Resident permit · NH → VT
Is a New Hampshire Resident Permit Valid in Vermont?
Yes. Vermont recognizes the New Hampshire resident permit — and because Vermont has permitless carry, a permit isn't strictly required for eligible carriers anyway.
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 (New Hampshire)
- Permit
- New Hampshire Pistol/Revolver License
- Issued by
- Local chief of police, selectmen or mayor (residents); NH State Police (non-residents)
- 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
Crossing into Vermont swaps the rulebook. Here is what changes for a visiting carrier.
- 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)
New Hampshire vs Vermont: what changes at the state line
Crossing from New Hampshire into Vermont changes one rule: magazine limit (None → 15 rounds).
| Rule | New Hampshire | Vermont |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | Yes | Yes |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | None | 15 rounds |
| Out-of-state permits honored | All states | All states |
| Open carry | Yes, no permit | Yes, no permit |
Going the other way, a Vermont resident permit in New Hampshire: no such permit issued.
Driving on from Vermont
How a New Hampshire resident permit fares in the states bordering Vermont:
- Massachusetts — Not recognized
- New York — Not recognized
Frequently asked questions
- Does Vermont honor a New Hampshire non-resident permit?
- Recognized — and permitless carry applies. The answer is the same as for the resident permit on this page.
- Can a Vermont resident permit holder carry in New Hampshire?
- Vermont does not issue resident carry permits, so there is no such permit to carry in New Hampshire.
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
- NH RSA Chapter 159 — Pistols and Revolvers (159:4 repealed, 159:6, 159:6-d, 159:19) — accessed 2026-08-08
- NH State Police — Pistol and Revolver Licensing (incl. outbound reciprocity list) — accessed 2026-08-08