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Concealed Carry Map

State profile · MT

Montana Concealed Carry Laws & Reciprocity

A Montana resident permit (Montana Concealed Weapon Permit) is honored in 35 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, Montana recognizes permits from 43 states on its official list. Montana allows permitless concealed carry for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.

Open the interactive map for a Montana permit →

Montana concealed carry reciprocity map

Where a Montana resident permit is valid. Each state links to the rules for that trip.

Alabama: recognized — and permitless carry appliesALAlaska: recognized — and permitless carry appliesAKArizona: recognized — and permitless carry appliesAZArkansas: recognized — and permitless carry appliesARCalifornia: not recognizedCAColorado: recognized — carry with your permitCOConnecticut: not recognizedCTDelaware: not recognizedDEDistrict of Columbia: not recognizedDCFlorida: recognized — and permitless carry appliesFLGeorgia: recognized — and permitless carry appliesGAHawaii: not recognizedHIIdaho: recognized — and permitless carry appliesIDIllinois: not recognizedILIndiana: recognized — and permitless carry appliesINIowa: recognized — and permitless carry appliesIAKansas: recognized — and permitless carry appliesKSKentucky: recognized — and permitless carry appliesKYLouisiana: recognized — and permitless carry appliesLAMaine: permit not recognized — but permitless carry appliesMEMaryland: not recognizedMDMassachusetts: not recognizedMAMichigan: recognized — carry with your permitMIMinnesota: recognized — carry with your permitMNMississippi: recognized — and permitless carry appliesMSMissouri: recognized — and permitless carry appliesMOMontana (home state)MTNebraska: recognized — and permitless carry appliesNENevada: recognized — carry with your permitNVNew Hampshire: recognized — and permitless carry appliesNHNew Jersey: not recognizedNJNew Mexico: not recognizedNMNew York: not recognizedNYNorth Carolina: recognized — carry with your permitNCNorth Dakota: recognized — and permitless carry appliesNDOhio: recognized — and permitless carry appliesOHOklahoma: recognized — and permitless carry appliesOKOregon: not recognizedORPennsylvania: recognized — carry with your permitPARhode Island: not recognizedRISouth Carolina: permit not recognized — but permitless carry appliesSCSouth Dakota: recognized — and permitless carry appliesSDTennessee: recognized — and permitless carry appliesTNTexas: recognized — and permitless carry appliesTXUtah: recognized — and permitless carry appliesUTVermont: recognized — and permitless carry appliesVTVirginia: recognized — carry with your permitVAWashington: recognized — carry with your permitWAWest Virginia: recognized — and permitless carry appliesWVWisconsin: recognized — carry with your permitWIWyoming: recognized — and permitless carry appliesWY
  • Permit honored
  • Honored + permitless carry
  • Permitless carry only
  • Not honored
  • Confirm case-by-case
  • Montana

Which states honor a Montana carry permit? (35)

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Where a Montana permit is not honored (15)

Permitless carry still applies (2): Maine, South Carolina

No lawful carry on this permit (13): California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island

Where a Montana permit is honored, state by state

Click any destination for the full rules — duty to inform, magazine limits, off-limits places, and official sources.

DestinationResident permitNon-resident permit
AlabamaRecognized — and permitless carry appliesNo such permit issued
AlaskaRecognized — and permitless carry appliesNo such permit issued
ArizonaRecognized — and permitless carry appliesNo such permit issued
ArkansasRecognized — and permitless carry appliesNo such permit issued
CaliforniaNot recognizedNo such permit issued
ColoradoRecognized — carry with your permitNo such permit issued
ConnecticutNot recognizedNo such permit issued
DelawareNot recognizedNo such permit issued
District of ColumbiaNot recognizedNo such permit issued
FloridaRecognized — and permitless carry appliesNo such permit issued
GeorgiaRecognized — and permitless carry appliesNo such permit issued
HawaiiNot recognizedNo such permit issued
IdahoRecognized — and permitless carry appliesNo such permit issued
IllinoisNot recognizedNo such permit issued
IndianaRecognized — and permitless carry appliesNo such permit issued
IowaRecognized — and permitless carry appliesNo such permit issued
KansasRecognized — and permitless carry appliesNo such permit issued
KentuckyRecognized — and permitless carry appliesNo such permit issued
LouisianaRecognized — and permitless carry appliesNo such permit issued
MainePermit not recognized — but permitless carry appliesNo such permit issued
MarylandNot recognizedNo such permit issued
MassachusettsNot recognizedNo such permit issued
MichiganRecognized — carry with your permitNo such permit issued
MinnesotaRecognized — carry with your permitNo such permit issued
MississippiRecognized — and permitless carry appliesNo such permit issued
MissouriRecognized — and permitless carry appliesNo such permit issued
NebraskaRecognized — and permitless carry appliesNo such permit issued
NevadaRecognized — carry with your permitNo such permit issued
New HampshireRecognized — and permitless carry appliesNo such permit issued
New JerseyNot recognizedNo such permit issued
New MexicoNot recognizedNo such permit issued
New YorkNot recognizedNo such permit issued
North CarolinaRecognized — carry with your permitNo such permit issued
North DakotaRecognized — and permitless carry appliesNo such permit issued
OhioRecognized — and permitless carry appliesNo such permit issued
OklahomaRecognized — and permitless carry appliesNo such permit issued
OregonNot recognizedNo such permit issued
PennsylvaniaRecognized — carry with your permitNo such permit issued
Rhode IslandNot recognizedNo such permit issued
South CarolinaPermit not recognized — but permitless carry appliesNo such permit issued
South DakotaRecognized — and permitless carry appliesNo such permit issued
TennesseeRecognized — and permitless carry appliesNo such permit issued
TexasRecognized — and permitless carry appliesNo such permit issued
UtahRecognized — and permitless carry appliesNo such permit issued
VermontRecognized — and permitless carry appliesNo such permit issued
VirginiaRecognized — carry with your permitNo such permit issued
WashingtonRecognized — carry with your permitNo such permit issued
West VirginiaRecognized — and permitless carry appliesNo such permit issued
WisconsinRecognized — carry with your permitNo such permit issued
WyomingRecognized — and permitless carry appliesNo such permit issued

