Is a South Carolina Resident Permit Valid in Alabama?

Why

• Alabama recognizes valid carry permits from every US state.
• Alabama allows permitless carry for eligible adults 19+, which extends to visitors who may legally possess a handgun.

Attorney General: 'The state of Alabama recognizes any concealed carry permit issued by another state' (Ala. Code § 13A-11-85(a)); no resident-only condition stated.

Carry rules in Alabama

Carry law is state law. From the moment you enter Alabama, these rules replace the ones you know from South Carolina.

• No proactive duty to inform found on any official Alabama source; answer truthfully and present a permit if an officer asks during a lawful stop.
• Alabama sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
• Alabama allows permitless concealed carry from age 19 for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
• Since Jan 1, 2023 a loaded handgun may be carried in a vehicle without a permit by anyone who may carry permitless (Act 2022-133 removed the vehicle-carry permit requirement).

Off-limits places in Alabama

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

• Police, sheriff and highway patrol stations
• Prisons, jails and other detention facilities

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

South Carolina vs Alabama: what changes at the state line

Crossing from South Carolina into Alabama changes 2 rules: permitless carry (Yes (18+) → Yes (19+)); out-of-state permits honored (2 states → All states).

Going the other way, an Alabama resident permit in South Carolina: permit not recognized — but permitless carry applies.

Driving on from Alabama

How a South Carolina resident permit fares in the states bordering Alabama:

• Florida — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
• Georgia — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
• Mississippi — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
• Tennessee — Recognized — and permitless carry applies

Check a whole route with the Trip Checker →

Frequently asked questions

Does Alabama honor a South Carolina non-resident permit?

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

Can an Alabama resident permit holder carry in South Carolina?

Permit not recognized — but permitless carry applies. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on South Carolina's law, not Alabama's.

Where does Alabama publish its official reciprocity list?

Alabama 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.