Non-Resident permit · SC → ID
Is a South Carolina Non-Resident Permit Valid in Idaho?
Yes, twice over. Idaho honors your South Carolina non-resident permit, and it also allows permitless carry for adults 18+, so eligible adults can carry there even without one.
Why
- Idaho recognizes valid carry permits from every US state.
- Idaho allows permitless carry for eligible adults 18+, which extends to visitors who may legally possess a handgun.
Idaho AG: out-of-state concealed weapons licenses are recognized ('Yes'), with the condition that 'while in Idaho, you must carry the license on your person at all times when carrying a concealed weapon' (Idaho Code 18-3302(5)(g)). No residency or permit-type restriction is stated; permitless carry independently covers US-citizen visitors 18+.
The permit (South Carolina)
- Permit
- South Carolina Concealed Weapons Permit (CWP)
- Issued by
- South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED)
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
- Issued to non-residents?
- Yes — Non-residents qualify only as 'qualified nonresidents' who own real property in South Carolina (S.C. Code 23-31-215).
The destination (Idaho)
- 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 Idaho
Carry law is state law. From the moment you enter Idaho, these rules replace the ones you know from South Carolina.
- No proactive duty-to-inform requirement appears in the AG's official concealed-weapons guidance; carriers relying on an out-of-state license must have it with them when carrying. Cross-checked: Idaho has no must-inform statute.
- Idaho sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
- Idaho allows permitless concealed carry from age 18 for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
- Anyone eligible for permitless carry (US citizen or armed forces member 18+, not disqualified) may carry a loaded concealed handgun in a vehicle without a license.
Off-limits places in Idaho
Idaho bans carry in 4 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- Courthouses
- Juvenile detention facilities
South Carolina vs Idaho: what changes at the state line
Crossing from South Carolina into Idaho changes one rule: out-of-state permits honored (2 states → All states).
| Rule | South Carolina | Idaho |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | Yes (18+) | Yes (18+) |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | None | None |
| Out-of-state permits honored | 2 states | All states |
| Open carry | Yes, no permit | Yes, no permit |
Going the other way, an Idaho non-resident permit in South Carolina: permit not recognized — but permitless carry applies.
Driving on from Idaho
How a South Carolina non-resident permit fares in the states bordering Idaho:
Frequently asked questions
- Does Idaho honor a South Carolina resident permit?
- Recognized — and permitless carry applies. The answer is the same as for the non-resident permit on this page.
- Can an Idaho non-resident permit holder carry in South Carolina?
- Permit not recognized — but permitless carry applies. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on South Carolina's law, not Idaho's.
- Where does Idaho publish its official reciprocity list?
- Idaho 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
- Idaho Office of the Attorney General - Concealed Weapons — accessed 2026-08-08
- Idaho Code 18-3302 (Issuance of licenses to carry concealed weapons) — accessed 2026-09-27
- SLED — Constitutional Carry Guidance (H.3594) — accessed 2026-08-08
- SLED — Concealed Weapons Permit — accessed 2026-08-08
- S.C. Code of Laws Title 23, Chapter 31 (incl. 23-31-215(N) recognition) — accessed 2026-08-08