Non-Resident permit · MA → SD
Is a Massachusetts Non-Resident Permit Valid in South Dakota?
Yes, twice over. South Dakota honors your Massachusetts non-resident permit, and it also allows permitless carry for adults 18+, so eligible adults can carry there even without one.
Why
- South Dakota recognizes valid carry permits from every US state.
- South Dakota allows permitless carry for eligible adults 18+, which extends to visitors who may legally possess a handgun.
Official Firearm Handbook: 'The state of South Dakota recognizes any valid concealed pistol permit issued to a nonresident of South Dakota, according to the terms of its issuance in the state of its issue' — any state's permit qualifies as long as the holder is not a South Dakota resident (SD residents simply 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 Dakota)
- Recognition policy
- Honors permits from all states
- Permitless carry
- Yes (18+)
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- No state limit
Carry rules in South Dakota
Whatever your permit status, South Dakota law governs how you carry inside the state. The rules below matter most on a short trip.
- No duty-to-inform provision appears in the Secretary of State's official Firearm Handbook or in SDCL chapter 23-7.
- South Dakota sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
- South Dakota allows permitless concealed carry from age 18 for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
- Permitless concealed carry under SDCL 23-7-7 applies statewide, including in vehicles, for residents and non-residents 18+ who may lawfully possess a pistol.
Off-limits places in South Dakota
South Dakota bans carry in 3 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- County courthouses (SDCL 22-14-23)
- The state capitol (SDCL 22-14-23; limited enhanced-permit exceptions)
Massachusetts vs South Dakota: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Massachusetts into South Dakota changes 4 rules: permitless carry (No → Yes (18+)); magazine limit (10 rounds → None); out-of-state permits honored (None → All states); open carry (With a permit → Yes, no permit).
| Rule | Massachusetts | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | No | Yes (18+) |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | 10 rounds | None |
| Out-of-state permits honored | None | All states |
| Open carry | With a permit | Yes, no permit |
Going the other way, a South Dakota non-resident permit in Massachusetts: no such permit issued.
Driving on from South Dakota
How a Massachusetts non-resident permit fares in the states bordering South Dakota:
- Iowa — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- Minnesota — Recognized — carry with your permit
- Montana — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- Nebraska — Permit not recognized — but permitless carry applies
- North Dakota — Permit not recognized — but permitless carry applies
- Wyoming — Permit not recognized — but permitless carry applies
Frequently asked questions
- Does South Dakota honor a Massachusetts resident permit?
- Recognized — and permitless carry applies. The answer is the same as for the non-resident permit on this page.
- Can a South Dakota non-resident permit holder carry in Massachusetts?
- South Dakota does not issue non-resident carry permits, so there is no such permit to carry in Massachusetts.
- Where does South Dakota publish its official reciprocity list?
- South Dakota 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
- South Dakota Secretary of State — Concealed Carry Reciprocity — accessed 2026-08-08
- South Dakota Secretary of State — South Dakota Firearm Handbook (July 2025) — accessed 2026-08-08
- South Dakota Secretary of State — Pistol Permit FAQs — accessed 2026-09-27
- South Dakota Secretary of State — How to Apply for a Permit — accessed 2026-09-27
- South Dakota Secretary of State — Types of Concealed Carry Permits — accessed 2026-09-27
- 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