Is a Tennessee Non-Resident Permit Valid in Louisiana?
Conditionally. Louisiana honors the Tennessee non-resident permit for holders 21+ who do not live in Louisiana; outside that, it does not count there. Louisiana also allows permitless carry for adults 18+ if you qualify. Holders under 21 and Louisiana residents are not covered by this recognition, but Louisiana's permitless carry from age 18 still applies if they qualify.
Why
- Louisiana's official reciprocity list includes Tennessee.
- Louisiana honors out-of-state permits only for holders 21 and older, and Tennessee issues this permit from age 18.
- Louisiana does not honor an out-of-state permit held by a Louisiana resident.
- Louisiana allows permitless carry for eligible adults 18+, which extends to visitors who may legally possess a handgun.
R.S. 40:1379.3(T)(2): a current, valid permit issued by another state to a holder aged 21+ is valid in Louisiana only if Louisiana's permit is valid in that state (mutual recognition - LSP publishes the list of 37 states). The statute does not require the holder to be a resident of the issuing state. (T)(4): an out-of-state permit is invalid for a LOUISIANA resident. Since July 4, 2024 any non-prohibited person 18+ may carry permitless regardless of permits.
The permit (Tennessee)
- Permit
- Enhanced Handgun Carry Permit
- Issued by
- Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
- Issued to non-residents?
- Yes — Only the 8-year Enhanced permit, for out-of-state residents who prove employment in Tennessee of at least 30 hours per week for at least six consecutive months and who hold a current valid handgun permit from their home state (TN DOSHS FAQ).
The destination (Louisiana)
- Recognition policy
- Honors a named list of 37 states
- Permitless carry
- Yes (18+)
- Duty to inform
- Yes — proactive
- Magazine limit
- No state limit
Carry rules in Louisiana
Your Tennessee habits may not match Louisiana's law. Check these three areas before you carry there.
- Louisiana imposes a duty to inform: you must tell an officer you are carrying. R.S. 40:1379.3(I)(2): a permittee - and anyone carrying under permitless R.S. 14:95(M) - must notify any police officer who approaches in an official manner that they have a weapon, submit to a pat-down and allow the officer to temporarily disarm them. Failure triggers automatic 6-month permit suspension for permittees.
- Louisiana sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
- Louisiana allows permitless concealed carry from age 18 for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
- Carrying a handgun in a motor vehicle is legal under most circumstances (LSP FAQ), and the 18+ permitless-carry provision applies in vehicles; the statutory duty to inform applies on any official police contact.
Off-limits places in Louisiana
Louisiana bans carry in 6 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- Law enforcement offices, stations or buildings; detention facilities, prisons and jails (R.S. 40:1379.3(N))
- Courthouses and courtrooms
Tennessee vs Louisiana: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Tennessee into Louisiana changes 3 rules: permitless carry (Yes (21+) → Yes (18+)); duty to inform police (No → Yes); out-of-state permits honored (All states → 37 states).
| Rule | Tennessee | Louisiana |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | Yes (21+) | Yes (18+) |
| Duty to inform police | No | Yes |
| Magazine limit | None | None |
| Out-of-state permits honored | All states | 37 states |
| Open carry | Yes, no permit | Yes, no permit |
Going the other way, a Louisiana non-resident permit in Tennessee: no such permit issued.
Driving on from Louisiana
How a Tennessee non-resident permit fares in the states bordering Louisiana:
- Arkansas — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- Mississippi — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- Texas — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
Frequently asked questions
- Does Louisiana honor a Tennessee resident permit?
- Recognized — holders 21+ only; permitless carry applies. The verdict matches the non-resident permit on this page, but the conditions differ.
- Can a Louisiana non-resident permit holder carry in Tennessee?
- Louisiana does not issue non-resident carry permits, so there is no such permit to carry in Tennessee.
- Where does Louisiana publish its official reciprocity list?
- Louisiana 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
- Louisiana State Police - Reciprocity (list read from Internet Archive snapshot 2025-10-28 of this official URL; page is script-rendered) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Louisiana State Police - Concealed Handgun Permit Laws and Administrative Rules booklet (full text of R.S. 40:1379.3 and R.S. 14:95) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Louisiana State Police - Concealed Handgun FAQs — accessed 2026-08-08
- Louisiana State Police - CHP Fees — accessed 2026-09-27
- TN Dept. of Safety & Homeland Security — Reciprocity — accessed 2026-08-08
- TN Dept. of Safety & Homeland Security — Handgun Permit FAQ — accessed 2026-08-08
- TN Dept. of Safety & Homeland Security — Handgun Related Laws — accessed 2026-08-08
- TN Public Chapter 108 (2021) — permitless carry, vehicle carry, display-on-demand — accessed 2026-08-08
- TN Public Chapter 356 (2025) — permit age lowered to 18 — accessed 2026-08-08
- TN Dept. of Safety & Homeland Security — Handgun Permit Fees — accessed 2026-09-27
- TN Dept. of Safety & Homeland Security — Handgun Permit Types — accessed 2026-09-27
- TN Dept. of Safety & Homeland Security — How To Apply — accessed 2026-09-27
- TN Dept. of Safety & Homeland Security — Enhanced Handgun Carry Permit Training Requirements (PDF) — accessed 2026-09-27