Non-Resident permit · SC → NY
Is a South Carolina Non-Resident Permit Valid in New York?
Not legal. South Carolina non-resident permits are outside New York's recognition rules, and New York still requires a license to carry. Unloaded, locked transport under federal law is the lawful fallback.
Why
- New York does not recognize any out-of-state carry permit.
NY recognizes no out-of-state permit: only a license issued under PL 400.00 authorizes handgun possession/carry, and even a NY license 'shall not be valid within the city of New York unless a special permit... is issued by the police commissioner of that city' (PL 400.00(6)). No official reciprocity page exists because there is no reciprocity.
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 (New York)
- 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 New York
Crossing into New York swaps the rulebook. Here is what changes for a visiting carrier.
- No proactive statutory duty; a licensee must carry the license while carrying the handgun and exhibit it upon demand to any police or peace officer (PL 400.00(8)).
- New York limits magazine capacity to 10 rounds — a limit that applies to visitors, and one of the easiest laws to break by accident.
- New York is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit New York recognizes.
- A gun left unattended in a vehicle must be unloaded and locked in a fire-, impact- and tamper-resistant depository hidden from view (PL 265.45; glove boxes do not qualify); NYC additionally requires guns unloaded and cased in vehicles even when attended.
Off-limits places in New York
New York bans carry in 6 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- Schools, colleges, universities and other educational institutions
- Government buildings and courts
South Carolina vs New York: what changes at the state line
Crossing from South Carolina into New York changes 4 rules: permitless carry (Yes (18+) → No); magazine limit (None → 10 rounds); out-of-state permits honored (2 states → None); open carry (Yes, no permit → No).
| Rule | South Carolina | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | Yes (18+) | No |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | None | 10 rounds |
| Out-of-state permits honored | 2 states | None |
| Open carry | Yes, no permit | No |
Going the other way, a New York non-resident permit in South Carolina: permit not recognized — but permitless carry applies.
Driving on from New York
How a South Carolina non-resident permit fares in the states bordering New York:
- Connecticut — Not recognized
- Massachusetts — Not recognized
- New Jersey — Not recognized
- Pennsylvania — Not recognized
- Vermont — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
Frequently asked questions
- Does New York honor a South Carolina resident permit?
- Not recognized. The answer is the same as for the non-resident permit on this page.
- Can a New York 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 New York's.
- Where does New York publish its official reciprocity list?
- New York 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
- 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
- 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