Is a West Virginia Resident Permit Valid in Georgia?

Why

• Georgia recognizes valid carry permits from every US state.
• Georgia allows permitless carry for eligible adults 21+, which extends to visitors who may legally possess a handgun.

SB 319 defines 'any person licensed to carry a weapon in any other state' as a lawful weapons carrier, with no residency or permit-type qualifier, so resident and non-resident permits from every state are effectively honored. The Attorney General separately maintains a formal reciprocity list (32 states) relevant mainly to Georgia licensees traveling outbound.

Carry rules in Georgia

Crossing into Georgia swaps the rulebook. Here is what changes for a visiting carrier.

• No proactive duty-to-inform appears in any official Georgia carry guidance reviewed (AG, DPS, Georgia.gov, General Assembly brief); SB 319 also removed the requirement to hold a license while carrying. Cross-checked: Georgia has no must-inform statute.
• Georgia sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
• Georgia allows permitless concealed carry from age 21 for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
• Lawful weapons carriers (including out-of-state licensees and qualifying visitors) may carry a loaded handgun in a private vehicle without any license.

Off-limits places in Georgia

Georgia bans carry in 6 kinds of places. The first on the list:

• Courthouses
• Jails and prisons

See all 6 places you can't carry in Georgia →

West Virginia vs Georgia: what changes at the state line

Crossing from West Virginia into Georgia changes 2 rules: permitless carry (Yes (18+) → Yes (21+)); out-of-state permits honored (36 states → All states).

Going the other way, a Georgia resident permit in West Virginia: recognized — and permitless carry applies.

Driving on from Georgia

How a West Virginia resident permit fares in the states bordering Georgia:

• Alabama — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
• Florida — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
• North Carolina — Recognized — carry with your permit
• South Carolina — Permit not recognized — but permitless carry applies
• Tennessee — Recognized — and permitless carry applies

Check a whole route with the Trip Checker →

Frequently asked questions

Does Georgia honor a West Virginia non-resident permit?

Recognized — and permitless carry applies. The answer is the same as for the resident permit on this page.

Can a Georgia resident permit holder carry in West Virginia?

Recognized — and permitless carry applies. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on West Virginia's law, not Georgia's.

Where does Georgia publish its official reciprocity list?

Georgia 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.