Recognition/Reciprocity/Honor as it applies to Concealed Carry Licenses

In the past I have read and heard a lot of missinformation regarding varying states acceptence of other states concealed carry license/permits. Different states have different laws regarding what licenses they will accept from other jurisdictions and how they are accepted.

This is not going to be a list of this state does this or that state does something else for all 50 states. It is simply an explanation of the terms as they apply to concealed carry among the various states.

There are any number of websites that keep a comprehensive list of what licenses/permits are valid in other states. To my mind the best and one most kept current can be found at www.packing.org. Gary Slider an administrator for that site does a truely fantastic job of keeping that information up to the minute.

Hopefully the following will shed some light on the definition and usage of the terms recognition, reciprocity and honor.

Reciprocity
Some states laws require a document be executed and signed by legal representitives of each state thereby establishing a formal agreement in writing before a license is valid in the other state. Florida is one example where that state's law requires a written agreement be executed with another state before they accept that states license.

Recognition
There are several states where the law pertaining to what out of state concealed carry licenses/permits they accept simply states (or something similar), "that we recognize all licenses/permits legally issued by a govermental authority." States such as these recognize all legally issued permits/licenses regardless of where they are issued. This is why, in Indiana for instance, a license/permit from New York or California in valid. On the other hand the Indiana permit/license is not accepted in New york or California, as these two states (among others) do not have any legal provisions to accept any other states license/permit.

Honor
Written into law in some states is the phrase (or something similar) "The state of XXXXXX will honor the license/permit of any other state that recognizes ours". What this means is that, we will recognize a permit from state XXXX if state XXXX recognizes our permit. New Hampshire is one of the states that appear to subscribe to that type of system, as their state statute Title 12-159:6d indicates "The state in which such person is a resident provides a reciprocal privilege for residents of this state."

In summary reciprocity requires a written agreement between states before permit/licenses are valid between states. Recognition simply means that we accept all valid and legally issued permits/linceses whether ours is accepted or not. Honor is just another way of saying "If ours is good there then theirs is good here."