currently live in hawaii (hrs 134-9(a)(5), per hawaii county pd 2025 rules); maui pd requires being 'a resident of the state of hawaii'; hawaii county requires county residency. citizen, us national, or lawful permanent resident required).

AG rule: where Pennsylvania grants reciprocity, ONLY individuals who are both residents of the issuing state AND 21 or older may carry in Pennsylvania — non-resident permits are never recognized. Several states are recognized only for specific license classes (see overrides). Virginia became the 30th recognized state in Feb 2026. Not recognized: CA, CT, DE, DC, HI, IL, ME, MD, MA, MN, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, OR, RI, SC, VT, WA.

Carry rules in Pennsylvania

Your Hawaii habits may not match Pennsylvania's law. Check these three areas before you carry there.

• No Pennsylvania statute requires a carrier to proactively inform police; carry the license and produce it on lawful demand.
• Pennsylvania sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
• Pennsylvania is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit Pennsylvania recognizes.
• Carrying a firearm in any vehicle, loaded or unloaded, requires a valid LTCF or a recognized reciprocal license (18 Pa.C.S. § 6106).

Off-limits places in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania bans carry in 3 kinds of places. The first on the list:

• Court facilities (18 Pa.C.S. § 913)
• Elementary and secondary school buildings, grounds and buses (18 Pa.C.S. § 912; statutory 'other lawful purpose' defense)

See all 3 places you can't carry in Pennsylvania →

Hawaii vs Pennsylvania: what changes at the state line

Crossing from Hawaii into Pennsylvania changes 4 rules: duty to inform police (Yes → No); magazine limit (10 rounds → None); out-of-state permits honored (None → 30 states); open carry (Restricted → Yes, no permit).

Going the other way, a Pennsylvania non-resident permit in Hawaii: not recognized.

Driving on from Pennsylvania

How a Hawaii non-resident permit fares in the states bordering Pennsylvania:

• Delaware — No such permit issued
• Maryland — No such permit issued
• New Jersey — No such permit issued
• New York — No such permit issued
• Ohio — No such permit issued
• West Virginia — No such permit issued

Check a whole route with the Trip Checker →

Frequently asked questions

Does Pennsylvania honor a Hawaii resident permit?

Not recognized. That differs from the non-resident permit on this page, because Pennsylvania treats the two permit types differently.

Can a Pennsylvania non-resident permit holder carry in Hawaii?

Not recognized. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on Hawaii's law, not Pennsylvania's.

Does Hawaii issue non-resident carry permits?

No. Hawaii issues carry permits to residents only (applicants must document that they currently live in Hawaii (HRS 134-9(a)(5), per Hawaii County PD 2025 rules); Maui PD requires being 'a resident of the state of Hawaii'; Hawaii County requires county residency. Citizen, US national, or lawful permanent resident required). 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.