Resident permit · FL → CT
Is a Florida Resident Permit Valid in Connecticut?
No. Connecticut does not honor Florida resident permits, and it has no permitless-carry option for visitors. Carrying a concealed handgun there on your Florida Concealed Weapon or Firearm License is a crime.
Why
- Connecticut does not recognize any out-of-state carry permit.
Connecticut recognizes no out-of-state permit of any kind. CGS 29-35(a) requires a permit 'issued as provided in section 29-28'; out-of-state permit holders must obtain a Connecticut non-resident permit before carrying.
The permit (Florida)
- Permit
- Florida Concealed Weapon or Firearm License
- Issued by
- Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (Division of Licensing)
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
The destination (Connecticut)
- 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 Connecticut
Recognition is only half the question. Once you're inside Connecticut, its carry rules apply to you exactly as they do to locals.
- No duty to volunteer. The holder must carry the permit while carrying and must present it upon request of a law enforcement officer who has reasonable suspicion of a crime (CGS 29-35(b)).
- Connecticut limits magazine capacity to 10 rounds — a limit that applies to visitors, and one of the easiest laws to break by accident.
- Connecticut is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit Connecticut recognizes.
- A permit holder may carry a loaded handgun in a vehicle. Without a permit, a pistol may only be transported under narrow exceptions and must be unloaded and not readily accessible from the passenger compartment (or in a locked container) (CGS 29-35(a)(3)-(4)).
Off-limits places in Connecticut
Connecticut bans carry in 3 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- K-12 school grounds and school-sponsored activities (CGS 53a-217b, class D felony)
- Any premises where the owner or person in control prohibits firearms (CGS 29-28(e))
Florida vs Connecticut: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Florida into Connecticut changes 4 rules: permitless carry (Yes (21+) → No); magazine limit (None → 10 rounds); out-of-state permits honored (All (resident permits only) → None); open carry (Yes, no permit → No).
| Rule | Florida | Connecticut |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | Yes (21+) | No |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | None | 10 rounds |
| Out-of-state permits honored | All (resident permits only) | None |
| Open carry | Yes, no permit | No |
Going the other way, a Connecticut resident permit in Florida: recognized — and permitless carry applies.
Driving on from Connecticut
How a Florida resident permit fares in the states bordering Connecticut:
- Massachusetts — Not recognized
- New York — Not recognized
- Rhode Island — Not recognized
Frequently asked questions
- Does Connecticut honor a Florida non-resident permit?
- Not recognized. The answer is the same as for the resident permit on this page.
- Can a Connecticut resident permit holder carry in Florida?
- Recognized — and permitless carry applies. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on Florida's law, not Connecticut's.
- Where does Connecticut publish its official reciprocity list?
- Connecticut 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
- CT DESPP - Connecticut State Pistol Permit — accessed 2026-08-08
- CT DESPP - Pistol Permit FAQ (non-resident application process) — accessed 2026-08-08
- CGS Chapter 529 - Secs. 29-28 (permits) and 29-35 (carrying without permit prohibited) — accessed 2026-08-08
- CGS Sec. 53-202w - Large capacity magazines (10-round limit) — accessed 2026-08-08
- CGS Sec. 53a-217b - Possession of a weapon on school grounds — accessed 2026-08-08
- FDACS - Concealed Weapon License Reciprocity — accessed 2026-08-08
- FDACS - Reciprocity and Traveling with a Firearm FAQ — accessed 2026-08-08
- Fla. Stat. 790.015 - Nonresidents; recognition of home-state licenses — accessed 2026-08-08
- Fla. Stat. 790.01 - Permitless concealed carry — accessed 2026-08-08
- Fla. Stat. 790.013 - ID requirement for unlicensed concealed carry — accessed 2026-08-08
- Fla. Stat. 790.06 - License to carry; criteria; prohibited places (subsection 12) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Fla. Stat. 790.25 - Lawful possession; private conveyance — accessed 2026-08-08
- FDACS — Concealed Weapon License (Important Notice re Eubanks v. State, 18+ licensing) — accessed 2026-09-27
- FDACS — Eligibility Requirements (Important Notice re Eubanks v. State) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Fla. Stat. 790.053 — open carrying of weapons (statute text still in 2026 Florida Statutes) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Florida Attorney General — Guidance Memorandum on open carry after McDaniels v. State (Sept 15, 2025) — accessed 2026-09-27