Pennsylvania Concealed Carry Laws Overview

Pennsylvania requires a License to Carry Firearms (LTCF) for concealed carry. It is not a constitutional-carry or permitless state. Open carry of a firearm is legal without a license in 66 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties for any adult who may lawfully possess a firearm. Philadelphia is the exception. Under 18 Pa.C.S. § 6108, no person may carry a firearm, rifle, or shotgun upon the public streets or any public property in a "city of the first class" (Philadelphia is the only one) unless that person is licensed to carry under § 6109 or is exempt from licensing under § 6106(b).

Pennsylvania is a shall-issue state. The Pennsylvania Uniform Firearms Act (18 Pa.C.S. Chapter 61) governs licensing, possession, transfer, and carrying. The Act sets a 21-year minimum age for a license, a 45-day deadline for the issuing authority to grant or refuse the license, a 5-year license term, and a $20 fee. If you carry a firearm concealed on or about your person, or in any vehicle, without a valid license and you do not fit a statutory exception, the offense is a felony of the third degree under 18 Pa.C.S. § 6106(a)(1). If you are otherwise eligible to possess a valid license and have committed no other criminal violation, the same conduct is a misdemeanor of the first degree under 18 Pa.C.S. § 6106(a)(2).

Who Issues the License

The issuing authority is determined by where you live (18 Pa.C.S. § 6109(b)).

• 66 counties: the county sheriff of the county where you reside.
• Philadelphia (city of the first class): the chief of police of the city, not the sheriff. The Philadelphia Police Department's Gun Permits Unit handles applications for Philadelphia residents.

A resident applies with the sheriff of the county in which the resident lives, or, for a resident of a city of the first class, with that city's chief of police (18 Pa.C.S. § 6109(b)). Non-resident issuance practice varies by county, so non-residents should contact the county sheriff directly.

A Pennsylvania LTCF is valid throughout the Commonwealth for 5 years from the date of issue, unless extended for qualifying overseas military deployment or sooner revoked (18 Pa.C.S. § 6109(f)(1)). The fee is $20 total (a $19 base under § 6109(h)(1) plus a $1 Firearms License Validation System fee under § 6109(h)(3)), payable to the sheriff at the time of application.

Eligibility at a Glance

Under 18 Pa.C.S. § 6109(e)(1), a license shall not be issued to an applicant who falls into any of the disqualifying categories. The headline disqualifiers are:

• An individual whose character and reputation is such that the individual would be likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety.
• An individual convicted of an offense under The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act (April 14, 1972, P.L.233, No.64).
• An individual convicted of a crime enumerated in § 6105 (the Pennsylvania prohibited-persons list).
• An individual who, within the past 10 years, has been adjudicated delinquent for a § 6105 offense or a controlled-substance offense.
• An individual who is not of sound mind or who has ever been committed to a mental institution.
• An individual addicted to or who is an unlawful user of marijuana, a stimulant, depressant, or narcotic drug.
• A habitual drunkard.
• An individual charged with or convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, except as provided under § 6123 (waiver of disability or pardons).
• A resident of another state who does not hold a current license or permit to carry from that state, where that state issues one.
• An alien who is illegally in the United States.
• An individual discharged from the U.S. armed forces under dishonorable conditions.
• A fugitive from justice. This does not apply where the fugitive status is based on a nonmoving or moving summary offense under Title 75 (vehicles).
• An individual otherwise prohibited under § 6105 or under the statutes of the United States.

Federal disqualifiers under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) sit on top of the state list. Pennsylvania is a point-of-contact state: the background investigation runs through the Pennsylvania Instant Check System (PICS), administered by the Pennsylvania State Police, which checks state records and queries the federal databases rather than routing the applicant straight to the FBI's NICS.

How the Application Works

The application is uniform statewide on a form prescribed by the Pennsylvania State Police (18 Pa.C.S. § 6109(c)). The applicant must set forth a stated reason for the license: self-defense, employment, hunting and fishing, target shooting, gun collecting, or another proper reason. The applicant signs a certification attesting that they have never been convicted of a disqualifying crime, are of sound mind, and have never been committed to a mental institution.

Under 18 Pa.C.S. § 6109(d), the sheriff (or Philadelphia chief of police) must:

1. Investigate the applicant's record of criminal conviction.
2. Investigate whether the applicant is under indictment for or has ever been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment exceeding one year.
3. Investigate whether the applicant's character and reputation are such that the applicant will not be likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety.
4. Investigate whether the applicant would be precluded under § 6109(e)(1) or § 6105(h).
5. Conduct a criminal background, juvenile delinquency, and mental health check following the § 6111 procedures, and record the unique approval number.

