Is an Indiana Resident Permit Valid in Pennsylvania?
Check the condition first. Pennsylvania recognizes an Indiana resident permit for holders 21 and older. Holders under 21 cannot carry concealed in Pennsylvania on this permit, and Pennsylvania has no permitless carry.
Why
- Pennsylvania's official reciprocity list includes Indiana.
- The agreement covers only permits issued to Indiana residents.
- Pennsylvania honors out-of-state permits only for holders 21 and older; Indiana's minimum permit age is not verified.
AG rule: where Pennsylvania grants reciprocity, ONLY individuals who are both residents of the issuing state AND 21 or older may carry in Pennsylvania — non-resident permits are never recognized. Several states are recognized only for specific license classes (see overrides). Virginia became the 30th recognized state in Feb 2026. Not recognized: CA, CT, DE, DC, HI, IL, ME, MD, MA, MN, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, OR, RI, SC, VT, WA.
The permit (Indiana)
- Permit
- Indiana License to Carry a Handgun (LTCH)
- Issued by
- Indiana State Police
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
The destination (Pennsylvania)
- Recognition policy
- Honors a named list of 30 states
- Permitless carry
- No
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- No state limit
Carry rules in Pennsylvania
Recognition is only half the question. Once you're inside Pennsylvania, its carry rules apply to you exactly as they do to locals.
- No Pennsylvania statute requires a carrier to proactively inform police; carry the license and produce it on lawful demand.
- Pennsylvania sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
- Pennsylvania is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit Pennsylvania recognizes.
- Carrying a firearm in any vehicle, loaded or unloaded, requires a valid LTCF or a recognized reciprocal license (18 Pa.C.S. § 6106).
Off-limits places in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania bans carry in 3 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- Court facilities (18 Pa.C.S. § 913)
- Elementary and secondary school buildings, grounds and buses (18 Pa.C.S. § 912; statutory 'other lawful purpose' defense)
Indiana vs Pennsylvania: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Indiana into Pennsylvania changes 2 rules: permitless carry (Yes (18+) → No); out-of-state permits honored (All states → 30 states).
| Rule | Indiana | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | Yes (18+) | No |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | None | None |
| Out-of-state permits honored | All states | 30 states |
| Open carry | Yes, no permit | Yes, no permit |
Going the other way, a Pennsylvania resident permit in Indiana: recognized — and permitless carry applies.
Driving on from Pennsylvania
How an Indiana resident permit fares in the states bordering Pennsylvania:
- Delaware — Not recognized
- Maryland — Not recognized
- New Jersey — Not recognized
- New York — Not recognized
- Ohio — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- West Virginia — Recognized — holders 21+ only; permitless carry applies
Frequently asked questions
- Does Pennsylvania honor an Indiana non-resident permit?
- Not recognized, if Indiana issues one (unverified). That differs from the resident permit on this page, because Pennsylvania treats the two permit types differently.
- Can a Pennsylvania resident permit holder carry in Indiana?
- Recognized — and permitless carry applies. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on Indiana's law, not Pennsylvania's.
- Where does Pennsylvania publish its official reciprocity list?
- Pennsylvania 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
- PA Office of Attorney General — Concealed Carry Reciprocity (per-state map data) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Pennsylvania State Police — Carrying Firearms in Pennsylvania — accessed 2026-08-08
- PA OAG press release — Virginia becomes 30th reciprocity state — accessed 2026-08-08
- Chester County Sheriff — PA License to Carry Firearms Information — accessed 2026-09-27
- Centre County Sheriff — License to Carry Firearms — accessed 2026-09-27
- City of Philadelphia — Application for a Pennsylvania License to Carry Firearm — accessed 2026-09-27
- IN.gov FAQ - Does Indiana honor handgun licenses from other states? (IC 35-47-2-21(b)) — accessed 2026-08-08
- IN.gov FAQ - Places where carry is illegal even with a valid license — accessed 2026-08-08
- IN.gov FAQ - Handgun carry at Indiana State Parks — accessed 2026-08-08
- IN.gov FAQ - How do I apply for a handgun license? (ISP issues; online portal) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Georgia General Assembly policy brief (supporting: lists Indiana among the 25 permitless-carry states as of 2022) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Indiana State Police - Permitless Carry website messaging (PDF) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Indiana State Police - Firearms Handgun Licensing Application Fees — accessed 2026-09-27
- Indiana State Police - Apply for a New License to Carry — accessed 2026-09-27