Pennsylvania Concealed Carry Fees and Costs

Pennsylvania is a licensed-carry state. To carry a firearm concealed on your person or in a vehicle, you need a License to Carry Firearms (LTCF) issued under 18 Pa.C.S. 6109. The statutory fees are low and are fixed by state law, but counties, dealers, and federal agencies add other costs you should budget for. This page lists the costs that have a clear statutory basis, and flags the ones that are set administratively and can change.

License to Carry Firearms (LTCF)

The total amount an applicant pays for a Pennsylvania LTCF is $20.00, payable to the county sheriff (or, in a city of the first class such as Philadelphia, the chief of police) at the time of application. The fee is the same for a new license and a renewal; 18 Pa.C.S. 6109 does not set a separate renewal fee.

Fee breakdown under 18 Pa.C.S. 6109(h):

The $1.00 FLVS fee is remitted by the sheriff to the Firearms License Validation System Account, a special restricted receipt account in the General Fund of the State Treasury, and is appropriated to the Pennsylvania State Police (18 Pa.C.S. 6109(h)(3)).

Note on the headline figure. The statute writes the license fee as $19 (which already folds in the $1.50 renewal notice processing fee and the $5 Sheriff Fee Act administrative fee) and then adds the separate $1 FLVS fee under 18 Pa.C.S. 6109(h)(3), for a $20 total. Some Pennsylvania State Police materials describe the cost as $19 and note that $1 of it goes to the State Police. Read against the statute text, the $1 FLVS fee is "in addition to" the $19, so the applicant-paid total is $20.

Fee rules set by statute:

• The fee is payable to the sheriff who receives the application and is due at the time of application (18 Pa.C.S. 6109(h)(5)).
• No fee other than those provided by 18 Pa.C.S. 6109(h) or the Sheriff Fee Act may be assessed by the sheriff for any background check performed during licensing (18 Pa.C.S. 6109(h)(4)).
• If the application is denied, all fees are refunded except the $5.00 Sheriff Fee Act administrative fee (18 Pa.C.S. 6109(h)(6)).
• If a license is issued and later revoked, no fees are refunded (18 Pa.C.S. 6109(h)(6)).
• Selling or attempting to sell a license for a fee above the statutory amount is a summary offense (18 Pa.C.S. 6109(h)(7)).

Temporary Emergency License

A person who faces imminent danger may apply to the sheriff of the county where they reside for a temporary emergency license to carry a concealed firearm (18 Pa.C.S. 6109(m.1)). In addition to the standard fees under 18 Pa.C.S. 6109(h), the applicant pays a temporary emergency license fee set by the Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police that does not exceed the actual cost of the criminal background check or $10, whichever is less (18 Pa.C.S. 6109(m.1)(1)(iii)).

The temporary emergency license is valid for 45 days and cannot be renewed, and a person cannot be issued another one unless at least five years have passed since the prior temporary emergency license (18 Pa.C.S. 6109(m.1)(4)). If the sheriff's full investigation clears the applicant before the temporary license expires, the sheriff issues a standard license effective for the balance of the five-year period (18 Pa.C.S. 6109(m.1)(9)).

Sportsman's Firearm Permit

A person 18 years of age or older who is licensed to hunt, trap, or fish may obtain a sportsman's firearm permit from the county treasurer. The permit lets the holder carry a firearm in connection with those activities under the exceptions in 18 Pa.C.S. 6106(b)(9) and (b)(10).

• Fee: not more than $6.00 (18 Pa.C.S. 6106(c)(1))
• Valid for: five years from the date of issue (18 Pa.C.S. 6106(c)(1))
• Requirement: must be carried in conjunction with a valid hunting, furtaking, or fishing license, or a permit relating to hunting dogs (18 Pa.C.S. 6106(c)(1))
• Selling or attempting to sell the permit for a fee above the statutory amount is a summary offense (18 Pa.C.S. 6106(c)(2)).

A sportsman's firearm permit is not a substitute for an LTCF. It only covers carry tied to the licensed activity.

Firearm Purchase and Transfer Fees (PICS)

Pennsylvania runs its own background check through the Pennsylvania Instant Check System (PICS), operated by the Pennsylvania State Police, rather than relying on the federal NICS for the transfers it covers. Two statutory fees apply:

The PICS check fee is "equivalent to the cost of providing the service but not to exceed $2 per buyer or transferee" (18 Pa.C.S. 6111(b)(3)). The $3 surcharge is imposed on each sale of a firearm subject to tax under the Tax Reform Code of 1971, which in practice means a retail sale from a licensed dealer (18 Pa.C.S. 6111.2(a)).

Example: buying three firearms from a dealer in one transaction generally costs $2.00 (one PICS check) plus $9.00 ($3.00 surcharge times three firearms), for $11.00 in state fees.

Private transfers. A private transfer of a handgun (and other short-barreled firearms covered by 18 Pa.C.S. 6111(f)(2)) must be conducted at a licensed dealer or a county sheriff's office, which runs the PICS check, so the $2 PICS fee applies but the $3 retail surcharge does not (18 Pa.C.S. 6111(c)). Private transfers of ordinary long guns (a rifle with a barrel of 16 inches or more, or a shotgun with a barrel of 18 inches or more) are not covered by 18 Pa.C.S. 6111(c), so no PICS check and no PICS fee are required for those private sales. Transfers between spouses, between a parent and child, and between a grandparent and grandchild are also exempt (18 Pa.C.S. 6111(c)).

