◆ VERMONT · CARRY LAW
Vermont.
Information, not legal advice. Confirm with the state before you carry.
Kept in this browser only. Never sent to us.
◆ THE SHORT ANSWEREvery tile below is one of the answers further down this page, with its citation.
Concealed, no permit
Yes
Open, no permit
Yes
In a vehicle, no permit
Yes
Getting a permit
No permit issued
- Magazine capacity is capped here.
- This state has an extreme-risk protective order law.
◆ CARRYING HERE
What Vermont requires
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.
Yes
Yes, and there is no permit to get. Vermont has never licensed carrying. Its offense requires carrying a weapon WITH THE INTENT TO INJURE someone.
Can I carry openly here without a permit?
Yes
Yes, on the same footing as concealed. Vermont draws no line between them.
Can I keep a loaded handgun in my car without a permit?
Yes
Yes, on the same terms as on foot.
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.
No permit issued
There is no Vermont carry permit to apply for. The state has never issued one, because it has never required one.
Can I get this state's permit if I live somewhere else?
No
Vermont issues no permit to anyone, resident or not, and none is needed to carry here.
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.
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
No statute requires you to announce it. Answer honestly if you are asked.
No duty-to-inform provision in Vt. Stat. tit. 13, ch. 85Read at the Vermont Legislature ↗Checked 10 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read §§ 4003 and 4021 on 2026-09-06. With no permit scheme there is no document to produce and no licensing section for such a duty to sit in.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
No permit to buy, but Vermont requires a background check on nearly every transfer, including most private sales, and has a waiting period.
No purchase permit in Vt. Stat. tit. 13, ch. 85Read at the Vermont Legislature ↗Checked 10 days ago
How we checked there is no such law
Read §§ 4003 and 4021 on 2026-09-06. Vermont has no licensing scheme and creates no permit to acquire.Is there a limit on magazine capacity here?
Only in some cases
Yes, and this is the row that surprises people about Vermont. Possessing a large capacity feeding device is banned outright, not merely selling one, with a narrow grandfather for devices held before the 2018 act.
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
Towns may not regulate firearms. Authority sits with the legislature, with a narrow exception for discharge within municipal limits.
Does this state have a red-flag law?
An extreme risk protection order lets a court order firearms surrendered temporarily.
Yes, this state has one
Yes. Since 2018 a state’s attorney or the Attorney General may petition for an extreme risk protection order.
◆ RECIPROCITY
Permits Vermont honors
If you are visiting Vermont, this is whether your permit counts here.
Pick a state for the full answer with its citation, or find it in the grid below.
Honored54
◆ RECIPROCITY, THE OTHER WAY
Where Vermont permits are honored
If you live in Vermont, this is where your permit travels.
Pick a state for the full answer with its citation, or find it in the grid below.
Honored30
Honored, with a condition3
Not honored19
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 with the federal paperwork. Vermont legalized suppressor use for hunting in 2022.
No prohibition found in Vt. Stat. tit. 13, ch. 85Read at the Vermont Legislature ↗Checked 10 days ago
Can I possess a short-barreled rifle here?
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
No prohibition found in Vt. Stat. tit. 13, ch. 85Read at the Vermont Legislature ↗Checked 10 days ago
Can I possess a short-barreled shotgun here?
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
No prohibition found in Vt. Stat. tit. 13, ch. 85Read at the Vermont Legislature ↗Checked 10 days ago
Can I possess a machine gun here?
Federally, civilian possession is limited to pre-1986 registered transferables.
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork. Vermont adds no machine gun ban of its own.
No prohibition found in Vt. Stat. tit. 13, ch. 85Read at the Vermont Legislature ↗Checked 10 days ago
Can I possess an AOW here?
Legal
Lawful with the federal paperwork.
No prohibition found in Vt. Stat. tit. 13, ch. 85Read at the Vermont Legislature ↗Checked 10 days ago
◆ 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
- the Vermont state police ↗
- ATF’s index
- Vermont firearm statutes ↗ (PDF)