Resident permit · WA → SD
Is a Washington Resident Permit Valid in South Dakota?
Yes — and South Dakota would let you carry even without the permit. The state honors Washington resident permits and allows permitless carry for adults 18+ for anyone who may legally possess a handgun.
Why
- South Dakota recognizes valid carry permits from every US state.
- South Dakota allows permitless carry for eligible adults 18+, which extends to visitors who may legally possess a handgun.
Official Firearm Handbook: 'The state of South Dakota recognizes any valid concealed pistol permit issued to a nonresident of South Dakota, according to the terms of its issuance in the state of its issue' — any state's permit qualifies as long as the holder is not a South Dakota resident (SD residents simply carry permitless).
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 (South Dakota)
- Recognition policy
- Honors permits from all states
- Permitless carry
- Yes (18+)
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- No state limit
Carry rules in South Dakota
Recognition is only half the question. Once you're inside South Dakota, its carry rules apply to you exactly as they do to locals.
- No duty-to-inform provision appears in the Secretary of State's official Firearm Handbook or in SDCL chapter 23-7.
- South Dakota sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
- South Dakota allows permitless concealed carry from age 18 for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
- Permitless concealed carry under SDCL 23-7-7 applies statewide, including in vehicles, for residents and non-residents 18+ who may lawfully possess a pistol.
Off-limits places in South Dakota
South Dakota bans carry in 3 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- County courthouses (SDCL 22-14-23)
- The state capitol (SDCL 22-14-23; limited enhanced-permit exceptions)
Washington vs South Dakota: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Washington into South Dakota changes 2 rules: permitless carry (No → Yes (18+)); out-of-state permits honored (10 states → All states).
| Rule | Washington | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | No | Yes (18+) |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | None | None |
| Out-of-state permits honored | 10 states | All states |
| Open carry | Yes, no permit | Yes, no permit |
Going the other way, a South Dakota resident permit in Washington: recognized — carry with your permit.
Driving on from South Dakota
How a Washington resident permit fares in the states bordering South Dakota:
- Iowa — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- Minnesota — Not recognized
- Montana — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- Nebraska — Permit not recognized — but permitless carry applies
- North Dakota — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
- Wyoming — Permit not recognized — but permitless carry applies
Frequently asked questions
- Does South Dakota honor a Washington non-resident permit?
- Recognized — and permitless carry applies. The answer is the same as for the resident permit on this page.
- Can a South Dakota resident permit holder carry in Washington?
- Recognized — carry with your permit. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on Washington's law, not South Dakota's.
- Where does South Dakota publish its official reciprocity list?
- South Dakota 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
- South Dakota Secretary of State — Concealed Carry Reciprocity — accessed 2026-08-08
- South Dakota Secretary of State — South Dakota Firearm Handbook (July 2025) — accessed 2026-08-08
- South Dakota Secretary of State — Pistol Permit FAQs — accessed 2026-09-27
- South Dakota Secretary of State — How to Apply for a Permit — accessed 2026-09-27
- South Dakota Secretary of State — Types of Concealed Carry Permits — 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