Non-Resident permit · MT → GA
Is a Montana Non-Resident Permit Valid in Georgia?
A Montana non-resident permit isn't something you can hold — the state doesn't issue one (permit requires at least 6 months' Montana residency, US citizenship or lawful permanent residence, and Montana ID (MCA 45-8-321; MT DOJ). No non-resident permits are issued). The question for Georgia is which resident or non-resident permits from other states it honors.
Why
- Montana does not issue carry permits to non-residents (permit requires at least 6 months' montana residency, us citizenship or lawful permanent residence, and montana id (mca 45-8-321; mt doj). no non-resident permits are issued).
SB 319 defines 'any person licensed to carry a weapon in any other state' as a lawful weapons carrier, with no residency or permit-type qualifier, so resident and non-resident permits from every state are effectively honored. The Attorney General separately maintains a formal reciprocity list (32 states) relevant mainly to Georgia licensees traveling outbound.
The permit (Montana)
- Permit
- Montana Concealed Weapon Permit
- Issued by
- County sheriff
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
- Issued to non-residents?
- No — Permit requires at least 6 months' Montana residency, US citizenship or lawful permanent residence, and Montana ID (MCA 45-8-321; MT DOJ). No non-resident permits are issued.
The destination (Georgia)
- 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 Georgia
Recognition is only half the question. Once you're inside Georgia, its carry rules apply to you exactly as they do to locals.
- No proactive duty-to-inform appears in any official Georgia carry guidance reviewed (AG, DPS, Georgia.gov, General Assembly brief); SB 319 also removed the requirement to hold a license while carrying. Cross-checked: Georgia has no must-inform statute.
- Georgia sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
- Georgia allows permitless concealed carry from age 21 for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
- Lawful weapons carriers (including out-of-state licensees and qualifying visitors) may carry a loaded handgun in a private vehicle without any license.
Off-limits places in Georgia
Georgia bans carry in 6 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- Courthouses
- Jails and prisons
Montana vs Georgia: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Montana into Georgia changes 2 rules: permitless carry (Yes → Yes (21+)); out-of-state permits honored (43 states → All states).
| Rule | Montana | Georgia |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | Yes | Yes (21+) |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | None | None |
| Out-of-state permits honored | 43 states | All states |
| Open carry | Yes, no permit | Yes, no permit |
Going the other way, a Georgia non-resident permit in Montana: no such permit issued.
Permits that do work in Georgia
These non-resident permits are honored in Georgia, ranked by how many states honor each one. They are issued to people who live outside the issuing state, subject to its eligibility rules.
- North Dakota non-resident permit · honored in 33 states
- Ohio non-resident permit · honored in 33 states
- Idaho non-resident permit · honored in 32 states
- Texas non-resident permit · honored in 32 states
- Florida non-resident permit · honored in 32 states
- South Carolina non-resident permit · honored in 32 states
Driving on from Georgia
How a Montana non-resident permit fares in the states bordering Georgia:
- Alabama — No such permit issued
- Florida — No such permit issued
- North Carolina — No such permit issued
- South Carolina — No such permit issued
- Tennessee — No such permit issued
Frequently asked questions
- Does Georgia honor a Montana resident permit?
- Recognized — and permitless carry applies. That differs from the non-resident permit on this page, because Georgia treats the two permit types differently.
- Can a Georgia non-resident permit holder carry in Montana?
- Georgia does not issue non-resident carry permits, so there is no such permit to carry in Montana.
- Does Montana issue non-resident carry permits?
- No. Montana issues carry permits to residents only (permit requires at least 6 months' Montana residency, US citizenship or lawful permanent residence, and Montana ID (MCA 45-8-321; MT DOJ). No non-resident permits are issued). 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.
Official sources
- Georgia Attorney General - Firearms License Reciprocity — accessed 2026-08-08
- Georgia.gov - Apply for a Firearms License — accessed 2026-08-08
- Georgia General Assembly House Budget & Research Office - Constitutional Carry in Georgia (SB 319 policy brief) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Georgia Department of Public Safety - Georgia's Firearm Permit Reciprocity — accessed 2026-08-08
- Montana DOJ — Concealed Weapons (AG recognition list) — accessed 2026-08-08
- MCA 45-8-329 — Concealed weapon permit reciprocity (MCA 2025) — accessed 2026-08-08
- MCA 45-8-321 — Permit to carry concealed weapon (MCA 2025) — accessed 2026-08-08
- MCA 45-8-316 — Carrying concealed weapons (MCA 2025) — accessed 2026-08-08
- MCA 45-8-328 — Carrying concealed firearm in restricted government offices (MCA 2025) — accessed 2026-08-08
- MCA 45-8-322 — Application, renewal, permit, and fees (MCA 2025) — accessed 2026-09-27
- MCA 45-8-351 — Restriction on local government regulation of firearms (MCA 2025) — accessed 2026-09-27