Is an Illinois Non-Resident Permit Valid in Vermont?
You can leave the permit question aside, because no permit is needed in Vermont. Its permitless carry covers eligible residents and visitors, so an Illinois non-resident permit is not required; Vermont's carry rules still apply during your stay.
Why
- No permit is needed in Vermont, so out-of-state permits are not checked there.
- Vermont allows permitless carry, which extends to visitors who may legally possess a handgun.
No permit is required or checked — out-of-state permits (resident or non-resident) are irrelevant. Anyone who may lawfully possess a firearm may carry concealed in Vermont.
The permit (Illinois)
- Permit
- Illinois Concealed Carry License (CCL)
- Issued by
- Illinois State Police
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
- Issued to non-residents?
- Yes — Non-residents may apply only if their state is 'substantially similar' - currently Arkansas, Idaho, Mississippi, Nevada, Texas and Virginia (per ISP). Fee $300 (residents $150). Illinois residents also need a FOID card; non-residents are not eligible for a FOID card and are not required to have one.
The destination (Vermont)
- Recognition policy
- Honors permits from all states
- Permitless carry
- Yes
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- 15 rounds
Carry rules in Vermont
Recognition is only half the question. Once you're inside Vermont, its carry rules apply to you exactly as they do to locals.
- No duty-to-inform statute exists; Vermont has no carry-permit system and no statutory requirement to disclose carrying to police.
- Vermont limits magazine capacity to 15 rounds — a limit that applies to visitors, and one of the easiest laws to break by accident.
- Vermont allows permitless concealed carry for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
- No permit needed — a loaded handgun may be carried openly or concealed in a vehicle by anyone who may lawfully possess it.
Off-limits places in Vermont
Vermont bans carry in 4 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- School buildings, school buses and school property (13 V.S.A. § 4004)
- Courthouses (13 V.S.A. § 4016)
Illinois vs Vermont: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Illinois into Vermont changes 3 rules: permitless carry (No → Yes); out-of-state permits honored (None → All states); open carry (No → Yes, no permit).
| Rule | Illinois | Vermont |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | No | Yes |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | 15 rounds | 15 rounds |
| Out-of-state permits honored | None | All states |
| Open carry | No | Yes, no permit |
Going the other way, a Vermont non-resident permit in Illinois: no such permit issued.
Driving on from Vermont
How an Illinois non-resident permit fares in the states bordering Vermont:
- Massachusetts — Not recognized
- New Hampshire — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- New York — Not recognized
Frequently asked questions
- Does Vermont honor an Illinois resident permit?
- Recognized — and permitless carry applies. The answer is the same as for the non-resident permit on this page.
- Can a Vermont non-resident permit holder carry in Illinois?
- Vermont does not issue non-resident carry permits, so there is no such permit to carry in Illinois.
Official sources
- Vermont Statutes Online — 13 V.S.A. § 4021 (large capacity ammunition feeding devices) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Vermont Statutes Online — 13 V.S.A. § 4004 (weapons in schools) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Vermont Statutes Online — 13 V.S.A. § 4016 (weapons in court) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Vermont Statutes Online — Title 13 chapter 85 (weapons; no licensing provision exists) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Vermont Statutes Online — 13 V.S.A. § 4003 (carrying dangerous weapons) (via Wayback 2026-08-11) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Vermont Statutes Online — 13 V.S.A. § 4008 (possession of firearms by children) (via Wayback 2025-11-14) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Illinois State Police - Concealed Carry License — accessed 2026-08-08
- Illinois State Police - Transport Your Firearm Legally (ISP 1-154, 7/25) - out-of-state recognition, vehicle exception, officer disclosure — accessed 2026-08-08
- Illinois State Police - Assault Weapons / Protect Illinois Communities Act (magazine limits) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Illinois State Police Firearms Services Bureau - FAQ — accessed 2026-08-08