Both fees feed the Firearm Records Check Fund, a restricted State Treasury account used to operate the background check system (18 Pa.C.S. 6111.3). Fees collected under 18 Pa.C.S. 6111(b)(3) and the 18 Pa.C.S. 6111.2 surcharge must be transmitted to the Pennsylvania State Police within 14 days of collection (18 Pa.C.S. 6111(b)(1.2)).

Licensed dealers may add their own service charge for running a PICS check or for processing a private transfer. There is no statutory cap on a dealer's own service fee, and that money does not go to the State Police.

Dealer Licensing Fees

The $30 fee is paid into the county treasury (18 Pa.C.S. 6113(b)). The license is issued by the chief or head of the city police force, or elsewhere by the county sheriff (18 Pa.C.S. 6113(a)).

County and Administrative Fees to Expect

Some costs are not set by 18 Pa.C.S. and vary by county or agency. Confirm the current amount with the issuing office before you rely on it:

• County service fees. A sheriff may not charge anything beyond 18 Pa.C.S. 6109(h) and the Sheriff Fee Act for the licensing background check (18 Pa.C.S. 6109(h)(4)). Many county sheriffs do, however, charge small optional fees for things outside that background check, such as a duplicate or replacement license, an address change, or an online application convenience option. These amounts are set locally.
• Photograph. The sheriff must put a photograph of the licensee on the license (18 Pa.C.S. 6109(e)(4)). Counties take that photo as part of the application, and they cannot add a separate background check fee for it (18 Pa.C.S. 6109(h)(4)).
• Game lands shooting ranges. The Pennsylvania Game Commission sets an annual fee for use of its public shooting ranges on state game lands, and a current general hunting or furtaker license serves as an alternative. The dollar amount is set by the Game Commission and changes, so verify it directly.

These agency-set figures are administrative and are not fixed by the Crimes Code, so this guide does not state a specific dollar amount for them.

Federal NFA Tax (Suppressors, Short-Barreled Firearms, and Similar Items)

NFA items that are legal to own in Pennsylvania, such as suppressors and short-barreled rifles or shotguns, carry a federal making or transfer tax under the National Firearms Act, not a Pennsylvania fee. Under Public Law 119-21, the making and transfer tax is $200 for a machinegun or destructive device and $0 for all other NFA items. The change applies to calendar quarters beginning more than 90 days after July 4, 2025, with the first qualifying quarter starting January 1, 2026. This is a federal cost collected by the ATF and is separate from any Pennsylvania license or transfer fee.

Penalties for Carrying Without a License

Carrying without a valid LTCF carries criminal exposure, fines, and court costs that dwarf the license fee:

Recently expired license. A person whose 18 Pa.C.S. 6109 license expired within six months before the date of arrest, and who is otherwise eligible to renew it, has a statutory exception under 18 Pa.C.S. 6106(b)(12).

Open carry of a firearm by a person who may lawfully possess it does not require a license statewide, except in Philadelphia, where a license is required to carry on public streets or public property (18 Pa.C.S. 6108). Carrying without a license where one is required can lead to charges under 18 Pa.C.S. 6106 or 6108.

Timing, Term, and Appeals

• Decision window. The sheriff must issue or refuse the license within 45 days of receiving the application (18 Pa.C.S. 6109(e)(1) and 6109(g)). A refusal must be in writing, state the specific reasons, and be sent by certified mail (18 Pa.C.S. 6109(g)).
• License term. A license is valid for five years unless extended or sooner revoked (18 Pa.C.S. 6109(f)(1)). At least 60 days before expiration the sheriff sends a renewal application, though failure to receive it does not relieve the licensee of the duty to renew (18 Pa.C.S. 6109(f)(2)).
• Military extension. A license held by a member of the United States Armed Forces or the Pennsylvania National Guard on federal active duty deployed overseas, scheduled to expire during deployment, is extended until 90 days after the deployment ends (18 Pa.C.S. 6109(f)(3)).
• No statutory training or fingerprinting fee. Section 6109 does not list completion of a training course or fingerprinting among the application requirements, so there is no mandatory statutory training or fingerprinting cost for an LTCF.
• Appeals. The action of a sheriff, chief of police, or county treasurer under this subchapter is subject to judicial review under 2 Pa.C.S. Chapter 7 Subchapter B (judicial review of local agency action), which is generally heard by the court of common pleas (18 Pa.C.S. 6114). A judgment sustaining a refusal does not bar a new application after one year (18 Pa.C.S. 6114). A person whose license is revoked may appeal to the court of common pleas for the judicial district where they reside (18 Pa.C.S. 6109(i)). Court filing fees and any attorney costs are additional and are not set by the Crimes Code.

This guide explains Pennsylvania firearm fees and costs in general terms and is not legal advice. Fees set by counties and agencies change, and statutes are amended. Confirm current amounts with your county sheriff or the issuing office, and consult a Pennsylvania attorney for advice about your situation.