Non-Resident permit · MT → MS
Is a Montana Non-Resident Permit Valid in Mississippi?
Montana has no non-resident permit program (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). Travelers who want multi-state coverage usually pair their home-state permit with a widely honored non-resident permit from another state.
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).
Miss. Code 45-9-101(19): 'Any person holding a valid unrevoked and unexpired license to carry stun guns, concealed pistols or revolvers issued in another state shall have such license recognized by this state' — no residency condition, so non-resident permits from any state are also recognized.
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 (Mississippi)
- 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 Mississippi
Mississippi's rules control while you're there. These are the ones travelers trip over most.
- No proactive duty: a licensee must display the license and identification upon demand by a law enforcement officer; failure is a $25 noncriminal violation (Miss. Code 45-9-101(1)(b)).
- Mississippi sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
- Mississippi allows permitless concealed carry from age 18 for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
- Loaded vehicle carry is generally lawful without a permit for adults who may lawfully possess a handgun, under the permitless-carry provisions (Miss. Code 45-9-101(24), 97-37-1).
Off-limits places in Mississippi
Mississippi bans carry in 6 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- Police, sheriff or highway patrol stations (45-9-101(13))
- Detention facilities, prisons and jails
Montana vs Mississippi: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Montana into Mississippi changes 2 rules: permitless carry (Yes → Yes (18+)); out-of-state permits honored (43 states → All states).
| Rule | Montana | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | Yes | Yes (18+) |
| 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 Mississippi non-resident permit in Montana: recognized — and permitless carry applies.
Permits that do work in Mississippi
These non-resident permits are honored in Mississippi, 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 Mississippi
How a Montana non-resident permit fares in the states bordering Mississippi:
Frequently asked questions
- Does Mississippi honor a Montana resident permit?
- Recognized — and permitless carry applies. That differs from the non-resident permit on this page, because Mississippi treats the two permit types differently.
- Can a Mississippi non-resident permit holder carry in Montana?
- Recognized — and permitless carry applies. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on Montana's law, not Mississippi's.
- 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
- 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
- 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