Non-Resident permit · NY → CA
Is a New York Non-Resident Permit Valid in California?
Not recognizedVerified 2026-09-27
No reciprocity exists on this route. California honors neither your permit nor any permitless claim by a visitor. Concealed carry there requires a permit California itself recognizes.
Why
- California does not recognize any out-of-state carry permit.
California DOJ: 'CCW licenses/permits issued in other states are not valid in California' (Pen. Code §§ 25400-25700). No out-of-state permit of any kind is honored.
The permit (New York)
- Permit
- New York State Pistol/Revolver License — concealed carry class (Penal Law 400.00(2)(f))
- Issued by
- County or city licensing officer (county judge, sheriff or police commissioner depending on locality; NYPD License Division within New York City)
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
- Issued to non-residents?
- Yes — Official gunsafety.ny.gov FAQ: 'New York law does not require residency or in-state employment to apply for a firearm license... residency is not among the eligibility criteria'; applications go to the licensing officer where the applicant resides, is principally employed or has a principal place of business (PL 400.00(3)).
The destination (California)
- Recognition policy
- Honors no out-of-state permits
- Permitless carry
- No
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- 10 rounds
Carry rules in California
Whatever your permit status, California law governs how you carry inside the state. The rules below matter most on a short trip.
- No statewide statutory duty to proactively inform an officer; individual issuing authorities may attach notification conditions to the license.
- California limits magazine capacity to 10 rounds — a limit that applies to visitors, and one of the easiest laws to break by accident.
- California is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit California recognizes.
- Without a California CCW license, a handgun in a vehicle must be unloaded and in a locked container or the trunk (Pen. Code § 25610); CCW licensees may carry loaded and concealed.
Off-limits places in California
California bans carry in 6 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- K-12 schools, school zones and college/university campuses
- Government buildings, courthouses and jails
New York vs California: what changes at the state line
Crossing from New York into California changes one rule: open carry (No → Restricted).
| Rule | New York | California |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | No | No |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | 10 rounds | 10 rounds |
| Out-of-state permits honored | None | None |
| Open carry | No | Restricted |
Going the other way, a California non-resident permit in New York: not recognized.
Driving on from California
How a New York non-resident permit fares in the states bordering California:
Frequently asked questions
- Does California honor a New York resident permit?
- Not recognized. The answer is the same as for the non-resident permit on this page.
- Can a California non-resident permit holder carry in New York?
- Not recognized. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on New York's law, not California's.
- Where does California publish its official reciprocity list?
- California 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
- California DOJ — Firearms FAQs (out-of-state permits not valid; 10-round magazine limit) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Penal Code § 26150 (CA Legislature) — shall-issue standard, age 21, county residency/employment — accessed 2026-08-08
- Penal Code § 26230 (CA Legislature) — sensitive places off-limits to CCW licensees (SB 2) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Penal Code § 25610 (CA Legislature) — unlicensed vehicle transport (unloaded, locked container) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Penal Code § 26350 (CA Legislature) — crime of openly carrying an unloaded handgun — accessed 2026-09-27
- Penal Code § 26190 (CA Legislature) — license fees (DOJ + local) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Penal Code § 26165 (CA Legislature) — 16-hour training course and live fire — accessed 2026-09-27
- Penal Code § 26220 (CA Legislature) — license term (2 years) — accessed 2026-09-27
- California Penal Code § 26150 (as amended by Stats. 2025, ch. 570, AB 1078, eff. 2026-01-01) — accessed 2026-09-27
- NY Penal Law 400.00 — Licenses (age 21, licensing officers, statewide validity/NYC exception, exhibit on demand) — accessed 2026-08-08
- gunsafety.ny.gov — FAQ: New Concealed Carry Law (sensitive locations, restricted private property, nonresident applications) — accessed 2026-08-08
- New York State Police — FAQ Regarding Recent Changes to NYS Gun Laws (sensitive-location list, vehicle storage) — accessed 2026-08-08
- NY Penal Law 265.00(23) — large capacity ammunition feeding device (>10 rounds) — accessed 2026-08-08