The investigation must finish within 45 days, and the sheriff must issue or refuse the license within that window (18 Pa.C.S. § 6109(g)). A refusal must be in writing, must state the specific reasons, and must be sent by certified mail. An applicant denied a license may appeal to the court of common pleas for the judicial district where they reside (18 Pa.C.S. § 6109(i)).

Section 6109 imposes no state-mandated training course or live-fire qualification as a condition of issuance. Pass the background investigation and satisfy the character standard, and the license must issue.

Where the License Lets You Carry

A Pennsylvania LTCF authorizes the holder to carry a firearm "concealed on or about one's person or in a vehicle throughout this Commonwealth" (18 Pa.C.S. § 6109(a)). The license is the answer to a § 6106 charge and to a § 6108 charge inside Philadelphia.

Open carry without a license is generally lawful for any adult who is not a § 6105 prohibited person and is not in Philadelphia. The Uniform Firearms Act does not require a license to openly carry a holstered handgun in 66 of 67 counties. The single statewide exception is § 6108: in Philadelphia, you need an LTCF (or a § 6106(b) exemption) to carry a firearm on public streets or public property, whether openly or concealed.

A note on § 6108. On June 23, 2025, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania held § 6108 unconstitutional as applied in Commonwealth v. Sumpter, 340 A.3d 977 (Pa. Super. 2025). The ruling is "as applied," not facial. Section 6108 remains on the books and has not been repealed. Until the Pennsylvania Supreme Court resolves the question or the General Assembly amends the statute, the safe practical guidance is to treat Philadelphia as requiring an LTCF for any handgun carry on public streets or public property in the city. Confirm the current status before relying on Sumpter as a defense.

If carry on a Philadelphia public street is concealed, it can also be charged as a § 6106 offense.

Where the License Does Not Help

An LTCF does not unlock every location. Pennsylvania law and federal law impose location-based restrictions that apply regardless of whether you hold a license:

• K-12 schools and school grounds. 18 Pa.C.S. § 912 makes it a misdemeanor of the first degree to possess a weapon, including a firearm, in the buildings of, on the grounds of, or in any conveyance providing transportation to or from an elementary or secondary educational institution. It is a defense that the weapon is possessed for a lawful supervised school activity or course, or for another lawful purpose (§ 912(c)). An LTCF is not listed as an exception.
• Court facilities. 18 Pa.C.S. § 913 prohibits knowingly possessing a firearm or other dangerous weapon in a court facility. A licensee or person exempt under § 6106(b) who fails to check the firearm before entering commits a summary offense under § 913(b)(3); the exceptions are limited to enumerated officials performing official duties. An LTCF is not a general defense in court facilities.
• Federal facilities and federal court facilities. 18 U.S.C. § 930 makes it a federal crime to possess a firearm in a federal facility, with an enhanced penalty for federal court facilities. An LTCF does not override federal law.
• State Capitol complex and other restricted institutional settings under separate rules and provisions of state law.
• Private property where the owner prohibits carry. Pennsylvania has no statute that gives a "no firearms" sign independent criminal force, so a posted sign by itself does not create a § 6106 offense. But refusing to leave after the owner or an authorized person tells you to can support a defiant trespass charge under 18 Pa.C.S. § 3503. Treat posted property as off-limits.

The full restricted-locations list is covered in the PROHIBITED PLACES section.

How Pennsylvania Treats the Vehicle

Without an LTCF, you may not carry a firearm "in any vehicle" (18 Pa.C.S. § 6106(a)). The statutory exceptions in § 6106(b) are narrow. The most useful exceptions for non-licensees:

• § 6106(b)(8): Carrying a firearm that is not loaded and is in a secure wrapper from the place of purchase to your home or place of business, to a place of repair, sale, or appraisal and back, when moving between residences, or between your home and a vacation or recreational dwelling, or to and from a "place of instruction" intended to teach the safe handling, use, or maintenance of firearms. Section 6106(e)(2) defines "place of instruction" to include any hunting club, rifle club, rifle range, pistol range, shooting range, the premises of a licensed firearms dealer, or a lawful gun show or meet.
• § 6106(b)(11): Carrying a firearm in a vehicle while holding a valid and lawfully issued license for that firearm under the laws of the United States or any other state.
• § 6106(b)(13): Operating a vehicle registered to you, your spouse, or your parent that contains a firearm for which the spouse or parent owner holds a valid § 6109 license, where you are otherwise eligible to possess a firearm.
• § 6106(b)(14): A person lawfully engaged in the interstate transportation of a firearm in compliance with 18 U.S.C. § 926A.
• § 6106(b)(15): Holding a valid carry license or permit from another state, provided that state extends a reciprocal privilege to Pennsylvania licensees and the Attorney General has determined the other state's firearm laws are similar to Pennsylvania's, regardless of whether a formal reciprocity agreement exists.

