Pennsylvania Gun Laws And Concealed Carry Guide

Pennsylvania is not a permitless carry state. To carry a handgun concealed, or to carry a loaded or unloaded firearm in a vehicle, you need a License to Carry Firearms (LTCF) unless a specific exception applies. You must be 21 to get one. Open carry without a license is generally legal for adults 18 and older, except in Philadelphia.

This guide covers who can carry, how to get a Pennsylvania License to Carry Firearms, training, reciprocity, open carry, vehicle carry, places you can’t carry, and Pennsylvania’s castle doctrine and stand your ground law. It also clears up some confusion about permitless carry bills in Harrisburg.

Do You Need A Permit To Carry In Pennsylvania?

Yes, for concealed carry and for carry in a vehicle. Under 18 Pa.C.S. § 6106, carrying a firearm in any vehicle, or concealed on or about your person, without a valid license is a third-degree felony. It drops to a first-degree misdemeanor if you were otherwise eligible for a license and committed no other crime.

The license requirement does not apply inside your home or fixed place of business. Section 6106(b) also lists exceptions, such as police officers, licensed hunters and anglers while hunting or fishing, and people transporting an unloaded firearm in a secure wrapper between certain places, such as from the store to home.

Is Pennsylvania a constitutional carry state? No. Senate Bill 357, a constitutional carry bill, cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee 9-5 on May 6, 2026. It was laid on the table on June 25, 2026, and the General Assembly’s bill page shows it has not passed either chamber. If you read online that permitless carry has been signed into law in Pennsylvania, that is not correct as of this update.

You cannot get a license, and generally cannot possess a firearm, if you fall into a prohibited category. Under 18 Pa.C.S. § 6109(e), these include:

• Conviction of a crime listed in § 6105 or a crime punishable by more than one year, with limited exceptions
• Drug convictions under the state’s Controlled Substance Act, or unlawful use of controlled substances
• Being a habitual drunkard
• Being committed to a mental institution or found not of sound mind
• Certain juvenile adjudications within the past 10 years
• Dishonorable discharge, fugitive status, or being in the country illegally
• Character and reputation suggesting you would be a danger to public safety

The last item gives the sheriff some discretion. Pennsylvania State Police note that a sheriff may deny a license on character and reputation grounds.

How To Get A Pennsylvania License To Carry Firearms

You apply with your county sheriff. If you live in Philadelphia, you apply with the chief of police instead. Here is the process.

1. Confirm you qualify. You must be 21 or older and not fall into any § 6109(e) category.
2. Contact your county sheriff. Many sheriffs take appointments or online pre-applications. Ask what ID and documents they want.
3. Complete the state application. The form asks you to state a reason for carrying, such as self-defense.
4. Pay the fee. The statute sets a $19 fee, which includes a $1.50 renewal notice fee and a $5 administrative fee, plus a separate $1 fee. That is about $20 total. Confirm the current amount with your sheriff.
5. Wait for the background check. The sheriff runs a check through the Pennsylvania Instant Check System. By law, the sheriff must issue or deny the license within 45 days. A denial must be in writing and give specific reasons.

The license is valid statewide for five years. The sheriff must mail you a renewal application at least 60 days before it expires. Not receiving one does not excuse a late renewal.

The Pennsylvania State Police explain the rules on their Carrying Firearms in Pennsylvania page. As of October 2, 2026, the agency reported 1,628,194 License to Carry permits.

A License to Carry is not a purchase license. You still go through a background check when you buy from a licensed dealer.

Do You Need A Class For A Pennsylvania Carry Permit?

No. Pennsylvania does not require any firearms training to get a License to Carry Firearms. Section 6109 has no course, hours, or live-fire requirement, and the State Police list none. You can apply without ever taking a class.

That said, the law expects you to know where you can and can’t carry, when you can use force, and how Philadelphia’s rules differ. None of that is taught by the sheriff. A short safety course is a smart first step before you apply, especially if you are new to handguns.

An online course can teach safe handling, storage, and the basics of carrying. It does not replace hands-on practice at a range, and it is not a license.

Can Non-Residents Get A Pennsylvania Carry Permit?

Yes, but it is limited. Pennsylvania may issue a License to Carry to an out-of-state resident who holds a valid concealed carry permit from their home state. Under § 6109(e)(1)(ix), a nonresident without a current home-state license is denied.

