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Concealed Carry Map

State profile · MT

Montana Concealed Carry Reciprocity: Where Your Permit Works

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 →

Where a Montana permit is honored

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

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.

Vehicle carry

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

Off-limits places in Montana

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.
Can I carry in Montana without a permit?
Montana allows permitless concealed carry for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
Do I have to tell police in Montana that I am carrying?
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).

Official sources