Resident permit · TN → VT
Is a Tennessee Resident Permit Valid in Vermont?
Carrying in Vermont is legal for you. Your Tennessee resident permit is recognized, and Vermont additionally allows permitless concealed carry for those who qualify.
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 (Tennessee)
- Permit
- Enhanced Handgun Carry Permit
- Issued by
- Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security
- 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)
Tennessee vs Vermont: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Tennessee into Vermont changes 2 rules: permitless carry (Yes (21+) → Yes); magazine limit (None → 15 rounds).
| Rule | Tennessee | Vermont |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | Yes (21+) | 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 Tennessee: no such permit issued.
Driving on from Vermont
How a Tennessee resident permit fares in the states bordering Vermont:
- Massachusetts — Not recognized
- New Hampshire — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- New York — Not recognized
Frequently asked questions
- Does Vermont honor a Tennessee 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 Tennessee?
- Vermont does not issue resident carry permits, so there is no such permit to carry in Tennessee.
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
- TN Dept. of Safety & Homeland Security — Reciprocity — accessed 2026-08-08
- TN Dept. of Safety & Homeland Security — Handgun Permit FAQ — accessed 2026-08-08
- TN Dept. of Safety & Homeland Security — Handgun Related Laws — accessed 2026-08-08
- TN Public Chapter 108 (2021) — permitless carry, vehicle carry, display-on-demand — accessed 2026-08-08
- TN Public Chapter 356 (2025) — permit age lowered to 18 — accessed 2026-08-08
- TN Dept. of Safety & Homeland Security — Handgun Permit Fees — accessed 2026-09-27
- TN Dept. of Safety & Homeland Security — Handgun Permit Types — accessed 2026-09-27
- TN Dept. of Safety & Homeland Security — How To Apply — accessed 2026-09-27
- TN Dept. of Safety & Homeland Security — Enhanced Handgun Carry Permit Training Requirements (PDF) — accessed 2026-09-27