The State Police warn that some county sheriffs will not issue nonresident licenses at all. Call the sheriff of the county where you plan to apply before you travel. The Pennsylvania Sheriffs’ Association can tell you which counties accept nonresident applications.

Which States Honor The Pennsylvania License To Carry Firearms?

About 30 states recognize a Pennsylvania License to Carry, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s reciprocity page. These include Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Texas.

Notable states that do not honor it include New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Illinois, and California. Some states, like Vermont, allow most adults to carry without any permit, so recognition there depends on that state’s own law.

Pennsylvania honors licenses from about 31 states, including Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Florida, and Connecticut. Only certain license types count from Idaho, North Dakota, and Utah. Under the Attorney General’s rules, the out-of-state holder must be 21 or older and a resident of the issuing state.

Reciprocity changes. Check the Attorney General’s list and the laws of each state on your route before you travel.

Going next door? See our guides to Ohio gun laws, West Virginia gun laws, Maryland gun laws, Delaware gun laws, New Jersey gun laws, and New York gun laws, or browse gun laws by state.

Can You Open Carry In Pennsylvania?

Generally, yes. Pennsylvania’s license requirement in § 6106 covers concealed carry and carry in a vehicle. It does not cover open carry on foot. In a 2025 opinion, the Superior Court put it plainly: open carry without a license is lawful for those 18 and older outside Philadelphia.

There are two big limits to Pennsylvania open carry laws:

• Vehicles. The moment you get in a car, § 6106 applies. Openly carrying a firearm in a vehicle without a license is the same offense as carrying it concealed.
• Philadelphia. Under 18 Pa.C.S. § 6108, no one may carry a firearm, rifle, or shotgun on the public streets or public property of Philadelphia unless they are licensed or exempt under § 6106(b).

Philadelphia Gun Laws

Philadelphia gun laws are stricter on paper than the rest of the state. Section 6108 effectively means you need a License to Carry to carry openly in the city.

In June 2025, the Superior Court ruled in Commonwealth v. Sumpter that § 6108 was unconstitutional as applied to that defendant. The statute remains on the books. A petition asking the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to review Sumpter was still pending as of August 2026, and the Supreme Court has agreed to hear a related challenge to the Philadelphia license rule.

Until the Supreme Court rules, the safe course is simple. Do not carry a firearm in Philadelphia without a License to Carry.

Can You Keep A Gun In Your Car In Pennsylvania?

With a License to Carry, yes. You can carry a loaded handgun in your vehicle anywhere in Pennsylvania that is not otherwise off-limits.

Without a license, carrying a firearm in a vehicle is a crime under § 6106 unless an exception applies. The most common exceptions are:

• Transporting an unloaded firearm in a secure wrapper between your home or business and a place of purchase, repair, or training
• Traveling to and from target shooting with an unloaded firearm
• Licensed hunters and anglers while hunting or fishing, or traveling to and from those activities
• Carrying in a vehicle with a valid license issued under the laws of another state, under § 6106(b)(11)
• Interstate travel that complies with federal law, 18 U.S.C. § 926A

Employer parking lots. We found no Pennsylvania statute that requires employers to let employees keep guns in their cars at work. Check your employer’s policy.

School parking lots. Pennsylvania’s school weapons law, 18 Pa.C.S. § 912, covers school buildings and grounds, which includes school parking lots. The law gives a defense for a weapon “possessed for other lawful purpose.” Some license holders rely on that defense when they stay in their car, but it is a defense in court, not a clear permission. The safest choice is to leave the gun at home on school days.

Where You Can’t Carry A Gun In Pennsylvania

Even with a License to Carry, you cannot carry in these places:

• Schools. Buildings and grounds of public, private, and parochial elementary and secondary schools, and school buses (18 Pa.C.S. § 912). This is a first-degree misdemeanor, subject to the “other lawful purpose” defense.
• Court facilities. Courtrooms, judges’ chambers, clerk and sheriff offices, holding cells, and adjoining corridors (18 Pa.C.S. § 913). Counties must provide free lockers to check a licensed firearm. If you fail to check it, the offense is a summary offense.
• Jails, prisons, and mental hospitals. Bringing a weapon into a detention facility, correctional institution, or mental hospital is a first-degree misdemeanor (18 Pa.C.S. § 5122).
• Philadelphia public streets and property without a license. See § 6108 above.
• Federal property. Federal buildings, post offices, and other federal facilities follow federal law.
• Private property where the owner says no. A private owner can ask you to leave. If you are asked, leave.

