Step-by-step guide
Pennsylvania Non-Resident Guide
How a New York resident gets a Pennsylvania non-resident License to Carry Firearms.
Where You Can Carry — See the Map
No Training, No Fingerprints, and Some Counties Take the Application Online. You Need a New York Carry License First.
It's as simple as it gets. The hardest part is getting to the county sheriff's office - they require you to submit and retrieve your application in person.
Some counties allow you to do the application ONLINE (see the list below); however, you need to pick up the license IN PERSON.
At a glance (checked Nov 1, 2026):
Can a New Yorker apply? Yes, if you hold a current New York carry license. Not every county issues to non-residents
Training: None required
Fingerprints: None (name-based background check)
In person: Yes, at least once in every county we checked (photo and/or pickup)
Cost: $20 by law, plus an online fee in some counties
Processing: Up to 45 days by law; often a few days
Valid for: 5 years
Step 1 - Check That You Qualify
You must be 21 or older.
You must hold a current license or permit to carry from your home state (New York). Pennsylvania law bars a license to a non-resident who does not have one. Several counties say it must be unrestricted; a NY premises license or a carry license restricted to hunting or target shooting should be expected to be refused.
The address on your NY driver's license should match the address on your NY pistol license. Some counties will not accept the application if they do not match. No P.O. boxes.
The sheriff runs a background check and can deny for the reasons listed in the law (criminal, mental-health, drug and "character and reputation" grounds).
You Will Need the Following
The application filled out: the county's online form, or the State Police form SP 4-127 (current 7-2024 version, see Step 3).
For the reason box (Box 24 on the current form), select 'Self-Defense'.
Your valid driver's license.
Your valid Concealed Carry License from your home state.
$20.00 (many counties take cash only in person; online adds a service fee; see the table in Step 2).
They will take your picture for the ID.
That's It.
Step 2 - Choose a County
Not every county takes non-residents. These counties say on their own websites that they do (checked Nov 1, 2026). Pike and Wayne are the closest to New York and both take the application online.
County | How to apply | In person | Fee and payment |
Pike | Online (apply here) or in person | Pickup in person (photo) | $20 + online service fee; in person: cash (exact change), check or money order |
Wayne | Online (apply here), by mail or in person | Photo and pickup in person within 30 days of approval | $20 (+$5 online); cash, check or money order |
Monroe | Online only for non-residents (apply here); upload the county's Out-of-State Concealed Carry Information Form | Photo in person when approved | $20 |
Luzerne | Online, by mail or drop-off; no walk-ins | Appointment for photo and signature | $20; mail: money order or bank check only |
Erie | Online or in person (Mon-Fri 10-4, closed 12-1) | Photo in person | $20 (cash in person; card online) |
Lycoming | Online, by mail or in person | Photo within 10 business days of approval | $20; cash, check, card (+$2) or money order |
York | Online (out-of-state applicants should apply online) | Pickup in person within 30 days | $20 (about $27 online) |
Montgomery | Online (recommended) or in person | Pickup by appointment; never same day | $25 |
Wyoming | By mail (preferred) or drop-off | Appointment within 45 days of approval | $5 with the application + $15 at approval; no cash |
Northampton | In person, by appointment only | One visit; the license is mailed to you | $20 cash, check or money order |
Centre | In person only | Usually walk out the same day | $20 cash only |
McKean | In person | In person | $20; no cards or out-of-state checks |
Bradford | In person only | In person | $20 cash, money order or card; no personal checks |
About a dozen more counties take non-resident applications on the same online system (for example Adams, Berks, Bucks, Lebanon, Lawrence, Beaver, Butler, Westmoreland, Washington, Warren, Schuylkill). Lehigh and Cumberland take non-residents in person only.
Not issuing to non-residents: Philadelphia ("not issuing License to Carry to Out of State Applicants") and Lackawanna (its 2024 letter says it is not accepting new out-of-state applicants). Call before you drive to a county that is not listed here.
Step 3 - Apply Online or on Paper
Online (Pike, Wayne, Monroe and Other Counties)
Open the county's online application (links in the table above) and choose New.
Fill in the application. For the reason, choose Self-Defense.
Upload clear photos of the front and back of your NY driver's license and your NY carry license. (Monroe also asks for its Out-of-State Concealed Carry Information Form.)
