This is not legal advice.Concealed-carry reciprocity changes frequently and carries serious legal consequences. Verify current law with the destination state's official source before you carry.
AlabamaConcealed Carry Permit & Reciprocity
Alabama is a permitless (constitutional) carry state as of January 1, 2023 (Act 2022-133). A law-abiding person 19 or older — whether or not an Alabama resident — may carry a concealed pistol without a permit. The Alabama Concealed Carry (Pistol) Permit remains available from the sheriff of the applicant's county and is worth holding: many other states recognize an Alabama permit but not permitless carry, and within Alabama a permit removes the restriction on carrying at school and professional athletic events. The permit is issued to residents 19 or older (18 for active or retired military), requires no training course, and may be issued for a one-year or five-year term with the fee set by each county sheriff. Open carry is lawful without a permit. Alabama has no proactive duty to inform, but a person must disclose a concealed firearm when a law enforcement officer asks (§13A-11-95). Alabama recognizes any valid concealed carry permit issued by any other state (§13A-11-85).
Alabama Alabama Concealed Carry (Pistol) Permit (CCP)
- Issuing authority
- Alabama County Sheriffs
- Carry regime
- constitutional
- Minimum age
- 19
- Fee
- Varies
- Training
- Not required
- Validity
- 5 years
Carry practicalities
Permitless carry
Allowed — minimum age 19
Alabama has permitless (constitutional) carry since January 1, 2023 (Act 2022-133, which repealed the permit-to-carry requirement of former §13A-11-73). A law-abiding person 19 or older — resident or not — may carry a concealed pistol without a permit. A pistol may not be carried on private property that is not the person's own or under the person's control without the owner's consent or a permit (§13A-11-52).
official source · verified 2026-07-10
Open carry
Permitless
Open carry of a pistol is lawful in Alabama without a permit for a person who may lawfully possess a firearm. As with concealed carry, a pistol may not be carried onto another's private property or premises without the owner's consent or a permit (§13A-11-52), and open carry remains subject to the prohibited-place restrictions of §13A-11-61.2.
official source · verified 2026-07-10
Duty to inform
Not required
Alabama imposes no affirmative duty to proactively notify a law enforcement officer that you are carrying. However, a person who knowingly carries a concealed pistol or firearm and is asked by an officer acting in the line of duty whether they are armed must immediately inform the officer (§13A-11-95); the officer may temporarily take the firearm into custody for the duration of the encounter. Disclosure is required only upon the officer's request, not proactively.
official source · verified 2026-07-10
Off-limits locations
- police, sheriff, or highway patrol stations
- prisons, jails, halfway houses, community-corrections, and other detention facilities
- facilities providing inpatient or custodial care for psychiatric, mental, or emotional disorders
- courthouses, courthouse annexes, and buildings housing a district attorney's office
- facilities hosting a K-12 or postsecondary school athletic event (unless the person holds a permit)
- facilities hosting a professional athletic event (unless the person holds a permit)
- buildings/facilities with continuous security screening (posted guards plus magnetometers, key cards, biometric screening, or turnstiles/physical barriers)
- K-12 school property (§13A-11-72)
- places where carrying a firearm is prohibited by federal law
Curated key categories, not exhaustive. The core list is in Ala. Code §13A-11-61.2 (possession of firearms in certain places), which permits entry to some listed places with the express permission of the controlling authority and exempts permit holders from the school/professional athletic-event restriction. School property is separately governed by §13A-11-72.
official source · verified 2026-07-10
Alabama reciprocity summary
Alabama honors 49 states' permits · honored by 31 states
Where a Alabama permit is honored →Whose permits Alabama honors →
Last verified 2026-07-10 against Alabama Law Enforcement Agency — Gun Laws.
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Get notified when your state's reciprocity changes.
Alabama FAQ
- Does Alabama have constitutional carry?
- Yes. Alabama is a constitutional (permitless) carry state — eligible adults may carry a concealed handgun without a permit. The CCP remains available and is still worth holding for reciprocity in states that don't recognize permitless carry.
- How much does a Alabama CCP cost?
- The CCP application fee in Alabama is The permit fee is set by each county sheriff and varies by county and by term (a one-year or five-year permit); there is no single statewide fee.
- Does Alabama honor out-of-state concealed-carry permits?
- Alabama honors concealed-carry permits from 49 other states, subject to the qualifiers (resident-only or permit-class restrictions) noted on each reciprocity pair. See the full inbound list on the "who Alabama honors" page.
- Where is a Alabama CCP honored?
- A Alabama CCP is honored by 31 other states. See the full outbound reciprocity list for exactly which states and any resident-only or class restrictions.
- How long is a Alabama CCP valid?
- A Alabama CCP is valid for 5 years before renewal is required.
Sources
- Alabama Law Enforcement Agency — Gun Laws (2026-07-10)