With an LTCF, the firearm may be carried loaded and concealed in the vehicle. Without an LTCF, the safest non-licensee posture is unloaded, in a secure container, with ammunition stored separately, consistent with the § 6106(b)(8) and § 926A conditions.

Self-Defense: § 505 Through § 507

Pennsylvania has both Castle Doctrine and Stand Your Ground protections, codified in Chapter 5 of the Crimes Code (General Principles of Justification). Act 10 of 2011 amended § 505 and added the current stand-your-ground language.

• 18 Pa.C.S. § 505 (Use of force in self-protection). Force is justifiable when the actor believes it is immediately necessary to protect themselves against the use of unlawful force by another person on the present occasion. Deadly force is justifiable only when the actor believes it is necessary to protect against death, serious bodily injury, kidnapping, or sexual intercourse compelled by force or threat (§ 505(b)(2)).
• Castle Doctrine presumption (§ 505(b)(2.1)). An actor is presumed to have a reasonable belief that deadly force is immediately necessary if (i) the person against whom force is used is unlawfully and forcefully entering, or has unlawfully and forcefully entered and is present within, a dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle, or is attempting to unlawfully and forcefully remove another against that person's will, and (ii) the actor knows or has reason to believe the unlawful and forceful entry or act is occurring or has occurred. Section 505(b)(2.2) lists exceptions, including when the person has a right to be there or is a lawful resident, when the person removed is a child or grandchild in lawful custody, when the actor is engaged in criminal activity, or when the person is a peace officer performing official duties.
• Stand Your Ground (§ 505(b)(2.3)). A person who is not engaged in criminal activity, is not in illegal possession of a firearm, and is attacked in a place where they would otherwise have a duty to retreat has no duty to retreat and may stand their ground and use force, including deadly force, if (i) the actor has a right to be where they were attacked, (ii) the actor believes deadly force is immediately necessary to protect against death, serious bodily injury, kidnapping, or sexual intercourse by force or threat, and (iii) the person against whom force is used displays or otherwise uses a firearm, a replica of a firearm, or any other weapon readily or apparently capable of lethal use. Pennsylvania's stand-your-ground rule is conditional: it requires a clean actor and a deadly-weapon threat.
• § 506. Use of force for the protection of other persons tracks § 505 and is justifiable when the actor would be justified in defending themselves under § 505 in the same circumstances.
• § 507. Use of force for the protection of property is more constrained than defense of person. Deadly force in defense of property alone is generally not justified.

The practical takeaway: Pennsylvania protects defensive carry, but the statute draws hard lines around when deadly force is permitted, and the stand-your-ground exception requires both a non-criminal, lawfully armed actor and a deadly-weapon threat.

Buying and Transferring Firearms

Pennsylvania runs its own background check, the Pennsylvania Instant Check System (PICS), for firearm sales and transfers, under 18 Pa.C.S. § 6111. Key rules:

• A licensed dealer may not deliver a firearm until the PICS check is satisfied, and the firearm must be delivered unloaded and securely wrapped (§ 6111(a), (b)).
• A private (unlicensed) person who wants to sell or transfer a handgun to another unlicensed person must do so only at the place of business of a licensed dealer or a county sheriff's office, which conducts the check as if it were the seller (§ 6111(c)). The transfer-through-a-dealer requirement does not apply to transfers between spouses, between a parent and child, or between a grandparent and grandchild.
• Because Pennsylvania's defined term "firearm" centers on handguns and other shorter-barreled weapons (§ 6102), private long-gun (rifle and shotgun) sales between unlicensed individuals are not subject to the § 6111(c) dealer-transfer requirement, although a dealer sale of any firearm still runs through the check.

Reciprocity Headline

Pennsylvania reciprocity is administered by the Pennsylvania Attorney General under 18 Pa.C.S. § 6109(k). The Attorney General has the power and duty to enter into reciprocity agreements with other states for mutual recognition of carry licenses, and must report to the General Assembly on those agreements. The Attorney General also maintains a current list of recognized states (§ 6109(m)).

