Resident permit · VA → NY
Is a Virginia Resident Permit Valid in New York?
The answer is no. New York's reciprocity policy excludes Virginia resident permits, and its law requires a permit to carry concealed. Visitors without a New York-recognized permit cannot legally carry.
Why
- New York does not recognize any out-of-state carry permit.
NY recognizes no out-of-state permit: only a license issued under PL 400.00 authorizes handgun possession/carry, and even a NY license 'shall not be valid within the city of New York unless a special permit... is issued by the police commissioner of that city' (PL 400.00(6)). No official reciprocity page exists because there is no reciprocity.
The permit (Virginia)
- Permit
- Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP)
- Issued by
- Clerk of the circuit court of the applicant's county or city (resident permits); Virginia State Police (nonresident permits)
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
The destination (New York)
- Recognition policy
- Honors no out-of-state permits
- Permitless carry
- No
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- 10 rounds
Carry rules in New York
New York's rules control while you're there. These are the ones travelers trip over most.
- No proactive statutory duty; a licensee must carry the license while carrying the handgun and exhibit it upon demand to any police or peace officer (PL 400.00(8)).
- New York limits magazine capacity to 10 rounds — a limit that applies to visitors, and one of the easiest laws to break by accident.
- New York is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit New York recognizes.
- A gun left unattended in a vehicle must be unloaded and locked in a fire-, impact- and tamper-resistant depository hidden from view (PL 265.45; glove boxes do not qualify); NYC additionally requires guns unloaded and cased in vehicles even when attended.
Off-limits places in New York
New York bans carry in 6 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- Schools, colleges, universities and other educational institutions
- Government buildings and courts
Virginia vs New York: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Virginia into New York changes 3 rules: magazine limit (None → 10 rounds); out-of-state permits honored (All states → None); open carry (Yes, no permit → No).
| Rule | Virginia | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | No | No |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | None | 10 rounds |
| Out-of-state permits honored | All states | None |
| Open carry | Yes, no permit | No |
Going the other way, a New York resident permit in Virginia: recognized — carry with your permit.
Driving on from New York
How a Virginia resident permit fares in the states bordering New York:
- Connecticut — Not recognized
- Massachusetts — Not recognized
- New Jersey — Not recognized
- Pennsylvania — Recognized — carry with your permit
- Vermont — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
Frequently asked questions
- Does New York honor a Virginia non-resident permit?
- Not recognized. The answer is the same as for the resident permit on this page.
- Can a New York resident permit holder carry in Virginia?
- Recognized — carry with your permit. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on Virginia's law, not New York's.
- Where does New York publish its official reciprocity list?
- New York 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
- NY Penal Law 400.00 — Licenses (age 21, licensing officers, statewide validity/NYC exception, exhibit on demand) — accessed 2026-08-08
- gunsafety.ny.gov — FAQ: New Concealed Carry Law (sensitive locations, restricted private property, nonresident applications) — accessed 2026-08-08
- New York State Police — FAQ Regarding Recent Changes to NYS Gun Laws (sensitive-location list, vehicle storage) — accessed 2026-08-08
- NY Penal Law 265.00(23) — large capacity ammunition feeding device (>10 rounds) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Virginia State Police — Reciprocity and Recognition — accessed 2026-08-08
- Virginia State Police — Firearms/Concealed Weapons FAQ — accessed 2026-08-08
- Virginia State Police — Nonresident Concealed Handgun Permits — accessed 2026-08-08
- Virginia State Police — Resident Concealed Handgun Permits — accessed 2026-08-08
- Code of Virginia § 18.2-308.014 — both versions (until / from July 1, 2027), 2026 c. 879 — accessed 2026-09-27
- Virginia General Assembly — SB 115 (2026) enrolled text incl. enactment clauses 2-3 — accessed 2026-09-27
- Code of Virginia § 18.2-308.03 — Fees for resident and nonresident concealed handgun permits — accessed 2026-09-27
- Code of Virginia § 18.2-287.4 (carrying loaded firearms in public areas; both versions) — accessed 2026-09-27