Non-Resident permit · MS → KY
Is a Mississippi Non-Resident Permit Valid in Kentucky?
Recognized — and permitless carry appliesVerified 2026-09-27
Your Mississippi non-resident permit is valid in Kentucky. The state also has permitless carry for adults 21+, so the permit mainly buys you reciprocity certainty and some federal school-zone protection.
Why
- Kentucky recognizes valid carry permits from every US state.
- Kentucky allows permitless carry for eligible adults 21+, which extends to visitors who may legally possess a handgun.
KSP: 'A person who is not a resident of Kentucky and who has a valid license issued by another state... may carry a concealed deadly weapon in Kentucky.' Recognition covers deadly weapons generally, not just handguns. New Kentucky residents' out-of-state licenses stay valid for 120 days if they file the KSP form within 60 days of moving.
The permit (Mississippi)
- Permit
- Mississippi Individual Firearm Permit (License to Carry a Concealed Pistol or Revolver)
- Issued by
- Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Firearm Permit Division
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
- Issued to non-residents?
- Yes — Residents only by default, but the residency requirement is waived if the applicant holds a valid permit from another state, is active-duty military stationed in Mississippi, or is a retired law enforcement officer establishing residency (Miss. Code 45-9-101(2)(a)). 18-20-year-olds qualify only as members/veterans of the Armed Forces with a Mississippi ID (45-9-101(2)(b)).
The destination (Kentucky)
- Recognition policy
- Honors permits from all states
- Permitless carry
- Yes (21+)
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- No state limit
Carry rules in Kentucky
Your Mississippi habits may not match Kentucky's law. Check these three areas before you carry there.
- No Kentucky statute or KSP guidance imposes a proactive duty to inform an officer that you are carrying.
- Kentucky sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
- Kentucky allows permitless concealed carry from age 21 for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
- A firearm in any enclosed container, compartment or storage space installed as original equipment (e.g. glove box or console) is not considered concealed and is lawful for anyone who may possess it, loaded or not; persons 21+ may also carry on-body permitless.
Off-limits places in Kentucky
Kentucky bans carry in 6 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- Police stations and sheriff's offices
- Detention facilities, prisons and jails
Mississippi vs Kentucky: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Mississippi into Kentucky changes one rule: permitless carry (Yes (18+) → Yes (21+)).
| Rule | Mississippi | Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | Yes (18+) | Yes (21+) |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | None | None |
| Out-of-state permits honored | All states | All states |
| Open carry | Yes, no permit | Yes, no permit |
Going the other way, a Kentucky non-resident permit in Mississippi: no such permit issued.
Driving on from Kentucky
How a Mississippi non-resident permit fares in the states bordering Kentucky:
- Illinois — Not recognized
- Indiana — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- Missouri — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- Ohio — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- Tennessee — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- Virginia — Recognized — carry with your permit
- West Virginia — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
Frequently asked questions
- Does Kentucky honor a Mississippi resident permit?
- Recognized — and permitless carry applies. The answer is the same as for the non-resident permit on this page.
- Can a Kentucky non-resident permit holder carry in Mississippi?
- Kentucky does not issue non-resident carry permits, so there is no such permit to carry in Mississippi.
- Where does Kentucky publish its official reciprocity list?
- Kentucky 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
- Kentucky State Police - CCDW Reciprocity — accessed 2026-08-08
- Kentucky State Police - CCDW FAQs — accessed 2026-08-08
- Kentucky State Police - CCDW Qualifications — accessed 2026-08-08
- Kentucky General Assembly — 2026 RS HB 312 record (veto overridden, Acts ch. 173) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Kentucky General Assembly — HB 312 final (vetoed & overridden) bill text — accessed 2026-09-27
- KRS 237.110 (License to carry concealed deadly weapon), eff. July 1, 2025 — accessed 2026-09-27
- Mississippi DPS Driver Service Bureau — Firearm Permit Laws and Codes (hosts 45-9-101 as amended) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Miss. Code 45-9-101 as amended by HB 786 (2016) — official enrolled text, Mississippi Legislature — accessed 2026-08-08
- Mississippi DPS — Miss. Code 97-37-1 (concealed carry; holster and 18+ exemptions) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Mississippi DPS — Miss. Code 97-37-7 (enhanced carry endorsement; reciprocal agreements) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Mississippi DPS — Firearm Permit Applications & Forms (how to apply) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Mississippi DPS — Individual Firearm Permit Application Instructions (fees; rev. 3/24/22) — accessed 2026-09-27