Pennsylvania has no statewide ban on carrying in restaurants that serve alcohol, and the License to Carry may be carried in state parks under § 6109(m.2). Never drink while carrying.

Duty to inform: Pennsylvania does not require you to tell an officer you are carrying. But under 18 Pa.C.S. § 6122, you must show your license when an officer lawfully asks for it. If you can’t produce it, the law presumes you are unlicensed until you prove otherwise.

Pennsylvania Castle Doctrine And Stand Your Ground Law

Pennsylvania’s self-defense law is 18 Pa.C.S. § 505. Deadly force is justified only to protect against death, serious bodily injury, kidnapping, or forced sexual intercourse.

Castle doctrine. You are presumed to have a reasonable belief that deadly force is needed when someone is unlawfully and forcefully entering, or has entered, your dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle. The presumption does not apply if the person has a right to be there, if you are engaged in criminal activity, or if the person is a police officer acting officially.

Stand your ground. Outside your home, Pennsylvania has a limited stand your ground rule. You have no duty to retreat if all of these are true:

• You are not engaged in criminal activity and are not illegally possessing a firearm.
• You have a right to be where you are.
• Your attacker displays or uses a firearm, a replica, or another weapon readily or apparently capable of lethal use.

If the attacker is unarmed, the general rule applies. You must retreat if you know you can do so with complete safety, unless you are in your home or workplace.

Civil immunity. Under 42 Pa.C.S. § 8340.2, a person who justifiably uses force is immune from civil liability for the attacker’s injuries. If the attacker sues and you win, the court must award your attorney fees, costs, and lost income.

None of this stops an arrest or criminal charges. Justification is often decided after an investigation, and sometimes at trial. A legal defense can be expensive, even when you did nothing wrong.

Pennsylvania Gun Laws FAQ

Is Pennsylvania A Constitutional Carry State?

No. Senate Bill 357 would create permitless carry, but it was tabled in the Senate on June 25, 2026, and has not passed either chamber. You still need a License to Carry Firearms to carry concealed or in a vehicle.

How Much Is A Pennsylvania License To Carry?

The statute sets the fee at about $20 total: $19 plus a separate $1 fee. The license lasts five years. Your sheriff can confirm the current amount.

Can You Open Carry In Pennsylvania Without A Permit?

On foot, outside Philadelphia, adults 18 and older generally can. You need a license to carry in a vehicle, and you should not carry in Philadelphia without one while the § 6108 challenges are pending.

How Old Do You Have To Be To Carry A Gun In Pennsylvania?

You must be 21 to get a License to Carry. Adults 18 and older may generally open carry on foot outside Philadelphia.

Can You Carry A Gun In Church In Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania has no statute banning carry in places of worship. A licensed carrier may carry in church unless the church asks you not to. If the church runs a school, § 912 may apply to the school grounds. Ask your church leadership about its policy. If your church has a volunteer safety team, look into legal protection for church security teams.

Do You Have To Tell Police You Are Carrying In Pennsylvania?

No. There is no duty to inform. You must show your license if an officer lawfully asks for it, under § 6122.

Sources

• Pennsylvania State Police, Carrying Firearms in Pennsylvania
• 18 Pa.C.S. § 6106, Firearms not to be carried without a license
• 18 Pa.C.S. § 6108, Carrying firearms on public streets or public property in Philadelphia
• 18 Pa.C.S. § 6109, Licenses
• 18 Pa.C.S. § 6122, Proof of license and exception
• 18 Pa.C.S. § 912, Possession of weapon on school property
• 18 Pa.C.S. § 913, Possession of firearm or other dangerous weapon in court facility
• 18 Pa.C.S. § 5122, Weapons or implements for escape
• 18 Pa.C.S. § 505, Use of force in self-protection
• 42 Pa.C.S. § 8340.2, Civil immunity for use of force
• Pennsylvania Attorney General, Concealed Carry Agreements
• Pennsylvania General Assembly, Senate Bill 357 (2025-2026)
• Pennsylvania Superior Court, Commonwealth v. Williams (August 2026), discussing Sumpter’s appeal status (court opinion, via CourtListener)
• Pennsylvania Capital-Star, Pa. Supreme Court to weigh Philadelphia licensing rule (news, backup)
• Handgunlaw.us, Pennsylvania (backup source)