Non-Resident permit · SC → VT
Is a South Carolina Non-Resident Permit Valid in Vermont?
Yes — and Vermont would let you carry even without the permit. The state honors South Carolina non-resident permits and allows permitless carry for anyone who may legally possess a handgun.
Why
- Vermont recognizes valid carry permits from every US state.
- Vermont allows permitless carry, which extends to visitors who may legally possess a handgun.
No permit is required or checked — out-of-state permits (resident or non-resident) are irrelevant. Anyone who may lawfully possess a firearm may carry concealed in Vermont.
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 (Vermont)
- Recognition policy
- Honors permits from all states
- Permitless carry
- Yes
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- 15 rounds
Carry rules in Vermont
Recognition is only half the question. Once you're inside Vermont, its carry rules apply to you exactly as they do to locals.
- No duty-to-inform statute exists; Vermont has no carry-permit system and no statutory requirement to disclose carrying to police.
- Vermont limits magazine capacity to 15 rounds — a limit that applies to visitors, and one of the easiest laws to break by accident.
- Vermont allows permitless concealed carry for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
- No permit needed — a loaded handgun may be carried openly or concealed in a vehicle by anyone who may lawfully possess it.
Off-limits places in Vermont
Vermont bans carry in 4 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- School buildings, school buses and school property (13 V.S.A. § 4004)
- Courthouses (13 V.S.A. § 4016)
South Carolina vs Vermont: what changes at the state line
Crossing from South Carolina into Vermont changes 3 rules: permitless carry (Yes (18+) → Yes); magazine limit (None → 15 rounds); out-of-state permits honored (2 states → All states).
| Rule | South Carolina | Vermont |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | Yes (18+) | Yes |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | None | 15 rounds |
| Out-of-state permits honored | 2 states | All states |
| Open carry | Yes, no permit | Yes, no permit |
Going the other way, a Vermont non-resident permit in South Carolina: no such permit issued.
Driving on from Vermont
How a South Carolina non-resident permit fares in the states bordering Vermont:
- Massachusetts — Not recognized
- New Hampshire — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- New York — Not recognized
Frequently asked questions
- Does Vermont 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 a Vermont non-resident permit holder carry in South Carolina?
- Vermont does not issue non-resident carry permits, so there is no such permit to carry in South Carolina.
Official sources
- Vermont Statutes Online — 13 V.S.A. § 4021 (large capacity ammunition feeding devices) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Vermont Statutes Online — 13 V.S.A. § 4004 (weapons in schools) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Vermont Statutes Online — 13 V.S.A. § 4016 (weapons in court) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Vermont Statutes Online — Title 13 chapter 85 (weapons; no licensing provision exists) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Vermont Statutes Online — 13 V.S.A. § 4003 (carrying dangerous weapons) (via Wayback 2026-08-11) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Vermont Statutes Online — 13 V.S.A. § 4008 (possession of firearms by children) (via Wayback 2025-11-14) — 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