Resident permit · HI → VT
Is a Hawaii Resident Permit Valid in Vermont?
Yes — and Vermont would let you carry even without the permit. The state honors Hawaii resident permits and allows permitless carry for anyone who may legally possess a handgun.
Why
- Vermont recognizes valid carry permits from every US state.
- Vermont allows permitless carry, which extends to visitors who may legally possess a handgun.
No permit is required or checked — out-of-state permits (resident or non-resident) are irrelevant. Anyone who may lawfully possess a firearm may carry concealed in Vermont.
The permit (Hawaii)
- Permit
- Hawaii License to Carry Concealed Firearm
- Issued by
- Chief of police of each county (Honolulu, Hawaii County, Maui, Kauai police departments)
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
The destination (Vermont)
- Recognition policy
- Honors permits from all states
- Permitless carry
- Yes
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- 15 rounds
Carry rules in Vermont
Carry law is state law. From the moment you enter Vermont, these rules replace the ones you know from Hawaii.
- No duty-to-inform statute exists; Vermont has no carry-permit system and no statutory requirement to disclose carrying to police.
- Vermont limits magazine capacity to 15 rounds — a limit that applies to visitors, and one of the easiest laws to break by accident.
- Vermont allows permitless concealed carry for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
- No permit needed — a loaded handgun may be carried openly or concealed in a vehicle by anyone who may lawfully possess it.
Off-limits places in Vermont
Vermont bans carry in 4 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- School buildings, school buses and school property (13 V.S.A. § 4004)
- Courthouses (13 V.S.A. § 4016)
Hawaii vs Vermont: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Hawaii into Vermont changes 5 rules: permitless carry (No → Yes); duty to inform police (Yes → No); magazine limit (10 rounds → 15 rounds); out-of-state permits honored (None → All states); open carry (Restricted → Yes, no permit).
| Rule | Hawaii | Vermont |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | No | Yes |
| Duty to inform police | Yes | No |
| Magazine limit | 10 rounds | 15 rounds |
| Out-of-state permits honored | None | All states |
| Open carry | Restricted | Yes, no permit |
Going the other way, a Vermont resident permit in Hawaii: no such permit issued.
Driving on from Vermont
How a Hawaii resident permit fares in the states bordering Vermont:
- Massachusetts — Not recognized
- New Hampshire — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- New York — Not recognized
Frequently asked questions
- Does Vermont 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 Vermont resident permit holder carry in Hawaii?
- Vermont does not issue resident carry permits, so there is no such permit to carry in Hawaii.
Official sources
- Vermont Statutes Online — 13 V.S.A. § 4021 (large capacity ammunition feeding devices) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Vermont Statutes Online — 13 V.S.A. § 4004 (weapons in schools) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Vermont Statutes Online — 13 V.S.A. § 4016 (weapons in court) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Vermont Statutes Online — Title 13 chapter 85 (weapons; no licensing provision exists) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Vermont Statutes Online — 13 V.S.A. § 4003 (carrying dangerous weapons) (via Wayback 2026-08-11) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Vermont Statutes Online — 13 V.S.A. § 4008 (possession of firearms by children) (via Wayback 2025-11-14) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Honolulu Police Department - Firearms (license to carry, Act 52 references) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Maui Police Department - License to Carry a Concealed or Unconcealed Firearm — accessed 2026-08-08
- Hawaii Police Department (County of Hawaii) - Rule 1 Firearms Permits and Licenses (2025) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Hawaii Police Department - PM 12.3 License to Carry Application Processing — accessed 2026-08-08
- Hawaii Session Laws 2023, Act 52 (SB 1230) - amendments to HRS 134-9 — accessed 2026-09-27
- Honolulu Police Department - Checklist for License to Carry Firearm (Civilian) — accessed 2026-09-27