Is a Hawaii Resident Permit Valid in Georgia?

Why

• Georgia recognizes valid carry permits from every US state.
• Georgia allows permitless carry for eligible adults 21+, which extends to visitors who may legally possess a handgun.

SB 319 defines 'any person licensed to carry a weapon in any other state' as a lawful weapons carrier, with no residency or permit-type qualifier, so resident and non-resident permits from every state are effectively honored. The Attorney General separately maintains a formal reciprocity list (32 states) relevant mainly to Georgia licensees traveling outbound.

Carry rules in Georgia

Crossing into Georgia swaps the rulebook. Here is what changes for a visiting carrier.

• No proactive duty-to-inform appears in any official Georgia carry guidance reviewed (AG, DPS, Georgia.gov, General Assembly brief); SB 319 also removed the requirement to hold a license while carrying. Cross-checked: Georgia has no must-inform statute.
• Georgia sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
• Georgia allows permitless concealed carry from age 21 for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
• Lawful weapons carriers (including out-of-state licensees and qualifying visitors) may carry a loaded handgun in a private vehicle without any license.

Off-limits places in Georgia

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

• Courthouses
• Jails and prisons

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

Hawaii vs Georgia: what changes at the state line

Crossing from Hawaii into Georgia changes 5 rules: permitless carry (No → Yes (21+)); duty to inform police (Yes → No); magazine limit (10 rounds → None); out-of-state permits honored (None → All states); open carry (Restricted → Yes, no permit).

Going the other way, a Georgia resident permit in Hawaii: not recognized.

Driving on from Georgia

How a Hawaii resident permit fares in the states bordering Georgia:

• Alabama — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
• Florida — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
• North Carolina — Recognized — carry with your permit
• South Carolina — Permit not recognized — but permitless carry applies
• Tennessee — Recognized — and permitless carry applies

Check a whole route with the Trip Checker →

Frequently asked questions

Does Georgia honor a Hawaii non-resident permit?

Hawaii does not issue non-resident carry permits (applicants must document that they currently live in Hawaii (HRS 134-9(a)(5), per Hawaii County PD 2025 rules); Maui PD requires being 'a resident of the state of Hawaii'; Hawaii County requires county residency. Citizen, US national, or lawful permanent resident required), so the question does not arise.

Can a Georgia resident permit holder carry in Hawaii?

Not recognized. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on Hawaii's law, not Georgia's.

Where does Georgia publish its official reciprocity list?

Georgia 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.