Is a Utah Non-Resident Permit Valid in Washington?
Check the condition first. Washington recognizes a Utah non-resident permit only if it is a non-provisional permit. Holders of any other Utah permit cannot carry concealed in Washington on this permit, and Washington has no permitless carry.
Why
- Utah permits recognized EXCLUDING provisional (under-21) permits (WA AG list, recognition_note).
AG list as of 2026-07-10. Permit-class limits: Idaho ENHANCED permits only; Kansas standard licenses only; Montana ENHANCED permits only (not 18-20 restricted permits); North Dakota CLASS 1 permits only; South Dakota unrestricted ENHANCED and GOLD permits only; Utah permits recognized EXCLUDING provisional (under-21) permits. RCW 9.41.073 requires the issuing state to recognize WA CPLs, not license under-21s, and require a fingerprint-based criminal and mental-health background check; holder residency in the issuing state is not a statutory condition.
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 (Washington)
- Recognition policy
- Honors a named list of 10 states
- Permitless carry
- No
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- No state limit
Carry rules in Washington
Whatever your permit status, Washington law governs how you carry inside the state. The rules below matter most on a short trip.
- No statutory duty to proactively tell an officer you are carrying; the CPL must be in your possession while carrying a concealed pistol and presented on demand.
- Washington sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
- Washington is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit Washington recognizes.
- A loaded pistol in a vehicle requires a CPL and must be on the licensee's person, or the licensee must remain in the vehicle, or the pistol must be locked in the vehicle and concealed from view when the licensee leaves; without a CPL the pistol must be unloaded, and if left in the vehicle, locked and hidden from view (RCW 9.41.050).
Off-limits places in Washington
Washington bans carry in 6 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- Restricted areas of jails, law enforcement facilities and courthouses/courtrooms (RCW 9.41.300)
- Licensed inpatient psychiatric facilities (RCW 9.41.300)
Utah vs Washington: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Utah into Washington changes 2 rules: permitless carry (Yes (21+) → No); out-of-state permits honored (All states → 10 states).
| Rule | Utah | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | Yes (21+) | No |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | None | None |
| Out-of-state permits honored | All states | 10 states |
| Open carry | Yes, no permit | Yes, no permit |
Going the other way, a Washington non-resident permit in Utah: recognized — and permitless carry applies.
Driving on from Washington
How a Utah non-resident permit fares in the states bordering Washington:
Frequently asked questions
- Does Washington honor a Utah resident permit?
- Recognized — non-provisional permit only. The answer is the same as for the non-resident permit on this page.
- Can a Washington 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 Washington's.
- Where does Washington publish its official reciprocity list?
- Washington 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
- Washington Attorney General — Concealed Pistol License Reciprocity (list as of 07/10/2026) — accessed 2026-08-08
- RCW 9.41.070 — Concealed pistol license — accessed 2026-08-08
- RCW 9.41.050 — Carrying firearms — accessed 2026-08-08
- RCW 9.41.300 — Weapons prohibited in certain places — accessed 2026-08-08
- RCW 9.41.370 — Large capacity magazines — accessed 2026-08-08
- RCW 9.41.240 — Possession of pistol by person from eighteen to twenty-one — 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