State profile · AL
Alabama Concealed Carry Reciprocity: Where Your Permit Works
A Alabama resident permit (Alabama Concealed Carry Permit (Pistol Permit)) is honored in 32 of the other 50 US jurisdictions, and 2 more allow permitless carry even though they do not recognize the permit itself. In the other direction, Alabama recognizes valid carry permits from every US state. Alabama allows permitless concealed carry from age 19 for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
Where a Alabama permit is honored
Click any destination for the full rules — duty to inform, magazine limits, off-limits places, and official sources.
* a load-bearing fact could not be fully verified — confirm with the official source before carrying.
Whose permits Alabama honors
Alabama recognizes valid concealed-carry permits from every US state and DC.
Attorney General: 'The state of Alabama recognizes any concealed carry permit issued by another state' (Ala. Code § 13A-11-85(a)); no resident-only condition stated.
Alabama at a glance
- Permit
- Alabama Concealed Carry Permit (Pistol Permit)
- Issued by
- County sheriff
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
- Resident minimum age
- 19
- Non-resident permits
- Not issued
- Permitless carry
- Yes (19+)
- Duty to inform
- No
- Magazine limit
- None
ALEA: Alabama issues concealed carry permits only to Alabama residents, via the sheriff of the applicant's county of residence.
Vehicle carry
Since Jan 1, 2023 a loaded handgun may be carried in a vehicle without a permit by anyone who may carry permitless (Act 2022-133 removed the vehicle-carry permit requirement).
Off-limits places in Alabama
- Police, sheriff and highway patrol stations
- Prisons, jails and other detention facilities
- Psychiatric and mental-health inpatient facilities
- Courthouses and court-related buildings
- Professional and school athletic events (without a permit)
- Secured facilities with guarded, restricted access
Frequently asked questions
- Which states honor a Alabama carry permit?
- Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming. The table on this page links to the detailed rules for each destination.
- Does Alabama recognize out-of-state carry permits?
- Attorney General: 'The state of Alabama recognizes any concealed carry permit issued by another state' (Ala. Code § 13A-11-85(a)); no resident-only condition stated.
- Can I carry in Alabama without a permit?
- Alabama allows permitless concealed carry from age 19 for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
- Do I have to tell police in Alabama that I am carrying?
- No proactive duty to inform found on any official Alabama source; answer truthfully and present a permit if an officer asks during a lawful stop.
Official sources
- Alabama Attorney General — Reciprocity For Concealed Carry Permits (current as of May 1, 2026) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Alabama Law Enforcement Agency — Gun Laws — accessed 2026-08-08
- Jefferson County Sheriff — Understanding the New Permit-less Carry Law — accessed 2026-08-08
- Jefferson County Sheriff — Pistol Permits (issuing authority; age 19, 18 military) — accessed 2026-08-08