Is a Hawaii Non-Resident Permit Valid in Washington?

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 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.

Carry rules in Washington

Washington's rules control while you're there. These are the ones travelers trip over most.

• 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

• Restricted areas of jails, law enforcement facilities and courthouses/courtrooms (RCW 9.41.300)
• Licensed inpatient psychiatric facilities (RCW 9.41.300)
• Portions of bars/restaurants off-limits to persons under 21 (RCW 9.41.300 — applies even with a CPL)
• Areas beyond airport security checkpoints (RCW 9.41.300)
• Public and private K-12 school premises (RCW 9.41.280)
• Libraries, zoos, aquariums and transit stations — but CPL holders are EXEMPT from these four (RCW 9.41.300(14))

Frequently asked questions

Is a Hawaii non-resident permit valid in Washington?

There is nothing to recognize: Hawaii issues permits to its own 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). If you don't live in Hawaii, look at states that do sell non-resident permits and check which of those Washington honors.

Do I have to tell police in Washington that I am carrying?

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.

Does Washington limit magazine capacity?

Washington sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.

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.