Pay by card: the $20 fee plus the county's online service fee (for example $5 in Wayne).
On Paper (in Person or by Mail Where Allowed)
The form is the State Police SP 4-127, Application for a Pennsylvania License to Carry Firearms (current version 7-2024). The State Police do not post it; the counties do, for example Pike's packet (link).
Box 24 (Reason): check Self-Defense.
Box 25 (References): marked optional on the current form.
Box 28 asks if you have a carry license from your home state: answer Yes and attach a copy of your NY license.
Some counties (for example Northampton) tell you not to sign until a deputy watches you sign.
Step 4 - Approval and Pickup
By law the sheriff has up to 45 days. Online applicants usually get approval by email, text or phone, often with a link to book a pickup time.
Go to the sheriff's office in person for your photo and signature and to pick up the card. Bring your NY driver's license and NY carry license, and payment if the county collects it at pickup.
Pick up on time. If you miss the window the application expires and you pay again. Wayne: within 30 days of approval. York: 30 days. Lycoming: 10 business days. Wyoming: 45 days.
Courthouses have security. Leave firearms, knives and electronics in the car; some courthouses lock up phones and smartwatches.
Your NY license does not let you carry in Pennsylvania, so do not carry on the way to pick up your PA license.
Renewing
The license is valid for 5 years anywhere in Pennsylvania.
The sheriff who issued it mails a renewal notice at least 60 days before it expires (not getting it does not excuse you). Online counties let you renew online for the same $20.
In Pike and Tioga, a license expired 6 months or more needs a new application.
Your NY carry license must still be valid when you renew.
Where It Is Valid
New York does not honor a Pennsylvania license. A PA license gives you no carry rights in New York.
Pennsylvania does not honor New York licenses, which is why a New Yorker needs the PA license to carry in Pennsylvania.
The PA Attorney General's reciprocity list (link) covers PA residents. Whether another state honors a PA license held by a non-resident is not stated there; check the rules of each state you plan to visit.
Philadelphia has an extra law on carrying on its streets (18 Pa.C.S. 6108). Read it before carrying there.
Tips from Others' Experience
From users on the chats (paraphrased). These are personal experiences, not official rules, and may change.
Pike: approval often comes in 1 to 3 days, but pickup slots can be booked 2 to 3 weeks out (reports from 2025 and July 2026).
Wayne: everything online except the pickup; approval in about 2 to 3 days and in and out in minutes at pickup.
Erie: same-day approval email reported. Phones are locked in a pouch at courthouse security.
Susquehanna, McKean, Centre: walk-in applicants report leaving with the license in 10 to 25 minutes, $20 cash.
Check that the reason on your card reads self-defense; one applicant reported it printing as "target shooting".
Renewing in a different county is reported to work if you file it as a New application (no official page confirms this).
From Personal Experience
Usually you are in and out in 20 minutes or less with your new Non-Resident PA Concealed Carry License in hand. Remember to say Tefillas Haderech and drive safely.
I personally did it in Centre County, extremely nice staff.
Make a Kiddush Hashem: Bring a Box of Heimeshe Chocolate Rugelach as an Appreciation to the Staff
Pike County - License Pick Up Appointment Info
Upon arrival (it's in the Court Building), there's an officer in the front with a metal detector.
No cell phone or other electronic devices i.e. AirPods, smart watch - they put it all in a locker).
Once in the Sheriff's office, I told the officer behind the glass that I'm here for my Firearm License. She didn't check if I have an appointment, asked for my Driver's License and took my picture, printed it, laminated it and handed it to me. In and out in less than 4 minutes...
And yes, I did bring a large Platter of rugelach, cookies from Shlomie's Bakery. She was very thankful and came out from behind the bulletproof glass office and took it inside.
Upon leaving, the officer told me as I was retrieving my cell phone etc., that you don't need an appointment. They have it designed this way not to overwhelm their office...
Renewing a PA Non-Resident Permit
I had one from Centre County which was up for renewal. (When I initially got mine it was the only County that issued a PA N/R for a Premise License, all others gave only if you have a Carry in your home state. Centre County is almost 4 hours each way from NYC).
