Getting a CCW in Pennsylvania (2026)

Data verified 2026-10-13 · general legal information, not individualized advice · facts cite official sources (see verification dataset)

Requirements, costs, and steps for a Pennsylvania concealed carry permit · Updated October 13, 2026 · Not legal advice

This guide is general legal information, not individualized legal advice. Rules change; fees and practices vary by county — verify every step with your county sheriff and the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) before you apply. Prepared 2026-10-13.

Quick facts

Drawn from the site's live reciprocity data (ccw.workmanfirearms.com/data/reciprocity.json, retrieved 2026-10-13):

• Permit type: Shall Issue — License to Carry Firearms (LTCF), issued by the county sheriff (in Philadelphia, a "city of the first class," applications go to the chief of police).
• Constitutional carry: No — a license (or a statutory exception) is required to carry a firearm concealed on your person or in a vehicle in Pennsylvania.
• Minimum age: 21.
• Duty to inform: No duty to inform (per the site's reciprocity data).
• Open carry: Allowed for law-abiding adults, per the site's reciprocity data — with additional restrictions in Philadelphia (see reciprocity notes); note that open carrying does not exempt you from needing a license in a vehicle. (18 Pa.C.S. § 6108 still restricts carry on public streets/property in Philadelphia, but the official statute notes it was declared unconstitutional as applied in Commonwealth v. Sumpter, 340 A.3d 977 (Pa. Super. 2025, decided June 23, 2025).)

Who can apply

Per the Pennsylvania State Police "Carrying Firearms in Pennsylvania" page (accessed 2026-10-13):

• A person who is 21 years of age or older may apply for an LTCF;
• The issuing agency investigates eligibility through the Pennsylvania Instant Check System (PICS) criminal background check;
• Under 18 Pa. C.S. § 6109, a sheriff may deny a license if they believe the applicant's character and reputation is such that they would likely act in a manner dangerous to public safety;
• Nonresidents: Pennsylvania may issue an LTCF to out-of-state residents who hold a valid concealed-carry permit/license from their home state — but some county sheriffs decline nonresident applications, so contact the sheriff first (PSP, which links to pasheriffs.org for sheriff contacts).

Step-by-step application process

Issuing authority: the sheriff of the county where you live (Philadelphia residents: the chief of police).

1. Contact your county sheriff's office (find it via https://www.pasheriffs.org/sheriff-information/) to confirm hours, required documents, and payment methods — applications are typically made in person.
2. Complete the application and remember the required fee (see "Costs").
3. Background check: the sheriff runs the PICS criminal background check (PSP).
4. Decision: issuing agencies have 45 days to determine eligibility for an LTCF (PSP).
5. Receive your license, valid for five years unless revoked. Note: an LTCF is not a license to purchase — a separate background check is still required when buying from a licensed dealer (PSP).

Costs

• Application fee: $20.00 total, payable to the sheriff — a $19 license fee under 18 Pa.C.S. § 6109(h)(1) (which includes a $1.50 renewal-notice processing fee and a $5 administrative fee under the Sheriff Fee Act) plus a $1 Firearms License Validation System fee under § 6109(h)(3) that the sheriff remits to the Pennsylvania State Police. (PSP's "Firearms Information" page describes the total as "$19.00, only $1.00 of which is sent to PSP"; the consolidated statute adds the $1 to the $19, and counties such as York and Chester currently collect $20.00 for new and renewal licenses — accessed 2026-10-13.)
• Fingerprinting: the standard LTCF application process described by PSP (application + PICS check) includes no separate fingerprinting fee.
• Training: none required (see below), so no cost.

Training requirement

None. Pennsylvania law does not require any firearms training course to obtain a License to Carry Firearms — the PSP application process consists of the application, the fee, and the PICS background check (PSP "Carrying Firearms in Pennsylvania," accessed 2026-10-13). No minimum course hours or instructor certification apply.

Timeline & renewal

• Processing: 45 days for the issuing agency to determine eligibility (PSP).
• Validity: the license is valid for five years unless revoked (PSP).
• Renewal: renewal is a new application on the same PSP form. At least 60 days before expiration, the issuing sheriff must send the licensee a renewal application; failure to receive one does not relieve you of the duty to renew (18 Pa.C.S. § 6109(f)(2), accessed 2026-10-13). The statute sets no separate renewal fee — the same § 6109(h) fee applies, and counties quote the same $20.00 for renewals (e.g., York and Chester County sheriffs' fee schedules). UNVERIFIED: whether your county requires an in-person visit or in-person pickup for renewal — submission/pickup practices vary by county, so confirm with your sheriff.

Where to apply

• Your county sheriff's office: https://www.pasheriffs.org/sheriff-information/ (official PSP-published directory)
• Official information: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/psp/programs/firearms/carrying-firearms-in-pennsylvania

Sources

• 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 6106, 6108, 6109 (official consolidated text: application/fee/term, Philadelphia restriction, Sumpter unconstitutionality note) — https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/18/00.061..HTM (accessed 2026-10-13)
• Pennsylvania State Police — Carrying Firearms in Pennsylvania — https://www.pa.gov/agencies/psp/programs/firearms/carrying-firearms-in-pennsylvania (accessed 2026-10-13)
• Pennsylvania State Police — Firearms Information (fee breakdown, § 6109(h)(3)) — https://www.pa.gov/agencies/psp/programs/firearms/firearms-information (accessed 2026-10-13)
• Pennsylvania Sheriffs' Association — Sheriff directory — https://www.pasheriffs.org/sheriff-information/ (accessed 2026-10-13)
• Site reciprocity data (Pennsylvania entry) — https://ccw.workmanfirearms.com/data/reciprocity.json (retrieved 2026-10-13)