If you want to invite a friend from another state to go on a hunting trip somewhere in Montana, you might wonder if your friend can legally possess a concealed gun while visiting. Since states may choose to not recognize the gun permits of other states, you might want to know whether Montana law will validate the concealed weapons permits of people who come from another state.
According to the Montana Department of Justice, state law will recognize the legality of a concealed weapon permit made in another state, but not permits from all states. Under some circumstances, state law may disqualify some concealed weapons permits as valid in the state of Montana.
State requirements
The Montana DOJ explains that a non-resident must meet some requirements in order for state law to validate a concealed weapons permit from out of state. The non-resident should have the permit while in the state of Montana. The person in question should have a photo identification as part of the permit. Finally, the state in which the non-resident had acquired his or her permit should require criminal background checks as a condition to receive a permit.
Excluded states
Since many states comply with the aforementioned requirements, Montana has no problem recognizing permits from those states. Residents of as many as 44 states can come to Montana with concealed weapons permits that state law can deem valid.
However, Montana exempts the permits of five states plus the District of Columbia. Vermont is an exception only because it does not issue concealed weapons permits at all. Currently, Montana does not recognize permits from the states of Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Hawaii because their laws do not contain specific requirements for background checks of permit applicants.
