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.
PennsylvaniaConcealed Carry Permit & Reciprocity
Pennsylvania is a shall-issue state — it is NOT a constitutional/permitless-carry state. To carry a handgun concealed, or in a vehicle, you must hold a License to Carry Firearms (LTCF) under 18 Pa.C.S. § 6109 (see § 6106). The LTCF is issued by the sheriff of the applicant's county of residence; in Philadelphia (a city of the first class) it is issued by the chief of police. Applicants must be 21 or older; there is no training requirement, no fingerprinting requirement, and the license is valid for five years. Pennsylvania issues a single license class and a popular non-resident LTCF (a non-resident who holds a current home-state carry license may apply to a Pennsylvania sheriff, though some sheriffs decline non-resident applications). Open carry of a handgun is legal without a license statewide for a person 18 or older who may lawfully possess a firearm, except in Philadelphia, where § 6108 requires an LTCF (a rule recently limited by Commonwealth v. Sumpter, 2025 PA Super 124). Pennsylvania recognizes the carry licenses of a specific list of states, via written reciprocity agreements or mutual statutory reciprocity administered by the Office of Attorney General under § 6109(k) — but only for holders who are both residents of the issuing state and 21 or older.
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania License to Carry Firearms (LTCF)
- Issuing authority
- County Sheriffs (in Philadelphia, the Chief of Police); reciprocity administered by the PA Office of Attorney General
- Carry regime
- shall issue
- Minimum age
- 21
- Fee
- $20
- Training
- Not required
- Validity
- 5 years
Carry practicalities
Permitless carry
Not allowed
Pennsylvania is NOT a permitless/constitutional-carry state. Carrying a firearm concealed on the body, or in any manner in a vehicle, requires a License to Carry Firearms (18 Pa.C.S. §§ 6106, 6109); carrying concealed or in a vehicle without a license is a felony under § 6106. Pennsylvania is shall-issue — the sheriff must issue the LTCF to a qualified applicant (21+, not disqualified).
official source · verified 2026-07-09
Open carry
Permitless
Open carry of a handgun is legal without a license across Pennsylvania for any person 18 or older who may lawfully possess a firearm (no statute prohibits general open carry). The exception is Philadelphia (a city of the first class): 18 Pa.C.S. § 6108 bars carrying a firearm on public streets or public property there unless the person holds a License to Carry Firearms or qualifies for a § 6106(b) exemption. Commonwealth v. Sumpter, 2025 PA Super 124 (332 A.3d 1187), held § 6108 unconstitutional AS APPLIED to unlicensed open carry (equal-protection / Second Amendment) — it did not strike the statute in its entirety — so the Philadelphia open-carry-without-a-license rule is unsettled and litigation-sensitive.
official source · verified 2026-07-09
Duty to inform
Not required
Pennsylvania imposes no statutory duty to proactively inform a law enforcement officer that you are carrying a firearm; 18 Pa.C.S. § 6109 requires only that the licensee carry the LTCF and § 6122 requires it be produced on demand of a law enforcement officer. There is no notify-on-contact requirement.
official source · verified 2026-07-09
Off-limits locations
- K-12 school property (buildings, grounds, and school buses), subject to a lawful-purpose defense
- court facilities (firearms must be checked into the court's lockbox/locker)
- courthouses and buildings containing a courtroom
- detention facilities, prisons, and mental hospitals
- Pennsylvania State Capitol building and the Governor's residence (restricted areas)
- secured (past-screening) areas of airports
- federal facilities and other places where federal law prohibits firearms
- private property where the owner or occupant prohibits carry
Curated key categories, not exhaustive. K-12 school property is restricted by 18 Pa.C.S. § 912 (first-degree misdemeanor, with a defense for possession 'in conjunction with a lawful supervised school activity or course or for other lawful purpose'). Court facilities are restricted by 18 Pa.C.S. § 913, which requires counties to provide check-in lockers; a licensed holder who properly checks a firearm faces only a summary offense. An LTCF does not by itself exempt a holder from § 912 or § 913. Federal facilities and private property where the owner prohibits carry are also off-limits.
official source · verified 2026-07-09
Pennsylvania reciprocity summary
Pennsylvania honors 28 states' permits · honored by 31 states
Where a Pennsylvania permit is honored →Whose permits Pennsylvania honors →
Last verified 2026-07-09 against Pennsylvania State Police — Carrying Firearms in Pennsylvania.
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Pennsylvania FAQ
- Does Pennsylvania have constitutional carry?
- No. Pennsylvania is a shall-issue state — a Pennsylvania License to Carry Firearms (LTCF) is required to carry concealed, and the issuing authority must issue one to any applicant who meets the statutory requirements.
- How much does a Pennsylvania LTCF cost?
- The LTCF application fee in Pennsylvania is $20. The statutory application/renewal fee is set by 18 Pa.C.S. § 6109(h); most county sheriffs collect $20 for an original or renewal LTCF (comprising a $5 administrative fee under the Sheriff Fee Act, a $1 Firearms License Validation System fee, and related processing charges).
- Does Pennsylvania honor out-of-state concealed-carry permits?
- Pennsylvania honors concealed-carry permits from 28 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 Pennsylvania honors" page.
- Where is a Pennsylvania LTCF honored?
- A Pennsylvania LTCF 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 Pennsylvania LTCF valid?
- A Pennsylvania LTCF is valid for 5 years before renewal is required.