A Massachusetts LTC is one of the least portable carry licenses in the country. That is the honest answer, and it is the reason the 39 State Multi License Course exists.
Why a Massachusetts license travels badly
Reciprocity is not a federal system. Each state decides, on its own, which other states' permits it will honour — and many of the states that recognise a long list of permits do not recognise Massachusetts, because Massachusetts does not recognise theirs. Reciprocity is frequently mutual, and Massachusetts honours no other state's carry permit.
So the practical position for someone holding only a MA LTC: you are covered at home, and you should verify state by state before you drive anywhere else with a firearm.
The workaround people actually use
Rather than relying on Massachusetts reciprocity, most people who travel get additional non-resident licenses from states whose permits are widely honoured. Six licenses, held together, reach MA and 38 other states:
| License | Why it's on the list |
|---|
| Massachusetts | Home state — required to possess or carry here at all |
|---|
| Maine | Non-resident permit; useful across northern New England |
|---|
| New Hampshire | Non-resident license, widely recognised |
|---|
| Connecticut | Non-resident pistol permit; matters for anyone driving south |
|---|
| Pennsylvania | Non-resident license with broad recognition |
|---|
| Florida | The widest-reaching of the six by a distance |
|---|
Held together, those six are honoured in roughly MA and 38 other states. Nine or ten states honour none of them — California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia. Rhode Island is a special case: it requires a shooting qualification test that we do not administer, though we can tell you where to take it.
Where the number "39" comes from
It is not 39 licenses. It is six licenses whose combined reciprocity reaches MA and 38 other states. The class teaches the law for all six in the same four to five hours as the Massachusetts-only course; you then apply for whichever of the six you actually want, separately, with each state's own authority.
Six separate courses, taken in six states, would run about $1,200. The Multi course is $349 — $100 more than the Massachusetts class you were taking anyway.
What reciprocity does not do
- It doesn't override local law. Honouring your permit means the state lets you carry; it does not exempt you from that state's rules on magazines, sensitive places, vehicle carry or duty to inform.
- It doesn't cover travel through non-honouring states. Driving from Massachusetts to Virginia takes you through states that recognise nothing you hold. Federal safe-passage rules cover transport of an unloaded, locked firearm — but that is transport, not carry.
- It isn't stable. States change their lists. Agreements lapse. A page that was right last year can be wrong today.
- It doesn't work in reverse. Your Florida non-resident permit does not let you carry in Massachusetts. Only a Massachusetts license does that.
Before any trip
- Check the destination state's official reciprocity page — the state's own list is the authority, not a blog.
- Check every state you drive through, not just the destination.
- Read the destination's rules on magazine capacity and prohibited places.
- Know whether it's a duty-to-inform state if you're pulled over.
- When in doubt, lock it, unload it, and leave it that way until you arrive.
Which states honour a Massachusetts LTC on its own?
Very few, and the list moves. This is exactly why the six-license approach exists — check our state-by-state pages, then confirm with the destination state before you travel.
Do I have to apply for all six licenses?
No. Take the class once, then apply only for the states you care about. Florida and New Hampshire are the two most people start with.
Does New Hampshire's permitless carry mean I don't need anything?
New Hampshire allows permitless carry for people who may lawfully possess a firearm, so for a New Hampshire trip you may not need the license. It is still worth holding, because other states honour the New Hampshire non-resident license.
I already have my MA LTC. Can I still take the Multi course?
Yes — and if you took your Massachusetts course with us, there's a discount. Call us rather than booking online.
How current is your map?
It reflects the reciprocity picture we teach from and we review it regularly, but every state page carries the same warning: confirm with the state before you travel.
What we do and don't do. We teach the state-approved class and the law Massachusetts requires you to complete before you apply. Applying is your own step with your own police department; we are not part of it. This guide is general information, not legal advice — the licensing authority and the statute are the final word.