Pennsylvania Gun Laws: Concealed Carry, Open Carry and Buying a Gun

No. Carrying a firearm concealed on or about the person, or carrying one in any vehicle, without a valid license is a crime. The exceptions are carrying in one's home or fixed place of business, and the other exceptions listed in the statute. It is a third-degree felony, or a first-degree misdemeanor for a person who is otherwise eligible for a license and commits no other crime.

Pennsylvania issues a 'license to carry firearms' (LTCF). Residents apply to the sheriff of the county where they live. Applicants must be 21 or older. A license 'shall be issued' after an investigation of no more than 45 days unless there is good cause to deny. One ground for denial is an applicant whose 'character and reputation' suggest they would be likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety. No training is required by the statute. The fee is $19, which includes a $1.50 renewal processing fee and a $5 administrative fee, plus an additional $1. The license is valid throughout Pennsylvania for five years.

No statewide license is required to carry a firearm openly (unconcealed) on foot outside a vehicle; the license requirement covers concealed carry and carry in vehicles. In Philadelphia (a city of the first class), carrying a firearm, rifle or shotgun on public streets or public property requires a license or a § 6106(b) exemption. The Superior Court held the Philadelphia rule unconstitutional as applied in Commonwealth v. Sumpter, 340 A.3d 977 (Pa. Super. 2025).

A person under 18 may not possess or transport a firearm anywhere in Pennsylvania. Exceptions include supervised lawful activities and lawful hunting or trapping. Knowingly giving a firearm to a minor in violation of this rule is a third-degree felony. The license to carry requires age 21. The chapter sets no separate state minimum age of 21 for buying.

Yes, for handguns and other short firearms. A private (unlicensed) seller who wants to sell or transfer a 'firearm' to another unlicensed person must do it at a licensed dealer's business or the county sheriff's office, where a background check is done. Under § 6102, 'firearm' here means pistols and revolvers with barrels under 15 inches, shotguns with barrels under 18 inches, or any gun under 26 inches overall. Most rifles and shotguns are not covered. Transfers between spouses, parent and child, and grandparent and grandchild are exempt.

Pennsylvania has no state law that sets a fixed waiting period now that the instant check system is in place. Section 6111(a)(1) sets a 48-hour wait, but only 'Except as provided in paragraph (2)'; paragraph (2) provides that, 30 days after publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin that the Instantaneous Criminal History Records Check System has been established, no seller shall deliver a firearm 'until the provisions of this section have been satisfied' (including the background check). The State Police say they launched the Pennsylvania Instant Check System (PICS) in 1998 and that it 'completes most background checks in a few minutes.' Firearms must be delivered securely wrapped and unloaded.

Pennsylvania has no state law that provides for extreme risk protection orders. Courts can order firearms relinquished in protection-from-abuse (PFA) cases under 23 Pa.C.S. § 6108(a)(7).

Pennsylvania has no state law that bans assault weapons or limits magazine capacity. Counties and municipalities may not regulate the lawful ownership, possession, transfer or transportation of firearms.

A license is required to carry a firearm in any vehicle, loaded or not. Exceptions include: carrying an unloaded firearm in a secure wrapper from the place of purchase to home (and certain other trips listed in § 6106(b)(8)); licensed hunters, trappers and fishers while actually hunting or fishing; and visitors licensed by a state Pennsylvania recognizes. Without a license or an exception, it is a third-degree felony, or a first-degree misdemeanor for an otherwise eligible person.

According to the Pennsylvania Attorney General, Pennsylvania honors carry licenses issued to residents of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho (enhanced license only), Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota (Class 1 only), Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah (regular, not provisional), Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. It does not honor licenses from California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont or Washington. Only holders who are residents of the issuing state and at least 21 may carry under reciprocity.

Possessing a weapon, including a firearm, in the buildings or on the grounds of an elementary or secondary school is a first-degree misdemeanor; this covers public, private and parochial schools and school buses. It is a defense if the weapon is possessed for a supervised school activity or another lawful purpose. Knowingly possessing a firearm in a court facility is a third-degree misdemeanor, and counties must provide free lockers for checking firearms at court buildings. In Philadelphia, public streets and property need a license (see open_carry).

Pennsylvania has no state law that specifically regulates unserialized, homemade, 3D-printed or kit firearms or unfinished frames or receivers. Possessing a firearm whose manufacturer's number on the frame or receiver has been altered, changed, removed or obliterated is a crime, as is altering marks of identification.