Is a North Carolina Non-Resident Permit Valid in Mississippi?

Why

• North Carolina does not issue carry permits to non-residents (applicant must have been a north carolina resident for at least 30 days immediately preceding the application (g.s. 14-415.12(a)); no non-resident permits).

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.

Carry rules in Mississippi

Carry law is state law. From the moment you enter Mississippi, these rules replace the ones you know from North Carolina.

• 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

See all 6 places you can't carry in Mississippi →

North Carolina vs Mississippi: what changes at the state line

Crossing from North Carolina into Mississippi changes 2 rules: permitless carry (No → Yes (18+)); duty to inform police (Yes → No).

Going the other way, a Mississippi non-resident permit in North Carolina: recognized — carry with your permit.

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 North Carolina non-resident permit fares in the states bordering Mississippi:

• Alabama — No such permit issued
• Arkansas — No such permit issued
• Louisiana — No such permit issued
• Tennessee — No such permit issued

Check a whole route with the Trip Checker →

Frequently asked questions

Does Mississippi honor a North Carolina 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 North Carolina?

Recognized — carry with your permit. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on North Carolina's law, not Mississippi's.

Does North Carolina issue non-resident carry permits?

No. North Carolina issues carry permits to residents only (applicant must have been a North Carolina resident for at least 30 days immediately preceding the application (G.S. 14-415.12(a)); no non-resident permits). 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.