Carrying a firearm in Pennsylvania

What state law requires, and what federal law adds on top of it. Every fact below shows where it came from and how far we have verified it.

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Permit required to carry concealed
Yes — Pennsylvania requires a permit it issues or recognises.
Duty to inform law enforcement
You must disclose that you are armed only if an officer asks.
Permits Pennsylvania recognises
AK · AL · AR · CO · CT · FL · GA · IA · ID · IN · KS · KY · LA · ME · MI · MO · MS · MT · OH · OK · RI · SD · TN · TX · UT · VA · WI · WV · WY
Restricted areas mapped in this state
  • Federal school zones (1,000 ft)4,516
  • Corps of Engineers areas117
  • Military installations21

The federal layer applies regardless

Federal law bars possession within 1,000 ft of a school, and the exemption requires a licence issued by the state the school sits in — a permit Pennsylvania merely honours through reciprocity does not satisfy it. Carrying permitlessly satisfies it even less, because there is no licence at all. This is the trap that catches travellers who correctly concluded their permit was good here.

18 U.S.C. § 922(q)(2)

Sources and how far we have verified them