Is a Texas Resident Permit Valid in Pennsylvania?
Only with conditions. Pennsylvania honors a Texas resident permit for holders 21 and older. Holders under 21 cannot carry concealed in Pennsylvania on this permit, and Pennsylvania has no permitless carry.
Why
- Pennsylvania's official reciprocity list includes Texas.
- The agreement covers only permits issued to Texas residents.
- Pennsylvania honors out-of-state permits only for holders 21 and older, and Texas issues this permit from age 18.
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
Pennsylvania bans carry in 3 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- 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)
Texas vs Pennsylvania: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Texas into Pennsylvania changes 2 rules: permitless carry (Yes (21+) → No); out-of-state permits honored (All states → 30 states).
| Rule | Texas | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | Yes (21+) | No |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | None | None |
| Out-of-state permits honored | All states | 30 states |
| Open carry | Yes, no permit | Yes, no permit |
Going the other way, a Pennsylvania resident permit in Texas: recognized — and permitless carry applies.
Driving on from Pennsylvania
How a Texas resident permit fares in the states bordering Pennsylvania:
- Delaware — Recognized — carry with your permit
- Maryland — Not recognized
- New Jersey — Not recognized
- New York — Not recognized
- Ohio — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- West Virginia — Recognized — holders 21+ only; permitless carry applies
Frequently asked questions
- Does Pennsylvania honor a Texas non-resident permit?
- Not recognized. That differs from the resident permit on this page, because Pennsylvania treats the two permit types differently.
- Can a Pennsylvania resident permit holder carry in Texas?
- Recognized — and permitless carry applies. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on Texas's law, not Pennsylvania's.
- 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
- Chester County Sheriff — PA License to Carry Firearms Information — accessed 2026-09-27
- Centre County Sheriff — License to Carry Firearms — accessed 2026-09-27
- City of Philadelphia — Application for a Pennsylvania License to Carry Firearm — accessed 2026-09-27
- Texas DPS — State Reciprocity Information (chart NOT updated for SB 706; superseded by statute) — 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 411.173 as amended by Acts 2025 ch. 483 (current statute text) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Texas Legislature — SB 706 (89R) enrolled text, amending Gov't Code 411.173(b), repealing (c)-(d) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Texas Legislature — SB 706 (89R) bill history (signed 2025-06-20, effective 2025-09-01) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Texas Gov't Code 311.005(7) — "state" includes any district, commonwealth, territory — accessed 2026-09-27
- Texas DPS — 89th Legislation (SB 706 effective September 1, 2025) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Texas DPS — LTC Application FAQs (fee, validity, training) (via Wayback 2025-12-16) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Texas DPS — LTC Training Requirements FAQ (via Wayback 2026-01-17) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Texas DPS — Licensing & Registration (how to apply, fee schedule) (via Wayback 2026-07-04) — accessed 2026-09-27