Resident permit · LA → SD
Is a Louisiana Resident Permit Valid in South Dakota?
Carrying in South Dakota is legal for you. Your Louisiana resident permit is recognized, and South Dakota additionally allows permitless concealed carry for adults 18+ for those who qualify.
Why
- South Dakota recognizes valid carry permits from every US state.
- South Dakota allows permitless carry for eligible adults 18+, which extends to visitors who may legally possess a handgun.
Official Firearm Handbook: 'The state of South Dakota recognizes any valid concealed pistol permit issued to a nonresident of South Dakota, according to the terms of its issuance in the state of its issue' — any state's permit qualifies as long as the holder is not a South Dakota resident (SD residents simply carry permitless).
The permit (Louisiana)
- Permit
- Louisiana Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP)
- Issued by
- Louisiana State Police, Concealed Handgun Permit Unit (Dept. of Public Safety & Corrections)
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
The destination (South Dakota)
- Recognition policy
- Honors permits from all states
- Permitless carry
- Yes (18+)
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- No state limit
Carry rules in South Dakota
Your Louisiana habits may not match South Dakota's law. Check these three areas before you carry there.
- No duty-to-inform provision appears in the Secretary of State's official Firearm Handbook or in SDCL chapter 23-7.
- South Dakota sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
- South Dakota allows permitless concealed carry from age 18 for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
- Permitless concealed carry under SDCL 23-7-7 applies statewide, including in vehicles, for residents and non-residents 18+ who may lawfully possess a pistol.
Off-limits places in South Dakota
South Dakota bans carry in 3 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- County courthouses (SDCL 22-14-23)
- The state capitol (SDCL 22-14-23; limited enhanced-permit exceptions)
Louisiana vs South Dakota: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Louisiana into South Dakota changes 2 rules: duty to inform police (Yes → No); out-of-state permits honored (37 states → All states).
| Rule | Louisiana | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | Yes (18+) | Yes (18+) |
| Duty to inform police | Yes | No |
| Magazine limit | None | None |
| Out-of-state permits honored | 37 states | All states |
| Open carry | Yes, no permit | Yes, no permit |
Going the other way, a South Dakota resident permit in Louisiana: recognized — and permitless carry applies.
Driving on from South Dakota
How a Louisiana resident permit fares in the states bordering South Dakota:
- Iowa — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- Minnesota — Recognized — carry with your permit
- Montana — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- Nebraska — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- North Dakota — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- Wyoming — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
Frequently asked questions
- Does South Dakota honor a Louisiana non-resident permit?
- Louisiana does not issue non-resident carry permits (r.S. 40:1379.3(B)(1) and (C)(3)-(4): permits are issued only to Louisiana residents aged 21+; a permit becomes invalid when the holder ceases to reside in Louisiana), so the question does not arise.
- Can a South Dakota resident permit holder carry in Louisiana?
- Recognized — and permitless carry applies. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on Louisiana's law, not South Dakota's.
- Where does South Dakota publish its official reciprocity list?
- South Dakota 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
- South Dakota Secretary of State — Concealed Carry Reciprocity — accessed 2026-08-08
- South Dakota Secretary of State — South Dakota Firearm Handbook (July 2025) — accessed 2026-08-08
- South Dakota Secretary of State — Pistol Permit FAQs — accessed 2026-09-27
- South Dakota Secretary of State — How to Apply for a Permit — accessed 2026-09-27
- South Dakota Secretary of State — Types of Concealed Carry Permits — accessed 2026-09-27
- Louisiana State Police - Reciprocity (list read from Internet Archive snapshot 2025-10-28 of this official URL; page is script-rendered) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Louisiana State Police - Concealed Handgun Permit Laws and Administrative Rules booklet (full text of R.S. 40:1379.3 and R.S. 14:95) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Louisiana State Police - Concealed Handgun FAQs — accessed 2026-08-08
- Louisiana State Police - CHP Fees — accessed 2026-09-27