Non-Resident permit · MA → SC
Is a Massachusetts Non-Resident Permit Valid in South Carolina?
South Carolina never signed on to honor Massachusetts non-resident permits. Its permitless-carry law for adults 18+ is what makes concealed carry possible for eligible visitors — check the eligibility rules before relying on it.
Why
- Massachusetts is not on South Carolina's official reciprocity list.
- South Carolina allows permitless carry for eligible adults 18+, which extends to visitors who may legally possess a handgun.
S.C. Code 23-31-215(N)(1) honors out-of-state permits only when 'held by a resident of a reciprocal state' whose permitting requires a background check and firearm training; Georgia and North Carolina permits are recognized automatically under (N)(2). Recognition covers handguns only. Largely moot for visitors 18+, who may carry permitless.
The permit (Massachusetts)
- Permit
- License to Carry Firearms (LTC)
- Issued by
- Local police department licensing authority (residents); Firearms Records Bureau as designee of the Colonel of the State Police (non-residents)
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
- Issued to non-residents?
- Yes — Non-Resident Temporary LTC issued by the Firearms Records Bureau; valid 1 year, renewed annually by mail with in-person appearance required once every six years; MA Basic Firearms Safety Course certificate required.
The destination (South Carolina)
- Recognition policy
- Honors a named list of 2 states
- Permitless carry
- Yes (18+)
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- No state limit
Carry rules in South Carolina
Your Massachusetts habits may not match South Carolina's law. Check these three areas before you carry there.
- SLED H.3594 guidance: a CWP holder or permitless carrier 'DOES NOT have a duty to notify a law enforcement officer that they are carrying a firearm', and a CWP holder is not required to carry the CWP or disclose CWP status.
- South Carolina sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
- South Carolina allows permitless concealed carry from age 18 for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
- No restrictions on guns inside vehicles — a person not prohibited from possessing a firearm may store it anywhere in a vehicle, openly or concealed (SLED H.3594 guidance).
Off-limits places in South Carolina
South Carolina bans carry in 6 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- Law enforcement, correctional or detention facilities
- Courthouses and courtrooms (publicly owned buildings where court is in session)
Massachusetts vs South Carolina: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Massachusetts into South Carolina changes 4 rules: permitless carry (No → Yes (18+)); magazine limit (10 rounds → None); out-of-state permits honored (None → 2 states); open carry (With a permit → Yes, no permit).
| Rule | Massachusetts | South Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | No | Yes (18+) |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | 10 rounds | None |
| Out-of-state permits honored | None | 2 states |
| Open carry | With a permit | Yes, no permit |
Going the other way, a South Carolina non-resident permit in Massachusetts: not recognized.
Driving on from South Carolina
How a Massachusetts non-resident permit fares in the states bordering South Carolina:
- Georgia — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- North Carolina — Recognized — carry with your permit
Frequently asked questions
- Does South Carolina honor a Massachusetts resident permit?
- Permit not recognized — but permitless carry applies. The answer is the same as for the non-resident permit on this page.
- Can a South Carolina non-resident permit holder carry in Massachusetts?
- Not recognized. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on Massachusetts's law, not South Carolina's.
- Where does South Carolina publish its official reciprocity list?
- South Carolina 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
- SLED — Constitutional Carry Guidance (H.3594) — accessed 2026-08-08
- SLED — Concealed Weapons Permit — accessed 2026-08-08
- S.C. Code of Laws Title 23, Chapter 31 (incl. 23-31-215(N) recognition) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Mass.gov — Firearms License and Transaction FAQs (no reciprocity; large-capacity feeding devices; issuing authorities) — accessed 2026-08-08
- MGL c.140 §131G — repealed by Ch. 135 of 2024, Sec. 64 (Mass. Legislature) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Acts of 2024, Chapter 135 (An Act Modernizing Firearm Laws) — Sec. 124 prohibited areas — accessed 2026-08-08
- Mass.gov — Apply for or renew a firearms license (fees, where to apply) — accessed 2026-09-27
- MGL c.140 §131 — License to carry firearms (age, term) — accessed 2026-09-27
- MGL c.140 §131P — Basic firearms safety certificate (live firearms training) — accessed 2026-09-27
- MGL c.269 §10 — Carrying a firearm without a license — accessed 2026-09-27