* a load-bearing fact could not be fully verified — confirm with the official source before carrying.

Whose permits Montana honors

MCA 45-8-329 recognizes another state's permit if that state requires a criminal-records background check before issuance and the holder carries the permit plus photo ID; it imposes no issuing-state residency condition. The AG list (last updated Oct 2024) excludes Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island because their laws do not expressly require background checks; Vermont issues no permits. Recognition is largely moot for eligible adults because carry is permitless.

Montana at a glance

Permit
Montana Concealed Weapon Permit
Issued by
County sheriff
Issue policy
Shall-issue
Resident minimum age
18
Non-resident permits
Not issued
Permitless carry
Yes
Duty to inform
No
Magazine limit
None

Can you carry in Montana without a permit?

Montana allows permitless concealed carry for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.

Since HB 102 (2021), any person eligible to possess a firearm under state or federal law may carry concealed without a permit (MCA 45-8-316(3); MT DOJ). No explicit statutory minimum age; eligibility to possess controls. A Montana permit or a recognized out-of-state permit is still required inside restricted state/local government office buildings (MCA 45-8-328).

Is Montana an open carry state?

Yes. Montana allows open carry of a handgun without a permit for people who may legally possess one.

No permit is needed to carry a handgun openly, and local governments cannot ban open carry in general — but they may bar carrying weapons into publicly owned, occupied buildings under their control.

How to get a Montana concealed carry permit

Apply to
The county sheriff where you live (Montana residents of at least six months only)
Minimum age
18
Fee
$50 (new, resident)
Training
Proof of familiarity with a firearm: a hunter education or firearms safety course, a law enforcement firearms course, or another state's carry license that required such a course — or a hands-on test if the sheriff agrees.
Valid for
5 years
Issue policy
Shall-issue (must be granted if you qualify)

Sheriffs must issue or deny within 60 days of application. A permit is optional for concealed carry but required to carry concealed in state government buildings.

Does Montana issue non-resident permits?

No. Montana does not issue carry permits to non-residents. Permit requires at least 6 months' Montana residency, US citizenship or lawful permanent residence, and Montana ID (MCA 45-8-321; MT DOJ). No non-resident permits are issued.

Compare every state's non-resident permit →

Do you have to tell police you are carrying in Montana?

No statutory duty to proactively inform an officer. A traveler carrying under reciprocity must have the permit in immediate possession plus photo ID (MCA 45-8-329).

Carrying in a vehicle in Montana

Montana has no prohibitions on carrying a loaded weapon in a motor vehicle (MT DOJ).

Where you can't carry in Montana

Editor's verification notes

dojmt.gov is behind Cloudflare and blocks this network; the DOJ page (page metadata shows last update 2024-10-18) was read via an Internet Archive snapshot of 2025-05-03. The statutory recognition criterion (background-check states) was verified live in MCA 2025, so list membership is stable unless the AG re-determines a state; re-check the live DOJ list before publishing.

Frequently asked questions

Which states honor a Montana carry permit?
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming. The table on this page links to the detailed rules for each destination.
Does Montana recognize out-of-state carry permits?
MCA 45-8-329 recognizes another state's permit if that state requires a criminal-records background check before issuance and the holder carries the permit plus photo ID; it imposes no issuing-state residency condition. The AG list (last updated Oct 2024) excludes Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island because their laws do not expressly require background checks; Vermont issues no permits. Recognition is largely moot for eligible adults because carry is permitless.

Official sources