Resident permit · WA → MN
Is a Washington Resident Permit Valid in Minnesota?
Minnesota does not accept Washington resident permits. There is no visitor permitless option. Carrying anyway risks a criminal charge, so plan transport under federal peaceable-journey rules instead.
Why
- Washington is not on Minnesota's official reciprocity list.
DPS publishes the recognized-state list annually (Minn. Stat. 624.714 subd. 16); the statute recognizes 'a person holding a carry permit' from a qualifying state without requiring residency in the issuing state. NOT recognized (2026 list): Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming. Several states are recognized only conditionally — see overrides.
The permit (Washington)
- Permit
- Concealed Pistol License (CPL)
- Issued by
- County sheriff or municipal police chief (nonresidents may apply to any issuing authority in the state)
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
The destination (Minnesota)
- Recognition policy
- Honors a named list of 33 states
- Permitless carry
- No
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- No state limit
Carry rules in Minnesota
Recognition is only half the question. Once you're inside Minnesota, its carry rules apply to you exactly as they do to locals.
- No proactive duty: the permit card and ID must be displayed upon lawful demand, and the holder must disclose whether they are carrying only upon a peace officer's request (Minn. Stat. 624.714 subd. 1b).
- Minnesota sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
- Minnesota is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit Minnesota recognizes.
- A permit is required to carry a loaded pistol in a motor vehicle; without a permit, pistols must be transported unloaded and cased under the Minn. Stat. 624.714 transport exceptions.
Off-limits places in Minnesota
Minnesota bans carry in 5 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- School property, except in a vehicle or placing/retrieving from the trunk (Minn. Stat. 609.66 subd. 1d)
- Courthouse complexes, unless the permit holder has notified the sheriff (Minn. Stat. 609.66 subd. 1g)
Washington vs Minnesota: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Washington into Minnesota changes 2 rules: out-of-state permits honored (10 states → 33 states); open carry (Yes, no permit → With a permit).
| Rule | Washington | Minnesota |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | No | No |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | None | None |
| Out-of-state permits honored | 10 states | 33 states |
| Open carry | Yes, no permit | With a permit |
Going the other way, a Minnesota resident permit in Washington: not recognized.
Permits that do work in Minnesota
These non-resident permits are honored in Minnesota, ranked by how many states honor each one. They are issued to people who live outside the issuing state, subject to its eligibility rules.
- North Dakota non-resident permit · honored in 33 states
- Ohio non-resident permit · honored in 33 states
- Idaho non-resident permit · honored in 32 states
- Texas non-resident permit · honored in 32 states
- South Carolina non-resident permit · honored in 32 states
- Nevada non-resident permit · honored in 31 states
Driving on from Minnesota
How a Washington resident permit fares in the states bordering Minnesota:
- Iowa — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- North Dakota — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- South Dakota — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- Wisconsin — Recognized — carry with your permit
Frequently asked questions
- Does Minnesota honor a Washington non-resident permit?
- Not recognized. The answer is the same as for the resident permit on this page.
- Can a Minnesota resident permit holder carry in Washington?
- Not recognized. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on Washington's law, not Minnesota's.
- Where does Minnesota publish its official reciprocity list?
- Minnesota 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
- Minnesota DPS/BCA — Permit to Carry reciprocity (annual recognized-state list) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Minn. Stat. 624.714 — permit to carry a pistol (issuance, non-residents, disclosure, recognition) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Minn. Stat. 609.66 — dangerous weapons (school property, courthouse complexes) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Minnesota DPS/BCA — Permit to Carry frequently asked questions — accessed 2026-09-27
- Washington Attorney General — Concealed Pistol License Reciprocity (list as of 07/10/2026) — accessed 2026-08-08
- RCW 9.41.070 — Concealed pistol license — accessed 2026-08-08
- RCW 9.41.050 — Carrying firearms — accessed 2026-08-08
- RCW 9.41.300 — Weapons prohibited in certain places — accessed 2026-08-08
- RCW 9.41.370 — Large capacity magazines — accessed 2026-08-08
- RCW 9.41.240 — Possession of pistol by person from eighteen to twenty-one — accessed 2026-09-27