Pennsylvania law also recognizes some out-of-state licenses without a formal agreement. Under § 6106(b)(15), a person holding a valid license from another state is exempt from the § 6106 carry-without-license offense if (i) the other state extends a reciprocal privilege to Pennsylvania licensees, and (ii) the Attorney General has determined the other state's firearm laws are similar to Pennsylvania's.

The full reciprocity matrix, including which states require residency and which honor non-resident Pennsylvania licenses, lives in the RECIPROCITY section.

Federal Law Sits On Top

Federal law applies in Pennsylvania even when state law is silent or more permissive.

• Federal prohibited persons (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)). Felons, persons subject to qualifying domestic-violence protective orders, persons convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, unlawful drug users, and others are prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition in or affecting interstate commerce. Note that being "under indictment" is a separate restriction under 18 U.S.C. § 922(n), not § 922(g). Section 6105 incorporates many of the federal categories.
• Federal facility prohibitions (18 U.S.C. § 930). Possession of a firearm in a federal facility is generally a federal crime, with an enhanced penalty for federal court facilities. An LTCF is not a defense.
• Gun-Free School Zones Act (18 U.S.C. § 922(q)). Possession of a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school is restricted, with an exception for a person licensed to carry by the state in which the school zone is located, where that state verifies the person's qualifications before issuing the license. The exception applies to a license holder only inside the licensing state.
• Interstate transport (18 U.S.C. § 926A). Federal law authorizes transport of a firearm between two places where the person may lawfully possess and carry it, provided the firearm is unloaded and neither it nor the ammunition is readily accessible from the passenger compartment (in a vehicle without a separate compartment, it must be in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console). Section 6106(b)(14) incorporates this protection.

State Preemption

Pennsylvania has a state preemption statute. Under 18 Pa.C.S. § 6120(a), no county, municipality, or township may "in any manner regulate the lawful ownership, possession, transfer or transportation of firearms, ammunition or ammunition components when carried or transported for purposes not prohibited by the laws of this Commonwealth."

That is a broad rule. Local ordinances that purport to regulate carry, transport, or possession on public property are preempted by the Uniform Firearms Act. Two qualifications. First, the enforcement mechanism added by Act 192 of 2014, including the private-action and reasonable-expenses provisions at § 6120(a.2) and (a.3), was declared unconstitutional in Leach v. Commonwealth, 141 A.3d 426 (Pa. 2016), so the substantive preemption rule in § 6120(a) survives but the Act 192 add-ons do not. Second, § 6120 preempts local regulation; it does not displace separate state-level location restrictions like the school, court, and Philadelphia rules above.

The full preemption analysis is covered in the PREEMPTION section.

Numbers a Student Asks About

• Active LTCFs: more than 1.6 million statewide, per Pennsylvania State Police reporting.
• License term: 5 years (18 Pa.C.S. § 6109(f)(1)).
• License fee: $19, payable to the sheriff (18 Pa.C.S. § 6109(h)).
• Decision deadline: 45 days after the application (18 Pa.C.S. § 6109(g)).
• Minimum age for an LTCF: 21 (18 Pa.C.S. § 6109(b)).
• Possession of a firearm by a minor: a person under 18 generally may not possess or transport a firearm, with exceptions for parental or guardian supervision during lawful activity, safety training, lawful target shooting, organized competition, or lawful hunting and trapping (18 Pa.C.S. § 6110.1).

What This Section Does Not Cover

This is the framing overview. Each topic has its own deep-dive section in this guide. For details, consult:

• PERMIT BASICS for the application packet, character requirements, and renewal mechanics.
• APPLICATION PROCESS for step-by-step filing.
• TRAINING REQUIREMENTS for the (limited) statewide rule and instructor-led options.
• PROHIBITED PLACES for the full restricted-locations list.
• VEHICLE CARRY for the § 6106(b) exception map.
• DUTY TO INFORM for traffic-stop interactions.
• USE OF FORCE for the § 505 through § 507 analysis with case law.
• CASTLE DOCTRINE for the § 505(b)(2.1) presumption.
• PREEMPTION for the § 6120 doctrine and Philadelphia litigation.
• RECIPROCITY for the current state-by-state matrix.
• NFA ITEMS for suppressors, SBRs, and machine guns.
• RED FLAG for the current status of extreme risk legislation.

The defining facts to take from this overview: Pennsylvania is shall-issue, county-sheriff (chief-of-police in Philadelphia), 21-and-over, $20, 5 years, no training requirement, and felony-level penalties for unlicensed concealed or in-vehicle carry. Open carry is generally legal everywhere except Philadelphia, where § 6108 still requires a license on public streets and property notwithstanding the 2025 Sumpter "as applied" ruling pending higher review.