Is a West Virginia Non-Resident Permit Valid in Mississippi?

Why

• Mississippi recognizes valid carry permits from every US state.
• Mississippi allows permitless carry for eligible adults 18+, which extends to visitors who may legally possess a handgun.

Miss. Code 45-9-101(19): 'Any person holding a valid unrevoked and unexpired license to carry stun guns, concealed pistols or revolvers issued in another state shall have such license recognized by this state' — no residency condition, so non-resident permits from any state are also recognized.

Carry rules in Mississippi

Recognition is only half the question. Once you're inside Mississippi, its carry rules apply to you exactly as they do to locals.

• No proactive duty: a licensee must display the license and identification upon demand by a law enforcement officer; failure is a $25 noncriminal violation (Miss. Code 45-9-101(1)(b)).
• Mississippi sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
• Mississippi allows permitless concealed carry from age 18 for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
• Loaded vehicle carry is generally lawful without a permit for adults who may lawfully possess a handgun, under the permitless-carry provisions (Miss. Code 45-9-101(24), 97-37-1).

Off-limits places in Mississippi

Mississippi bans carry in 6 kinds of places. The first on the list:

• Police, sheriff or highway patrol stations (45-9-101(13))
• Detention facilities, prisons and jails

See all 6 places you can't carry in Mississippi →

West Virginia vs Mississippi: what changes at the state line

Crossing from West Virginia into Mississippi changes one rule: out-of-state permits honored (36 states → All states).

Going the other way, a Mississippi non-resident permit in West Virginia: recognized — and permitless carry applies.

Driving on from Mississippi

How a West Virginia non-resident permit fares in the states bordering Mississippi:

• Alabama — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
• Arkansas — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
• Louisiana — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
• Tennessee — Recognized — and permitless carry applies

Check a whole route with the Trip Checker →

Frequently asked questions

Does Mississippi honor a West Virginia resident permit?

Recognized — and permitless carry applies. The answer is the same as for the non-resident permit on this page.

Can a Mississippi non-resident permit holder carry in West Virginia?

Recognized — and permitless carry applies. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on West Virginia's law, not Mississippi's.

Where does Mississippi publish its official reciprocity list?

Mississippi 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.