Is a North Carolina Resident Permit Valid in Colorado?

Why

• Colorado's official reciprocity list includes North Carolina.
• The agreement covers only permits issued to North Carolina residents.

Colorado honors a permit only if the issuing state honors Colorado's CHP, the holder is 21+, is a RESIDENT of the issuing state, and carries a matching driver's license or state ID from that state. Colorado explicitly does not recognize any permit issued to a non-resident of the issuing state - a Colorado resident also cannot carry in-state on another state's non-resident permit (C.R.S. 18-12-213; CBI reciprocity page).

Carry rules in Colorado

Recognition is only half the question. Once you're inside Colorado, its carry rules apply to you exactly as they do to locals.

• No duty to volunteer. Permittee must carry the permit plus valid photo ID whenever carrying and must produce both upon demand by a law enforcement officer; failure is a class 1 petty offense (C.R.S. 18-12-204(2)(a)).
• Colorado limits magazine capacity to 15 rounds — a limit that applies to visitors, and one of the easiest laws to break by accident.
• Colorado is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit Colorado recognizes.
• A person who may lawfully possess a handgun may carry it, loaded, in a private automobile without any permit for a legal use including self-defense (C.R.S. 18-12-204(3)(a)); this does not extend onto school grounds under 18-12-105.5.

Off-limits places in Colorado

Colorado bans carry in 6 kinds of places. The first on the list:

• K-12 public school grounds (permittee's handgun may remain in a locked vehicle)
• Public buildings with permanent security screening and guards at each entrance

See all 6 places you can't carry in Colorado →

North Carolina vs Colorado: what changes at the state line

Crossing from North Carolina into Colorado changes 3 rules: duty to inform police (Yes → No); magazine limit (None → 15 rounds); out-of-state permits honored (All states → 34 states).

Going the other way, a Colorado resident permit in North Carolina: recognized — carry with your permit.

Driving on from Colorado

How a North Carolina resident permit fares in the states bordering Colorado:

• Kansas — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
• Nebraska — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
• New Mexico — Recognized — carry with your permit
• Oklahoma — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
• Utah — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
• Wyoming — Recognized — and permitless carry applies

Check a whole route with the Trip Checker →

Frequently asked questions

Does Colorado honor a North Carolina non-resident permit?

North Carolina does not issue non-resident carry permits (applicant must have been a North Carolina resident for at least 30 days immediately preceding the application (G.S. 14-415.12(a)); no non-resident permits), so the question does not arise.

Can a Colorado resident permit holder carry in North Carolina?

Recognized — carry with your permit. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on North Carolina's law, not Colorado's.

Where does Colorado publish its official reciprocity list?

Colorado 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.