Is an Illinois 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

Carry law is state law. From the moment you enter Mississippi, these rules replace the ones you know from Illinois.

• 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 →

Illinois vs Mississippi: what changes at the state line

Crossing from Illinois into Mississippi changes 4 rules: permitless carry (No → Yes (18+)); magazine limit (15 rounds → None); out-of-state permits honored (None → All states); open carry (No → Yes, no permit).

Going the other way, a Mississippi resident permit in Illinois: not recognized.

Driving on from Mississippi

How an Illinois resident permit fares in the states bordering Mississippi:

• Alabama — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
• Arkansas — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
• Louisiana — 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 Mississippi honor an Illinois non-resident permit?

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

Can a Mississippi resident permit holder carry in Illinois?

Not recognized. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on Illinois'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.