Non-Resident permit · TX → MA
Is a Texas Non-Resident Permit Valid in Massachusetts?
Not recognizedVerified 2026-08-08
The answer is no. Massachusetts's reciprocity policy excludes Texas non-resident permits, and its law requires a permit to carry concealed. Visitors without a Massachusetts-recognized permit cannot legally carry.
Why
- Massachusetts does not recognize any out-of-state carry permit.
Mass.gov firearms FAQ: 'No. Massachusetts does not have reciprocity with any other states.' The former MGL c.140 §131G exemption letting non-residents with home-state permits carry for competition/hunting was REPEALED by Ch. 135 of the Acts of 2024, effective Oct 2, 2024 — no out-of-state permit is valid in MA for any purpose.
The permit (Texas)
- Permit
- Texas License to Carry a Handgun (LTC)
- Issued by
- Texas Department of Public Safety (Handgun Licensing Program)
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
- Issued to non-residents?
- Yes — Non-resident licenses available — Tex. Gov't Code 411.173(a) requires DPS to establish a procedure for legal residents of other states who meet all other eligibility requirements to obtain an LTC.
The destination (Massachusetts)
- 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 Massachusetts
Crossing into Massachusetts swaps the rulebook. Here is what changes for a visiting carrier.
- No Massachusetts statute imposes a proactive duty to tell an officer you are carrying; carry the LTC when carrying and present it on lawful demand.
- Massachusetts limits magazine capacity to 10 rounds — a limit that applies to visitors, and one of the easiest laws to break by accident.
- Massachusetts is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit Massachusetts recognizes.
- An LTC is required to have a loaded handgun in a vehicle, and MGL c.140 §131C requires it to be under the licensee's direct control or secured in a locked container.
Off-limits places in Massachusetts
- Elementary/secondary schools, colleges and universities without written authorization (MGL c.269 §10(j))
- Government administrative, judicial/court and correctional buildings, including grounds and parking areas (MGL c.269 §10(k), added by Ch. 135 of 2024)
- Polling places, early voting sites (within 150 ft of entrance) and ballot storage/tabulation locations in use (MGL c.269 §10(k))
Frequently asked questions
- Is a Texas non-resident permit valid in Massachusetts?
- The answer is no. Massachusetts's reciprocity policy excludes Texas non-resident permits, and its law requires a permit to carry concealed. Visitors without a Massachusetts-recognized permit cannot legally carry.
- Do I have to tell police in Massachusetts that I am carrying?
- No Massachusetts statute imposes a proactive duty to tell an officer you are carrying; carry the LTC when carrying and present it on lawful demand.
- Does Massachusetts limit magazine capacity?
- Massachusetts limits magazine capacity to 10 rounds — a limit that applies to visitors, and one of the easiest laws to break by accident.
- Where does Massachusetts publish its official reciprocity list?
- Massachusetts 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
- Mass.gov — Firearms License and Transaction FAQs (no reciprocity; large-capacity feeding devices; issuing authorities) — accessed 2026-08-08
- MGL c.140 §131G — repealed by Ch. 135 of 2024, Sec. 64 (Mass. Legislature) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Acts of 2024, Chapter 135 (An Act Modernizing Firearm Laws) — Sec. 124 prohibited areas — accessed 2026-08-08
- Texas DPS — State Reciprocity Information (full recognition chart) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Texas DPS — Firearm Carry Act of 2021 (HB 1927 permitless carry) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Texas DPS — LTC Eligibility FAQs (18-20-year-old applicants after FPC v. McCraw) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Texas DPS — Laws that Relate to Carrying FAQs (vehicle carry, 46.03 places) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Texas Legislature — HB 1927 enrolled text (Penal Code 46.02, 46.03) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Texas Gov't Code ch. 411 (411.172 eligibility, 411.173 nonresident, 411.205 display) — accessed 2026-08-08