Resident permit · TX → PA
Is a Texas Resident Permit Valid in Pennsylvania?
Recognized — carry with your permitVerified 2026-08-08
Your permit travels with you here: Pennsylvania recognizes Texas resident permits, so concealed carry is legal for you under Pennsylvania's rules.
Why
- Pennsylvania's official reciprocity list includes Texas.
- The agreement covers only permits issued to Texas residents.
AG rule: where Pennsylvania grants reciprocity, ONLY individuals who are both residents of the issuing state AND 21 or older may carry in Pennsylvania — non-resident permits are never recognized. Several states are recognized only for specific license classes (see overrides). Virginia became the 30th recognized state in Feb 2026. Not recognized: CA, CT, DE, DC, HI, IL, ME, MD, MA, MN, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, OR, RI, SC, VT, WA.
The permit (Texas)
- Permit
- Texas License to Carry a Handgun (LTC)
- Issued by
- Texas Department of Public Safety (Handgun Licensing Program)
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
The destination (Pennsylvania)
- Recognition policy
- Honors a named list of 30 states
- Permitless carry
- No
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- No state limit
Carry rules in Pennsylvania
Your Texas habits may not match Pennsylvania's law. Check these three areas before you carry there.
- No Pennsylvania statute requires a carrier to proactively inform police; carry the license and produce it on lawful demand.
- Pennsylvania sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
- Pennsylvania is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit Pennsylvania recognizes.
- Carrying a firearm in any vehicle, loaded or unloaded, requires a valid LTCF or a recognized reciprocal license (18 Pa.C.S. § 6106).
Off-limits places in Pennsylvania
- Court facilities (18 Pa.C.S. § 913)
- Elementary and secondary school buildings, grounds and buses (18 Pa.C.S. § 912; statutory 'other lawful purpose' defense)
- Correctional institutions and detention facilities
Frequently asked questions
- Is a Texas resident permit valid in Pennsylvania?
- Your permit travels with you here: Pennsylvania recognizes Texas resident permits, so concealed carry is legal for you under Pennsylvania's rules.
- Do I have to tell police in Pennsylvania that I am carrying?
- No Pennsylvania statute requires a carrier to proactively inform police; carry the license and produce it on lawful demand.
- Does Pennsylvania limit magazine capacity?
- Pennsylvania sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
- Where does Pennsylvania publish its official reciprocity list?
- Pennsylvania 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
- PA Office of Attorney General — Concealed Carry Reciprocity (per-state map data) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Pennsylvania State Police — Carrying Firearms in Pennsylvania — accessed 2026-08-08
- PA OAG press release — Virginia becomes 30th reciprocity state — accessed 2026-08-08
- Texas DPS — State Reciprocity Information (full recognition chart) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Texas DPS — Firearm Carry Act of 2021 (HB 1927 permitless carry) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Texas DPS — LTC Eligibility FAQs (18-20-year-old applicants after FPC v. McCraw) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Texas DPS — Laws that Relate to Carrying FAQs (vehicle carry, 46.03 places) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Texas Legislature — HB 1927 enrolled text (Penal Code 46.02, 46.03) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Texas Gov't Code ch. 411 (411.172 eligibility, 411.173 nonresident, 411.205 display) — accessed 2026-08-08