◆ PENNSYLVANIA · CARRY LAW
Pennsylvania.
Information, not legal advice. Confirm with the state before you carry.
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◆ THE SHORT ANSWEREvery tile below is one of the answers further down this page, with its citation.
Concealed, no permit
No
Open, no permit
Only in some cases
In a vehicle, no permit
Only in some cases
Getting a permit
Yes, shall-issue
Nothing in Pennsylvania that most visitors get caught by, but read the answers below before you rely on that.
◆ CARRYING HERE
What Pennsylvania requires
The state's permit is the License to Carry Firearms, issued by your county sheriff, or the Philadelphia chief of police.
Carrying without a permit3
Can I carry concealed here without a permit?
Permitless or "constitutional" carry. "Limited" means some adults qualify and others do not. Read the qualifier.
No
A License to Carry Firearms is required to carry concealed anywhere outside your home or fixed place of business.
Can I carry openly here without a permit?
Only in some cases
Yes almost everywhere. Pennsylvania needs no license to carry openly, but NOT in Philadelphia. On public streets or public property there, a license is required whether the firearm is concealed or in plain view.
Can I keep a loaded handgun in my car without a permit?
Only in some cases
A license is needed to carry a firearm in a vehicle at all. Without one there is a single narrow route: UNLOADED and in a secure wrapper, traveling between your home, business, a repair shop or a place of instruction. Loaded in the glovebox is the offense.
Permits and age3
If I want this state's permit, will they issue one?
Shall-issue means the state must issue to any qualified applicant. May-issue leaves it to an official's discretion.
Yes, shall-issue
The sheriff shall issue unless there is good cause to deny, after an investigation capped at 45 days.
Can I get this state's permit if I live somewhere else?
Only in some cases
Non-residents may apply, but if your own state issues carry licenses you must already hold one. It is not a way around your home state.
How old do I have to be to carry here?
The floor for the least restrictive lawful route. Where permitless and permit ages differ, the qualifier says so.
21
21 for the license, and the license is what you need to carry concealed, or in a vehicle, or anywhere in Philadelphia.
If an officer stops you1
Do I have to tell an officer I am armed?
"Required" means you must volunteer it on contact. "On request" means only when asked.
Not required
Buying and owning2
Do I need a state-issued card just to own or buy a firearm here?
Illinois' FOID is the main example. Distinct from a carry permit.
Not required
Is there a limit on magazine capacity here?
No limit
How the state governs guns2
Can a city here write its own gun rules on top of the state's?
Full preemption means state law is the only law. Partial means some cities may go further. Check locally.
No, state law is the only law
Cities cannot write their own firearm rules. Philadelphia is not an exception to this. Its extra restriction is a state statute, passed by Harrisburg.
Does this state have a red-flag law?
An extreme risk protection order lets a court order firearms surrendered temporarily.
No, none in this state
No extreme risk protection order statuteRead at the Pennsylvania Attorney General ↗Checked 9 days ago
◆ RECIPROCITY
Permits Pennsylvania honors
If you are visiting Pennsylvania, this is whether your permit counts here.
Pick a state for the full answer with its citation, or find it in the grid below.
Honored11
Not honored10
Not settled33
◆ RECIPROCITY, THE OTHER WAY
Where Pennsylvania permits are honored
If you live in Pennsylvania, this is where your permit travels.
Pick a state for the full answer with its citation, or find it in the grid below.
Honored31
Honored, with a condition1
Not honored20
Not settled2
◆ NFA ITEMS
Suppressors and NFA legality
Federal registration is required everywhere these are legal. A state can prohibit them regardless, and several do.
Can I possess a suppressor here?
Federal NFA registration is required everywhere it is legal. State law can prohibit it regardless.
Legal
Lawful when registered under the NFA; unregistered possession is a state offense.
Can I possess a short-barreled rifle here?
Legal
Lawful when registered under the NFA.
Can I possess a short-barreled shotgun here?
Legal
Lawful when registered under the NFA.
Can I possess a machine gun here?
Federally, civilian possession is limited to pre-1986 registered transferables.
Legal
Pre-1986 registered transferables only, under federal law.
Can I possess an AOW here?
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork. Complying with the National Firearms Act is a defense the statute writes out.
◆ SOURCES
Where this comes from
This is information, not legal advice. Gun law changes often and the penalty for getting it wrong is criminal. Confirm every answer with the state before you carry there.
- The authority
- your county sheriff, or the Philadelphia chief of police ↗
- ATF’s index
- Pennsylvania firearm statutes ↗ (PDF)