It was time to renew. I dreaded the idea of going all the way to Centre County. I inquired and I was able to Renew in any County. If you are renewing in a different County, don't choose 'Renewal' on the online application, choose 'New'.
Good to Know
Payment rules differ by county: some take cash only (Centre, Erie in person, Tioga), some take no cash (Wyoming, Berks). Check the county page before you go.
The license is a carry license, not a purchase permit. Dealers still run a background check.
If you become ineligible (for example your NY license is suspended or revoked), the county instructions say you must tell the sheriff.
Not every county issues to non-residents and policies change. Pike, for example, used to refuse non-residents; its current packet and online system accept them.
Every state has different laws pertaining to carrying, restrictions etc. It is your responsibility to know these laws and be familiar with them before visiting that state.
This guide summarizes the state's published instructions as of November 1, 2026 and is not legal advice. Fees, forms and rules change; always check the official page before you apply. Tips from others' experience come from users on the chats; they are personal experiences, not official rules.
Official Sources
Checked November 1, 2026.
18 Pa.C.S. § 6109 (the license law: age, home-state license, 45 days, 5 years, $20 fee): link
Pennsylvania State Police, Carrying Firearms in Pennsylvania: link
PA Attorney General, Concealed Carry Reciprocity: link
Pike County online application: link
Pike County application packet with form SP 4-127 (7-2024): link
Wayne County License to Carry page: link
Wayne County online application: link
Wayne County requirements sheet: link
Monroe County concealed weapons page: link
Luzerne County Licensing Division: link
Erie County Sheriff forms and fees: link
Lycoming County License to Carry: link
York County License to Carry: link
Montgomery County gun permits: link
Centre County License to Carry: link
McKean County pistol permit information: link
Northampton County non-resident instructions: link
Bradford County instructions: link
Wyoming County carry permit: link
Lackawanna County 2024 letter (not accepting new out-of-state applicants): link
Philadelphia online portal (not issuing to out-of-state applicants): link
Where You Can Carry
You Cannot Carry in These States (15)
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington State, Washington, DC
Dark green: you can carry. Your licenses are honored there (or it is the state that issued the permit).
Light green: you can carry with no permit. That state lets visitors carry with no permit at all. Age limits and rules apply.
Red: you cannot carry here. None of your licenses is honored there, and visitors may not carry without one. Do not carry.
Washington, DC does not recognize any other state's license — you need a DC Concealed Carry Pistol License.
Virginia: changes July 1, 2027 — a new law (SB 115) replaces honoring all states with an Attorney General list not yet published.
Before You Travel
- Check every state on your route. Read the official state police or attorney general website for each state you will pass through. Laws change, and this map can fall behind.
- Verify your exact permit type is honored. Many states honor only permits issued to residents of the issuing state, not non-resident permits.
- Resident vs. non-resident rules differ. A state may treat the same permit differently depending on where you live.
- Permitless carry has limits. Some permitless-carry states allow it only for their own residents, or only from a certain age.
- Review each state's carry laws. Know where carry is banned (schools, government buildings, bars, parks, transit and more) and the rules for carrying in a car.
- Duty to inform. Some states require you to tell a police officer right away that you are carrying.
- Ammunition. Some states restrict hollow-point ammunition (for example, New Jersey). Check what you may carry.
- Magazine capacity. Magazine limits differ by state.
- Type of firearm. Some places ban certain firearms (for example, AR-style rifles are not allowed in New York City).
- Interstate travel (safe passage). Under federal law, 18 U.S.C. § 926A (part of the Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986, signed by President Reagan), you may transport a firearm through a state where you cannot legally carry, if you may lawfully possess and carry it at both your starting point and your destination. The firearm must be unloaded, and neither the firearm nor any ammunition may be readily accessible from the passenger compartment: keep them in the trunk, or, in a vehicle without a trunk, in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console. Stops along the way can complicate this protection, so verify before you travel. Read 18 U.S.C. § 926A
Checked November 2026. Laws change: always verify before you travel. This is general information, not legal advice.
Last checked: November 1, 2026
New to the terms? See the 2A Glossary.
You Carry the Responsibility. We Carry the Process.
The decision to carry is yours. The stress of getting approved doesn't have to be. White Glove is a full service: we handle the process with you, make sure every requirement is met 100%, and stay with you to the finish line. Every completed application we've handled has been approved.
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