Non-Resident permit · UT → MA
Is a Utah Non-Resident Permit Valid in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts does not accept Utah non-resident permits. There is no visitor permitless option. Carrying anyway risks a criminal charge, so plan transport under federal peaceable-journey rules instead.
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 The former MGL c.140 §131G exemption letting non-residents with home-state permits carry for competition/hunting was REPEALED by Ch. 135 of the Acts of 2024, effective Oct 2, 2024 — no out-of-state permit is valid in MA for any purpose.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 (Utah)
- Permit
- Utah Concealed Firearm Permit (CFP)
- Issued by
- Utah Department of Public Safety — Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI)
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
- Issued to non-residents?
- Yes — BCI FAQ: 'Any U.S. citizen or legal resident... may obtain a Utah concealed firearm permit, providing they meet the minimum qualifications.' Applicants residing in a state that recognizes the Utah CFP must first obtain their home-state permit and submit a copy with the Utah application.
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
Carry law is state law. From the moment you enter Massachusetts, these rules replace the ones you know from Utah.
- 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
Massachusetts bans carry in 3 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- 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)
Utah vs Massachusetts: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Utah into Massachusetts changes 4 rules: permitless carry (Yes (21+) → No); magazine limit (None → 10 rounds); out-of-state permits honored (All states → None); open carry (Yes, no permit → With a permit).
| Rule | Utah | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | Yes (21+) | No |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | None | 10 rounds |
| Out-of-state permits honored | All states | None |
| Open carry | Yes, no permit | With a permit |
Going the other way, a Massachusetts non-resident permit in Utah: recognized — and permitless carry applies.
Driving on from Massachusetts
How a Utah non-resident permit fares in the states bordering Massachusetts:
- Connecticut — Not recognized
- New Hampshire — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- New York — Not recognized
- Rhode Island — Not recognized
- Vermont — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
Frequently asked questions
- Does Massachusetts honor a Utah resident permit?
- Not recognized. The answer is the same as for the non-resident permit on this page.
- Can a Massachusetts non-resident permit holder carry in Utah?
- Recognized — and permitless carry applies. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on Utah's law, not Massachusetts's.
- 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
- Mass.gov — Apply for or renew a firearms license (fees, where to apply) — accessed 2026-09-27
- MGL c.140 §131 — License to carry firearms (age, term) — accessed 2026-09-27
- MGL c.140 §131P — Basic firearms safety certificate (live firearms training) — accessed 2026-09-27
- MGL c.269 §10 — Carrying a firearm without a license — accessed 2026-09-27
- Utah BCI — States that Honor the Utah Permit(s) (U.C.A. 53-5a-102.2 recognition) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Utah BCI — Concealed Firearm Permit FAQ (duty to inform, prohibited places, non-resident eligibility) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Utah DPS News — Permit-less Concealed Carry H.B. 60 FAQ — accessed 2026-08-08
- Utah Legislature — HB 60 (2021) enrolled text (76-10-505 vehicle carry, 76-10-523) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Utah BCI — How Do I Apply for a Concealed Firearm Permit? (via Wayback 2026-06-01) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Utah BCI — How Do I Renew My Concealed Firearm Permit? (via Wayback 2026-04-20) — accessed 2026-09-27